Captain David "Potato" Jones

"Potato" Jones was the captain of the cargo ship Kellwyn which was carrying 1,500 refugees from Santander - one of the last remaining republican strongholds in northern Spain.

When he arrived at Saint-Nazaire, the press were waiting.

A few months earlier "Potato" Jones had become a minor celebrity following his bid to break the naval blockade of Bilbao.

His attempt to deliver a cargo of potatoes to the republican defenders turned to farce when he was turned back by a British destroyer, but the defiant tale of a lone sea captain pitting his wits against battleships and gunboats captured the imagination of people around the world. It was also a source of great pride for the people of Swansea.

There is little doubt the daring exploits of "Potato" Jones would have engendered interest in, and sympathy for, the Basque refugee children at Sketty Park House.

► Find out what happened to the children next ...

Imortalised in song! 
Listen to Old Potato Jones from a 1937 record by popular performers The Two Leslies: