2nd January "My time as a Bevin Boy" by Reg Mant
Reg gave us a very personal view of his life as a Bevin Boy, from a reserved occupation he volunteered (actually classified as Optants or Volunteers) for service below ground although his initial choice was to go into one of the armed forces. He started his service in the Derby area and related the poor support given in terms of equipment and the basic lack of uniform or medal/insignia that informed the general public that he was doing his bit for King and Country rather than being branded as a conscientious objector, a common myth of the time, which if you read below these were few and far between in the Bevin Boys ranks.
Reg kept us amused by the situation facing the rather reluctant "boys" and the extremely poor working conditions coupled with the warm hearted generous folk of the close knit mining communities. The long and harsh working environment meant that many conscripts failed to return after leave, some even acting hysteria after descent into the mines, although from Reg's description this to most of us would be real and need no acting!
To us 'Ewellites', with little knowledge of coal mining Reg had on hand a video, this was excellent material but of course this cannot replicate the sense of claustrophobia of very low workings thousands of feet below ground level, the total darkness or indeed the smell associated with pit ponies confined to the depths and the lack of any toilet facilities.
His main emphasis was that your life down the mines was dependant on others being alert and ready to help, and his to reciprocate, this makes for a bond of fellowship which endures above all hardships. Having served at Creswell Colliery, listened to the famous Brass Band he mentioned the explosion after his 'demob' which took the lives of 80 miners, a very sad memory but another was the support from the Band in his later life when seeking instruments for a school where he was a governor.
On 26 September 1950, an underground fire broke out resulting in the loss of 80 lives. Most people in Creswell were touched by the deaths. The fire started when an electric conveyor belt jammed. Flames swept through a gallery 10' high and 12' wide, trapping 77 men as they struggled to get to the shaft bottom via the return tunnel. 19 men reached the shaft but were overcome by toxic fumes. There was a barrier of 300' of flame when the rescuers arrived. The speed of the disaster was such that within 8 hours a notice was posted at the pit head stating that any further rescue was impossible. To stop the fire spreading through the mine, the affected tunnels were sealed using sand bags and masonry. The disaster was Derbyshires' worst underground colliery fire.
Very interesting is that Reg is not bitter in the lack of real acknowledgement or basic entitlements such as a demob suit and the right to return to his previous employment as all the other conscripts were permitted, indeed the presenters fee, Reg has already given to charity.
A most interesting presentation, many of us were glad we endured another life of service in the British Forces. After a well earned vote of thanks the members gave Reg a generous and warm acknowledgement in our normal fashion.
Below are more details about the Bevin Boys.
Bevin Boys A research report by Albert Gee, (with thanks)
From December 1943 until the end of the war, 48,000 Bevin Boys were directed to work in the coalmines. Bevin Boys represented 10% of male conscript's aged between 18 and 25 during the Second World War and were chosen by ballot to serve in the mining industry rather than in the armed services. They were named after the Rt. Hon Ernest Bevin, the wartime Minister of Labour and former leader of the Transport and General Workers Union.
The mining work was not popular either with the miners or the boys themselves, many of whom had no mining background at all. The Bevin Boys received no medal, badge or uniform and little recognition at the time or afterwards. Many were not released from their war work until several years after the war had ended.
Background and Selection Process
When war was declared against Germany in September 1939, the British Government made the mistake of allowing experienced coal miners to be called up into the armed services, either as reservists or as conscripts. Miners were also allowed to transfer into other higher paid industries. It was thought at the time, that the gaps in the coal mining industry would be replaced by previously unemployed men and by making the industry the subject of a reserved occupation for key workers.
But by mid-1943, over 36,000 coal miners had left the industry for better paid work. The British Government decided it needed 40,000 more miners. Despite asking service men and conscripts to opt for this reserved occupation, little impact was made on the numbers needed. In September 1943 an appeal was made to Head Teachers of relevant schools but this was largely ignored. In consequence in December 1943 Ernest Bevin masterminded a scheme whereby a ballot took place to put a proportion of conscripted men into the mines instead of the armed services. The only exceptions were men accepted for flying duties in the RAF or Fleet Air Arm, men accepted for work in submarines and men on a shortlist of highly skilled occupations required for armed service trades.
The ballot consisted of Mr. Bevin's secretary each month placing 10 digits into a hat and, for a period of approximately 20 months, two of these numbers were drawn out. All men whose National Service Registration Number ended with that digit were directed into coal mining without exception. Any refusal to comply with the direction would inevitably result in a heavy fine or possible imprisonment under the wartime Emergency Powers Act.
Not all Bevin Boys were ballotees, as men had the opportunity at the time of call-up of choosing this form of employment in lieu of service in the armed services, and were so classified as Optants or Volunteers. There were suggestions that Bevin Boys were placed in the coalmines as conscientious objectors. However this was largely untrue since there were only 41 conscientious objectors out of the total of 47,859 Bevin Boys.
Training
After medical examinations, travel warrants and instructions quickly followed to report to one of the thirteen Government Training Centre Collieries in England, Scotland, and Wales. Upon arrival at the assigned destination, a Ministry of Labour official would be waiting to allocate accommodation in either a purpose built Miners Hostel similar to an army camp or in billets, at a cost of 25 shillings per week deducted out of an average wage of three pounds, ten shillings. Training for Bevin Boys serving in Scotland took place at the Government Training Centre Colliery at Muircockhall in Fife, with accommodation at the Miners Hostel at Townhill.
Training would last for a duration of four weeks and take the form of 25% physical training, 25% classroom lectures, 20% surface work and 30% underground. At the end of this period, final allocation would be made to a colliery normally within the region where the training had taken place.
Living and Working
On arrival at the assigned pit, accommodation would be either in a hostel or private billets and a further two weeks local training given before commencing the real hard work that Bevin Boys were required to carry out. Bevin Boys were supplied with a safety helmet; a pair of overalls and steel capped boots and like other miners carried their safety lamp, a snap tin containing sandwiches and a water bottle. Upon emerging from the cage after descending anything up to a mile deep into the earth's interior, invariably a long walk had to be made in uneven terrain to finally arrive and work in cramped conditions with a headroom often as low as eighteen inches. However, the majority of Bevin Boys worked on haulage and conveyor belts with few graduating to work at the coalface.
Most forms of haulage involved the use of cables for the movement of tubs. In some collieries pit ponies were used for haulage. Pit ponies were stabled underground for life at some collieries, whereas others would allow them to come up to the surface for one week in each year during the holiday period when the pit was closed.
In most cases Bevin Boys were regarded with suspicion by the regular pitmen. This was inevitable with young inexperienced men with little knowledge of the industry, and many of who had never got their hands dirty in their lives. Regular miners, many of whom were born and bred in a mining community, relied on bonuses earned by hard work. They did not relish the idea of working alongside a disinterested Bevin Boy.
The work of the miners was hard in appalling conditions with no toilet facilities in areas that were either hot, cold, wet, draughty, dirty, dusty and smelly. The constant noise of machinery was also deafening coupled with the daily hazards of enduring cuts and bruises. Dangers and risks were numerous with always the fear that perhaps there might be an explosion resulting in fire or even a rock fall and it was always a relief to step out of the cage into the fresh air at the end of the days shift. Some of the larger collieries were lucky enough to have pit head baths in order to shower and change into clean clothes, but where these were not provided it would mean going back to the hostel or billets.
Bevin Boy s did not have a uniform and therefore only wore civilian clothes when off duty. This could lead to challenges by members of the public as to why they were not in Army, Royal Navy, or Royal Air Force uniform. Additionally being of military age prompted suspicion of either being a draft dodger or deserter from the forces or a possible enemy agent thus leading to regular challenges by local police. If a man was found to be physically unfit for work underground, he had to be reassigned to surface work. There was no opportunity to transfer to other industry or the forces. Those Bevin Boys who were injured did not receive a Government pension as they were legally regarded as civilian
Demobilisation
With the ending of the Second World War in Europe, a Bevin Boy release scheme was brought into being similar to that of the armed services. But the Bevin Boys received no medals or other form of recognition or reward for their services to the war effort in which the played a very vital part. This contrasted with demobilised servicemen who were allowed to keep their uniform, given a demobilisation outfit, paid leave and received war and campaign medals. Bevin Boys had no right to return to their pre-war jobs, as could demobbed servicemen. The last of the Bevin Boys were demobbed in 1948 well after the British coalmines were nationalised in 1947. Very few opted to stay on in the mining industry. Although there was a National Bevin Boys Welfare Association set up by a few members, it proved unsuccessful due to problems of communication with other Bevin Boys in widely different parts of the United Kingdom. The Association collapsed with the gradual release of men from the coal mining industry in 1947-8.
Belated Recognition
It was not until the 50th Anniversary of the VE and VJ Day Commemorations during May and August of 1995 that Bevin Boys were finally recognised. Speeches made by HM The Queen, The Rt. Hon. Betty Boothroyd; MP Speaker of the House of Commons and the Rt. Hon. John Major, MP Prime Minister at the time all gave belated honour to the Bevin Boys. That has been enhanced by the very belated admission of the Bevin Boys to the national Remembrance Sunday Service held at the Cenotaph, Whitehall in 2002.
There is a new Bevin Boys Association that was formed in 1989 with some 1500 members. The Bevin Boys Association is very active and holds an Annual National Reunion; with additional Regional Reunions held in various parts of the United Kingdom, usually at locations associated with the coal mining industry.
