SIPPING a pint of Wrexham Lager, ahead of tomorrow’s 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day, 100-year-old local man Herbert Pritchard has a poignant World War Two tale about the Welsh beer.
And so, when The Sun told its brewery’s new co-owners — Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — of the story VJ Day veteran Herbert had to tell, they opened its doors to let us catch up with him there.
Paul Tonge100-year-old WW2 veteran Herbert Pritchard has a special connection to Wrexham Lager[/caption]
GettyRyan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham Brewery last year[/caption]
Paul TongeHerbert as World War Two naval gunner[/caption]
The A-listers bought the brewery, founded in 1882, last year after also acquiring Wrexham AFC in 2021, so were delighted to oblige.
Herbert was just 20 when serving as a marine in the Far East, tasked with bringing home prisoners of war — and it was hearing one of their number, also from Wrexham, longingly mention the lager from the pair’s home town that began their friendship.
The ex-marine Herbert had come across had been so badly treated by the Japanese he had shrunk from 12st to 6st.
But when Herbert overheard him say, “Get me back to Blighty, I can’t wait for a pint of Wrexham Lager,” he knew they were they practically neighbours — and kindred spirits.
In 1945, lager was rare in the UK and Wrexham in North Wales was one of the few places that made it — so when Herbert and his new pal got home, they soon made up for lost drinking time as they met up regularly for a pint.
But sadly, Herbert’s mate had suffered so much punishment at the hands of the Japanese that he only lived for two years after the war.
‘Men like scarecrows’
To toast VJ Day — August 15, 1945 — and his friend, Herbert joined The Sun in raising a pint of Wrexham Lager in the brewery his pal loved so much.
Herbert will tomorrow meet King Charles and Queen Camilla during a service at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs, to honour the 1.5million British and Commonwealth forces who fought against the Japanese.
But first, over his cold pint, he recounted for us his extraordinary tale of a wartime bond forged over a love of beer.
As his tipple was poured, Herbert apologised: “I can’t for the life of me remember my friend’s name. I am so sorry.”
But in his exclusive chat with The Sun, he recalled the first time their paths crossed.
Herbert was a gunner on light cruiser HMS Newcastle, which had been sent to Burma to draw out the Japanese fighters then later pick up PoWs.
The ship’s Royal Marines would be sent out from the vessel in small boats to distract the Japanese, who would fire on them with rifles and shells.
Get me back to Blighty, I can’t wait for a pint of Wrexham Lager
Dad-of-three Herbert said: “We were bait — our job was to blow up a hell of a lot then draw the Japanese out so the 14th Army could move in behind and capture them.
“There were big shells flying overhead and we were just in these little wooden boats.
“All we had on were shorts and the sun was so strong.
“I developed a skin condition 30 years later.”
On occasion, the marines would go ashore and one day Herbert remembers seeing what he thought were scarecrows in a field — but he said: “We walked towards them and they weren’t scarecrows, they were our men.”
‘Prisoners of war’
HMS Newcastle was stationed off Japan when the US dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, on August 6 and 9 respectively.
Herbert said: “We didn’t even know it had happened until it was all over.
“One day the skipper said, ‘We’re heading home.’ That was it.”
We were the forgotten army but I am glad that on Friday the country will remember those who served and did not come home
Herbert
On the way back to Britain, the ship moored in Sydney Harbour, and one morning dozens of men were standing on the dockside, their few belongings wrapped in newspaper.
Sipping his pint, Herbert recalls: “It was a sight I’d never hope to see again.
“We went over the side and down to them, and they were all prisoners of war — our lads and they were in a hell of a state.
“I’d never seen any sights like them.
“They were like skeletons and this bloke who was a former marine, when he was captured he was 12st, now he was 6st.
“He was the man who wanted a pint of Wrexham Lager.
“It turned out he lived ten minutes down the road from me. I was determined to look after him.
“By the time we landed in Portsmouth he had put on most of his weight he had lost — although on the way home he almost got us all locked up.
“It was his birthday and on board a ship they pour the rum out for everybody to celebrate.
Paul TongeHerbert shares a pint with Mike at Wrexham Brewery[/caption]
“This lad from Wrexham, he was singing away and we had to hide him when the officer of the watch came round on inspection.
“As the officer was leaving, he said, ‘Tell your mate to sing in tune’. He could have put us all on the charge but he didn’t.”
After the war, Herbert worked in a rope factory and the PoW was a conductor on the Crosville buses.
But Herbert said: “One day, a couple of years after the war, he wasn’t there. He had died. He wasn’t very old.
“We were the forgotten army but I am glad that on Friday the country will remember those who served and did not come home.”
Do you know the Wrexham Prisoner of War? [email protected]
PROUD NATION UNITES
SERVICE of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal British Legion, at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs, is live on BBC One from 11.30am tomorrow.
There are many more events around the UK where you can mark VJ Day . . .
TODAY
11am: Wales’ official VJ Day 80 service begins UK’s commemorations with service, wreath-laying and music at Wales National Memorial, Alexandra Gardens, Cardiff.
9pm: Sunset ceremony and wreath-laying at Memorial Gates near Buckingham Palace, London Emotive light show, and two-minute silence.
TOMORROW
7am: Military pipers play lament The Battle’s O’er – at London’s Cenotaph, Far East section of National Memorial Arboretum, and Edinburgh Castle.
10.30am: At Norwich Cathedral, 50,000 PoWs commemorated by Far East Prisoners of War Association’s parade then VJ Day service. Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will attend. Dakota fly-past.
11am: Salute To VJ Day concert at Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle attended by Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
11am: Outdoor service and parade in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, held by National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association and Royal British Legion. Exhibition celebrates local hero Major Frank Pantridge, Far East PoW who later invented the portable heart-defibrillator.
6.30pm: Church bells ring throughout the country.
9pm: Landmarks lit in red, white and blue, including government and council offices in London, Library of Birmingham, Durham Cathedral, Southampton Guildhall, plus town halls including Bury and Grtr Manchester.
9.30pm: Hundreds of beacons will be lit across the UK from Cornwall to northern Scotland, in many town squares, outside village halls, on seafronts and in parks.
SATURDAY
NOON: Thousands expected at Britain’s biggest VJ Day bash – a free community celebration at East Lancs Cricket Club, Blackburn. Rides, inflatables, live music and bars.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
