1944 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1944 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Archbishop of Wales
 * Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor (died 7 May)
 * David Prosser, Bishop of St David's (elected)
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys

Events

 * 22 January - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports for the BBC from the Battle of Anzio.
 * 23 January - An RAF Halifax bomber crashes in the Elan Valley, killing nine crew.
 * 28 March - Cardiff Blitz: Nine people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff.
 * 11 April - An RAF Lancaster bomber crashes near Llanwrtyd Wells, killing eight crew.
 * 16 August - Lt. Tasker Watkins leads a bayonet charge at Barfour in Normandy, winning the Victoria Cross for his courage.
 * 17 October - The first "Welsh Day" debate takes place in the House of Commons (UK).
 * 11 November - A US Dakota C-47 with four crew crashes into cliffs above Llyn Dulyn.
 * 10 December - American Liberty ship Dan Beard is torpedoed off Strumble Head, resulting in the deaths of 29 crew.
 * 20 December - An American B-24 Liberator plane crashes into the sea off Anglesey, killing eight crew.
 * Plaid Cymru transfers its head office from Caernarfon to Cardiff.
 * Morgan Phillips becomes Secretary of the Labour Party (UK), a position he will hold until 1961.
 * Sir Thomas Williams Phillips becomes permanent secretary of the new government ministry created to implement the national insurance system.
 * Sir David Brunt is awarded the royal medal of the Royal Society for his work in meteorology.
 * Politician Goronwy Owen and naval architect Llewellyn Soulsby are knighted.

Arts and literature

 * 2 October - Dylan Thomas is best man at the wedding of his friend and fellow poet Vernon Watkins in London - but fails to turn up.
 * BBC commentator Alun Williams marries Perrie Hopkin Morris, daughter of Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llandybie)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - D. Lloyd Jenkins
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - J. M. Edwards
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

English language

 * Rhys Davies – Black Venus
 * Fred Hando - The Pleasant Land of Gwent
 * Jack Jones - The Man David
 * Alun Lewis - The Last Inspection
 * Sir Percy Emerson Watkins - A Welshman Remembers
 * Sir Ifor Williams - Lectures on early Welsh Poetry

Welsh language

 * Thomas Rowland Hughes - William Jones
 * Edward Morgan Humphreys - Ceulan y Llyn Du
 * T. H. Parry-Williams - O'r Pedwar Gwynt

New drama

 * James Kitchener Davies - Meini Gwagedd
 * Emlyn Williams - The Druid's Rest

Music

 * Harry Parr Davies - Jenny Jones (musical)
 * Grace Williams - Sea Sketches

Film

 * The Halfway House, starring Mervyn Johns, Glynis Johns and Rachel Thomas, is set in Wales.

Broadcasting

 * August - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports on the liberation of Paris for BBC radio.
 * Launch of the Noson Lawen series on BBC radio.

Visual arts

 * Polish-born expressionist painter Josef Herman begins 11 years living and working in Ystradgynlais.

Sport

 * Boxing - Syd Worgan beats Tommy Davies for the vacant Welsh featherweight title.
 * Football - The first post-war match between Wales and England ends in a 1 - 0 victory for Wales.

Births

 * 21 January - Peter Rodrigues, footballer
 * 17 February - Karl Jenkins, composer
 * 1 March – Dai Morgan Evans, English-born archaeologist (died 2017)
 * 6 March – Billy Raybould, Wales international rugby player
 * 12 March – Tammy Jones, singer
 * 24 March
 * Mary Balogh, novelist
 * Steve Jones, biologist
 * 31 March – Myfanwy Talog, actress (died 1995)
 * 4 April – Ronnie Rees, footballer
 * 8 April – Hywel Bennett, actor (died 2017)
 * 15 April – Dave Edmunds, musician
 * 16 April – Llew Smith, politician (died 2021)
 * 5 May
 * Roger Rees, actor (died 2015 in the United States)
 * John Rhys-Davies, actor
 * 20 May – Kathrin Thomas, magistrate
 * 3 June – Dilwyn John, footballer
 * 11 June – Alan Howarth, Baron Howarth of Newport, politician
 * 16 June – Brian Protheroe, English-born singer and actor of Welsh parentage
 * 7 July – Glenys Kinnock, English-born politician (died 2023)
 * 7 July – Angharad Rees, actress (died 2012)
 * 31 July
 * Endaf Emlyn, TV presenter, musician and director
 * Betty Williams, politician
 * 9 October - Desmond Barrit, actor
 * 21 October - Mandy Rice-Davies, socialite (died 2014)
 * 6 November - Gerallt Lloyd Owen, poet (died 2014)
 * 14 November - Eurfyl ap Gwilym, economist and politician
 * 29 November - Gareth Wardell, politician
 * 18 December - (Roger) Deke Leonard, rock musician (died 2017)
 * 24 December– Meirion Pennar, translator and son of Pennar Davies (died 2010)

Deaths

 * 8 January - John Newell Evans, Welsh-born farmer and politician in Canada, 97
 * 11 January - Richard Powell, Wales international rugby player, 79
 * 5 March - Alun Lewis, poet, 28 (accidentally shot)
 * 20 March - William Retlaw Williams, lawyer and historian, 80 or 81
 * 31 March - Talfryn Evans, cricketer, 29
 * 7 May - Charles Green, Bishop of Monmouth, Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales, 79
 * 17 May - John Lloyd Morgan, lawyer and MP, 83
 * 24 May - Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, politician, 83
 * 27 May - Griffith Hartwell Jones, academic, 85
 * June - Dai Davies, footballer, 63/64
 * 16 June - David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, philanthropist and MP, 64
 * 25 June - James Atkin, Baron Atkin, judge, 76
 * 5 August - Maurice Turnbull, cricketer, 38 (killed in action)
 * 5 August - Ethel Lina White, crime novelist, 68
 * 20 September - Oliver Morris, rugby player and footballer, 27 (killed in action)
 * 21 September - Bob Jones, rugby union player, 69
 * 25 September - David Davies, 2nd Baron Davies, 29 (killed in battle)
 * 30 September- David Harris Davies, Wales international rugby union player, 66
 * 5 October - Laura Evans-Williams, singer, 61
 * 27 October - Clem Lewis, rugby player, 54
 * 19 November - Watkin Williams, Bishop of Bangor, 99
 * 8 December - Sir William Jenkins, MP for Neath, 73