Keeping local history alive
This does not include miners who gave their lives whilst serving with HM Forces in World War One. They are covered in the WW1 Roll of Honour elsewhere on the website.
Often overlooked, neither war would have been won without the contribution of the miner underground.
In World War 2 it was difficult for miners to enlist, such was the importance of their work to the country. Indeed in 1943 a conscription plan drew men earmarked for the armed forces into mining instead, they were universally known as Bevin Boys. Some of these men were retained in the pits as late as 1948.
I spoke to a former miner Syd Scott, a few years before he died. He wanted to join up and was told he could only do so if he joined Bomber Command or the Royal Navy as a submariner, Syd opted for the latter, but after training ended up serving on a Motor Gun Boat in the Adriatic.
World War 1
Lady Victoria
David Hare, 17th September,1914, Accident at work Age 63
Thomas Dickson, 24th September,1914, Died at Work, Age 65
David Tait, 8th June,1916, Crushed by hutch, Age 74
Peter Coleman, 23rd November, 1916, Crushed by hutch, Age 32
Lingerwood
James Park 9th December, 1915 Fall of stone , Age 30
Robert Landells, 24th February,1916, Fall of stone, Age 50
World War 2
Lingerwood Pit
Mathew Webb Hughes 22nd May 1941, Fall of stone, Age 42
John Crawford, 11th June, 1942, Fall of stone, Age 26
Myles Gillespie, 27th January, 1943, Fall of stone age 43
Henry Boyes, 17th June, 1943, Fall of stone, Age 23
William Melville 1st March,1943 Crushed between hutches, Age 63
James Kennedy, 26th June, 1945 Mining accident, age 25
Lady Victoria
Thomas Moffat, 1940, Fall of coal, age 55
Robert Pearson, 21st January, 1943 Carbon Monoxide gas, age 20
James Herriot, 27th July,1943, Fall of coal, age 28
John Hunter, (39) ,
John Steel, (44),
Daniel Walker Slater, (56)
James Rutherford, (58)
Killed in an explosion, 26th April 1945,the worst incident in the history of the pit.
Newbattle Pit
Alexander Burnett MM and Bar in WW1 whilst serving with 8th Royal Scots,died 21st September, 1940 Accident Age 51
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