THE Elan Valley has links to both great wars and played its part in the historic Operation Chastise.
It would become immortalised in the film 'The Dambusters' starring Sir Richard Attenborough.
However Elan Valley's war story begins in September 1903 when 13 trains arrived at Rhayader Railway Station carrying more than 400 men, 138 horses and six heavy Royal Artillery guns arrives from Swindon.
The Lion Hotel became the military base as a new firing range was tested with the guns capable of firing shells more than 11,000 yards.
On the night of August 1908 an exhibition was held when more than 120 rounds were fired and two years later a display was held with the legacy still etched into the landscape today in craters at Esgair Cywion and Esgair Crawnllwyn while shrapnel from these firings can still be found.
The remnants of he Nant-y-Gro dam. Picture: Wikimedia.
After the declaration of war on August 4, 1914 the troops were sent to France but just a quarter of a century later the Elan Valley once again played host to the military.
From September 2, 1939 an order from the Ministry of Transport prohibited the use of the Elan Valley road between Brick House and Pont ar Elan by vehicles of all types with guards stationed at both ends.
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The Foel tower was covered in netting, surrounded with barbed wire and steel doors placed over the entrance. An earth and stone blockhouse was also built near the tower.
Barnes Wallis. Picture: Wikimedia.
In September 1940 a splinter proof air raid shelter positioned on the hillside above the school was provided for the children attending the Elan Valley School.
In the summer of 1942 the tenants of Glanhirin, Nantybeddau and Claerwen were removed from their homestead with all their belongings in an agreement with the War Office Special Training Area Committee and the Birmingham Corporation which had been concerned the Nazis would attempt to attack the reservoir.
However it had been at the same time the military top brass had considered attacking Nazi held dams.
Experts looks to the small dam built across Nant y Gro stream near Caban Coch which had once been used to provide water to the village built by the navvies building the dams.
Mohne following the breach of the dam. Picture: Wikimedia.
The dam remained provided a valuable test bed for experiments involving the military objective to breach a series of large dams in the Ruhr Valley, Germany, in order to disrupt the production of arms.
In 1942 secret tests and experiments were carried out by the War Ministry involving Barnes Wallis, an aeronautical engineer at Nant y Gro Dam.
A mine was suspended at the optimum depth from scaffolding halfway along the 180ft dam and detonated remotely.
The success of this trial confirmed that it would be necessary to deliver an explosive device underwater and in direct contact with the wall in order to destroy the dam.
These secret trials resulted in the 'bouncing bomb' being perfected by Barnes Wallace and the now famous raid by the '617 squadron'.
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