1849 Wwhen he was 20 years old he went to London where he was ordained as a Methodist minister.

1855 At the age of 26  he married Catherine Mumford who was a great help and inspiration in his work. Feeling constrained by the restrictions of the Church organisation William and Catherine Booth branched out on their own and established the Gospel preaching style, which was then called the ‘Christian Mission’.

The Booth’s idea was to take their message to the mass of the people by means of street services, using bands and songs combining care for souls with care for the bodies of the poor and underprivileged. General Booth was not only a man with a burning enthusiasm but he was eloquent and his organisational skills were second to none. His work for social welfare as well as spiritual regeneration began to spread everywhere.

1882 The ‘Christian Mission’ now known as the ‘Salvation Army’, concerned about the welfare of the poor in the emerging industrial towns established themselves in Llanelli. This was more than 20 years before a young miner from Loughor, Evan Roberts, aged 26, led the local Welsh Revival of 1904, which dramatically affected the people of Loughor just across the bridge from Llanelli.

The Salvation Army, who came to Llanelli with their motto, ‘Blood and Fire’, were brave pioneers who wanted to care for people, not only spiritually, but also physically.

This was in the days when Sunday evenings were a time when many industrial works restarted their furnaces and the sky once more became blackened with belching, choking smoke which hung over the whole town.

Over the years the Army held many fiery meetings, some in the open-air, others were at venues such as the Alexandra Hall in Vaughan Street with a seating capacity of 600. At several of their meetings so many people arrived that large numbers had to be turned away because there was not enough room.

When General William Booth came to Llanelli to inspect his troops and speak at Sion, the Chapel was said to have overflowed with people. Such was the establishment of the Salvation Army work in the town that a band and male voice choir was formed and children’s group meetings were held.

1914 The Great War started and Salvationist bandsmen went to serve King and country and, undaunted, five stout-hearted women took the initiative and formed their own band.

1915 the Army moved from Vaughan Street to the new Swansea Road Citadel which cost £1,664. The Citadel, which was opened by Sir Stafford Howard, was capable of holding 300 in the senior hall and 200 in the young people’s hall.

1916 Mrs Bramwell Booth, wife of the second General, conducted meetings which were held in Haggars Theatre. Until 1929, large meetings were occasionally held in the scouts’ hall. When Mrs Higgins, wife of the third General visited Llanelli the meeting was held in the New Dock Cinema, situated just the other side of the railway crossing at the junction of New Dock Road and Station Road.

1934 General Higgins (third General), paid Llanelli a visit the meeting was held in the Regal Cinema.

1938 The Reghal was the venue for Evangeline Booth (the fourth General), when hundreds had to be turned away because of a shortage of space.

During this period, more than 20 years after General William Booth’s death his ‘Army’ had 26,000 officers and cadets working at 16,000 stations, with 107,000 local officers. It was established in over 70 countries where it was using over 50 languages. It supported 318 industrial homes, 92 maternity homes, 104 children’s homes, 172 slum posts, 16 prison-gate homes, 381 shelters and cheap food depots for the homeless, 224 workshops and factories and 139 labour bureaux.

The time between the two World Wars was a difficult one for townspeople and the Salvation Army showed their concern for the poorer section of the community in many practical ways and during the great depression they provided soup kitchens.

In 1938 the band campaigned in London and took part in the seventh annual London Festival of Welsh Music and Song. Programmes of the event are officially preserved in the National Library of Wales.

1939 Llanelli took part in the ‘Great Spring War Cry Sales Race’ and for a time they sold more copies of The War Cry than any other corps in Britain. Later that year the serious falling off in demand for anthracite brought stoppages in surrounding collieries which resulted in a disastrous decline in the trade for the local Docks and at one period there was not one works in the town that was not idle.

The outbreak of War in September 1939 changed everything and it also brought about changes in the way the ‘Army’ served the public. The corps history book records brief but telling sentences:

"Captain and Mrs Pender and Llanelli Salvationists rendered relief in the appalling disaster . . ."

"Helped at Swansea Blitz 19-22 February 1941 . . ."

"Divisional mobile canteen operated from Llanelli in action at Pembroke Dock for four days following Blitz . . ."

"Junior Glanville Williams fatally injured whilst running from school to shelter during air raid . . ."

"Sunday’s meeting affected by invasion exercises . . ."

"Old Castle Company of Home Guard attended Citadel for church parades"

"May 1945, VE-day Thanksgiving service"

"August 1945 VJ-day Thanksgiving service"

The post-war years saw a pattern of continuing spiritual and welfare work interspersed with the music sections visiting and being visited by those of other corps.

1950s Salvationists re-enacted Biblical plays with titles like ‘The Challenge of the Cross,’ ‘By Thy Glorious Resurrection,’ ‘Colgotha,’ ‘The Iscariot’ and others.

1960s Some of these Bible plays were repeated and still retained their freshness.

1962 the seventh General, General Kitching, held meetings in the Market Hall.

1967 The popular Joystrings played at the Drill Hall.

1968 General Coutts (eighth General) spoke to a packed meeting at Sion Chapel.

1970s and early 1980s saw many changes and although the Army adapted to those changes it remained faithful to the early principle laid down by its founder in the previous century.

1982 Llanelli Citadel celebrated its centenary and produced a programme which traced the history of the movement in Llanelli and described a typical ‘Sunday at the Army Today’.

9.15 am In the Salvation Army Hall in Swansea Road a group of ‘faithfuls’ gathered to pray.

9.50 am The Citadel would be a hive of activity as bandsmen prepared for the open-air witness.

10.00 am Open-air witness

11.00 am The band returned from the street meeting and joined with the soldiers, friends and visitors for the devotional meeting at 11.00 am enhanced by the songsters and congregational singing.

If the 4th Salvation Army Llanelli Girl Guides and Brownie Pack was on parade some 40 girls would add a colourful array to the morning congregation.

After Lunch The minibus would start its round picking up children from the ‘Outpost’ Sunday School at the Bryn Primary, and the young people’s band practised before Sunday School at the Citadel. Other Salvationist Soldiers who were not involved with the Sunday School started their regular visits to Bryntirion Hospital and Llanelli General Hospital.

Mid-afternoon The young adults would hold their Bible Class and often held afternoon musical programmes which were open to everyone. The youngsters were trained free by the Army and their parents and friends enjoyed the sounds of the brass instruments, timbrels and the singing. Later the young adults would be joined by the senior band members and the audience would join in the lively foot tapping music.

Tea Time As the afternoon drew to a close, after a friendly chat, it was time for tea.

5.30 pm The bandsmen would prepare for their open-air duties, or if the weather was bad, they would bring comfort to the elderly in one of the several old people’s homes in the town.

6.30 pm After the familiar march of witness back to the Citadel, the Salvation Meeting would pulsate with memorable singing, rhythmic hand clapping giving an enjoyable experience for young and old alike. After the conclusion of the Meeting the youth corps members disappeared for ‘Youth Squash’ and other members enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the Citadel.

10.15 pm The adults would have gone home and the youth squash leader would draw the day to a close as it started, in prayer.

1986 On 7th June the Salvation Army, affectionately known to many as the ‘Sal Dabs’ or the ‘Sally Army’, moved from Swansea Road to their new Centre in Sunninghill Terrace. The Centre was opened by Majors Fred and Iona Rainer, former members of the ‘Army’ at Llanelli.

2000 The present Commanding Officers are Majors Massino and Jane Paone who have three daughters.

From Equerry to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales

Dear Captain Mylechreest,

Their Royal Highnesses have asked me to thank you most warmly for your kind message of loyal greetings on the occasion of the Centenary Celebrations of The Salvation Army in Llanelli. Their Royal Highnesses have asked me to send all concerned their very best wishes for the next one hundred years.

Yours sincerely,

[Signed] John Winter

Major John Winter

Captain P.M. Mylechreest