Dragon unveiled as tribute to Welsh soldiers
All the way from a town near Oswestry, a Welsh Dragon has arrived in Belgium to honour those who died in World War One.
The red dragon, made by Castle Fine Arts Foundry, in Montgomeryshire, has been placed on top of a memorial in Langemark, to remember the Welsh soldiers who fell in Flanders during the war.
And the dragon was this weekend unveiled as 1,000 people gathered to commemorate the 100th anniversary in a service.
Speaking at the event, Peter Carter Jones, co-ordinator of the Welsh Memorial in Flanders Campaign Group, said: "At a chance meeting on 2010 I learned there was no single welsh memorial for all the Welsh fallen. We wanted to change that.
"This memorial's artist is from Tenby, the stones from Pontypridd and the dragon was made in Wales. Every bit of it is Welsh.
"People not born yet will come here to remember the dreadful history this memorial represents. We will not forget them."
The final statue measures 8ft long and weighs 70st (450kg) and is a lasting memorial to the estimated 40,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from Wales who died during the war.
MP for Montgomeryshire, Glyn Davies, said: "I think it is absolutely brilliant, it's so impressive.
He described the Castle Fine Arts Foundry, in Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnan, as a "hidden gem" and added: "They do some really impressive things there. I don't think there could be a better monument to the Welsh soldiers than this dragon."
The design was created in February by artist Lee Odishaw, before it was created in clay in April from which moulds were made.
A total of 25 bronze pieces were then cast through the lost wax process. The pieces were then assembled and welded together, and a red finish applied before it was carefully transported to Belgium.
