The tide came over in 1927 and it took all the Railway Ballast with it and the track was hanging with big holes where the track was. There was about eight foot or more of water in our cellar and it took with it everything that was loose in the fields.
The wind blew everything to Barcdy.
I remember Humphrey Owen's Cart was there, it had come all the way from Draenogau. There was also a lot of tar barrels and dead animals. We were very lucky as nobody was drowned, but they were worried for Will John, who worked in Draenogau Mawr he had just gone home but he was home and dry before it came over the embankment.
The Garage and The Ship Aground
The sea wall, or the Clawdd Llanw, as we call it, could not stand the strain and it broke by Draenogau Bach and of course the gap was getting bigger all the time. It must have been a tidal wave as it came so quickly but the weather had been very stormy for a few days and some of the farmers had moved their sheep and cattle to higher ground.
William Owen, Penbryn, was in the field by the school, getting ready to move the cattle but he was late and he had to run for it. There was a lamp post by the school then and he climbed to the top of it and in no time he could see the cattle swimming past.
John Jones, Cambrian, was cleaning the school. He had to jump on top of the cupboard and then on top of the beams and in the morning a boat went to see if he was alright. The boat then went across to Draneogau - it went over the Railway as you could not see the fences or the walls. They had to go up through the Gelli from Cefntrefor Isa to get the boat from Caerffynnon as there were big trees down by the lodge and a big hay stack opposite Noddfa, that came from where the school is now.
They buried all the animals at Barcdy, this side of where the caravans are today. There were four men in Ynys Gifftan then who worked in the Quarries and when they came as far as the embankment at six o'clock in the morning, they could not go further as the water was very deep this side but in the traeth it had gone out as usual.
The view of the railway from the Halt at Llandecwyn
They started a fund to help people who had lost their furniture and to help them to repair their houses after the tidal wave and some farmers had money from the fund as well. John Bull was very popular then and I know that with the insurance they received, that helped some people to get straight again.