The Army has caught up with a young air cadet who, after marching with troops in Bangor last week went home not knowing that he’d won a top award.
Thirteen-year-old Goronwy Cwyfan, a member of the local 2474 Squadron Air Cadets and pupil of Ysgol David Hughes was to have been presented with the top honour of the Band Master’s Award signed by four of Wales’s highest ranking military officers.
But when the time for him to march up to collect it – he was gone.  
But the Army was able to track him down as a member of Bangor Cathedral’s choir and at a packed church service (Sunday) he was called out of the choir stalls to be presented with the award by the Assistant Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Rev David Morris.
The prestigious Band Master’s Award from the elite British Army Band, was made for Goronwy’s outstanding musical performances at military parades and member of the Beaumaris Brass Band.
Former airborne forces member and Bangor City Councillor Mark Roberts who organised the massive event last Thursday said: “It was slightly embarrassing.  All the senior officers from Brigadier Wales Command and RAF Valley’s Station Commander where there with the Award in hand … but no Goronwy insight!   No one had told him!”
And there’ll be more military recognition for cornetist and trumpeter Goronwy in November when he will appear at this year’s annual Armed Forces Rugby Leage Association play offs and finals being held at Bethesda RFC grounds to play the Last Post and national anthems.   Goronwy said: ‘I don’t know which is the better honour; the Award I was presented with or the invitation to play the Last Post at the important Rugby event’.
Another local teenager who paraded in Bangor was MPCT student, Rhys Jones from Maesgerchan who was awarded ‘Most Deserved Effort’ by the Welsh Guards Regimental Adjutant, Colonel Guy Bartle-Jones.
Cllr. Roberts said: ‘Cadets and others at the parade came from as far afield at Birkenhead and Shropshire so its wonderful that out of only four awards, two were presented to  youths from the Bangor area’.
Photo copyright: Mark Roberts.