Visitors flock to special exhibition of ‘the man who ended the war’
A special exhibition to honour the achievements of former Glamorgan and Neath policeman, Ernest Rollings has received over 100,000 visitors at Cardiff Castle.
The exhibition was on loan from the South Wales Police Heritage Centre from October 2017 to September this year at the Firing Line Museum at the castle.
Ernest Rollings’ fascinating story outlines the tale of a quiet, modest man, whose endeavours during WW1 would earn him accolades as ‘the man who ended the war’.
In 1918, Lieutenant Rollings led two armoured cars to a German Headquarters in Framerville in France. Once there his orders were short and to the point. He was to raid them for documents.
However Rollings, who could not read German, would not come to know the significance of the information he was to uncover there for many years later.
Thirteen years later, an RAF mechanic stumbled upon a short hand note he had written at a high level briefing in September 1918, which he then took to the Sunday Express. A nationwide search then began to find the man responsible for uncovering secret information containing crucial details of the German Hindenburg Line.
Rollings, in keeping with his modest nature, didn’t put himself forward and when he was initially contacted by the paper he was reluctant to get involved.
Rachel Adams, Curator of the Firing Line Museum at Cardiff Castle said:
“The Firing Line has been overwhelmed by the response to the Ernest Rollings Exhibition. The visitor numbers have surpassed our expectations and we have observed a popular response to the exhibit by those specifically coming to the museum to see it.”
His story is now featured as part of the war exhibition in the force’s Heritage Centre which also contains a wide range of artefacts, including police equipment and uniform from years gone by, such as handcuffs, radios and the decorated dress uniforms of 19th century Chief Constables. There is also a Charge Room to book people into custody, as well as a cell for any law-breaking guests!
You can read more about Rollings at http://bit.ly/2NrCkWN and the Heritage Centre is open to the public on Wednesdays. Booking is essential and can be done via http://bit.ly/2PeelHe
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