Pavster1980 Posted 23 January , 2012 Share Posted 23 January , 2012 Hello all I appologise if this is in the wrong catagory but I was unsure where to put it. Does any one know if Coal miners were sent off to fight or were they classed as essential personel? They only reason I ask is because I am trying to find any records that could be for one of a number of releatives that were of age to be called upon. So far I have had no luck, I have no service numbers or Regiments to help me, but I do know they were Coal Miners so would they have stayed in the pits? Many thanks in advance Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 24 January , 2012 Admin Share Posted 24 January , 2012 The issue of coal miners volunteering in 1914 caused acute problems for the industry. All the male members of my mother's family were South Wales miners and nearly all volunteered in 1914, including one who was only sixteen. When the Military Service Act was introduced coal miners were granted certificates of exemption issued by Colliery Recruiting Courts to men who entered employment in the mines prior to June 1916. See http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1916/nov/16/coal-minners#S5CV0087P0_19161116_CWA_128 Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azureus Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 what are their names and area they came from? regards dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavster1980 Posted 24 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Thans for the speedy replies both of you. They were all from Durham, with the surnames, Pattison, Elliott, Brimilow and Wilkinson. Too many to mention, and not knowing any service numbers or Regiments, it could be all guessing without surviving service records to compare addresses or next of kin with Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wdragon Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 The South Wales miners who enlisted in the early war period were required to have the signature of the mine manager authorising them to go on their enlistment papers before the enlistment centre would accept them. There were several instances of men enlisting after forging the manager's signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eltoro1960 Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Miners joined up in huge numbers, causing severe labour shortage in the mines. Several reports of very young boys (14 ish) and old men 70+ being hurt down the pit. Over 80% of the 8th Royal Scots (Pioneers) were miners, which was partly the reason they became Pioneers. My G Uncle William enlisted in 1916 as a tunneler and he had a letter from the Pit manager and the local mining board, but this was primarily to get his 5 Bob a day tunnelers pay. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Mitchell Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Hi My Grandfather 6668 Sgt Samuel Mitchell a miner joined the East Yorkshire Rgt 7th Service Batt in I think Sept 1914 having served previously in India. He was I believe recalled to work in the mines in May 1918 to cover a shortage of workers. At least I hope he was as my uncle was born in February 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 I have had the same problem in trying to track down records of miners. My grandfather, Evan Pugh was a slate miner in North Wales and became a coal miner in South Wales during WW1. His marriage cert gives him as a miner in Treorchy in 1919, but whether he volunteered or was conscripted, which mines he work in, and so on, I have not been able to trace any records. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharkin56 Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 as described previously many of the miners from Bedworth and surrounding areas, ending up being tunnellers. Some winnning DCM for rescuing pals etc in collapsed shafts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Hello all I appologise if this is in the wrong catagory but I was unsure where to put it. Does any one know if Coal miners were sent off to fight or were they classed as essential personel? They only reason I ask is because I am trying to find any records that could be for one of a number of releatives that were of age to be called upon. So far I have had no luck, I have no service numbers or Regiments to help me, but I do know they were Coal Miners so would they have stayed in the pits? Many thanks in advance Rich Local North East papers give accounts of how the mining industry was virtually left with only boys and old men with which to extract coal for the war effort, as there was no such thing as reserved occupations. As far as I'm aware only munitions workers, shipyard workers and railway workers were restricted by their respective 'employees'(not government) from volunteering. The North Eastern Railways for instance, only seemed to allow what appears to be none essential personnel to enlist, whereas the Collieries, which weren't Nationalised, didn't seem to bother. All seemed to change in 1916 with the Militarty Services Act, but by then it was too late to do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Until 1813 miners were forbidden to enlist (although I'm sure some managed to). This was relaxed by a bill initiated in the House of Lords in that year that permitted a proportion of miners to enlist. (hence the need for signed permission from the pit management). The enforcement of this appears to have faded over time - hence the flood of enlistments in 1914. It wasn't only coal mines that became short of men - the tin mines were badly hit as well - just when the demand for tin soared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Thans for the speedy replies both of you. They were all from Durham, with the surnames, Pattison, Elliott, Brimilow and Wilkinson. Too many to mention, and not knowing any service numbers or Regiments, it could be all guessing without surviving service records to compare addresses or next of kin with if you know of any from around Consett/Bishop Auckland area then I can check to see if I have any records amongst the 6th DLI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pavster1980 Posted 24 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Thank you all for the replies. Just need to figure if any of my lot joined up now. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Local North East papers give accounts of how the mining industry was virtually left with only boys and old men with which to extract coal for the war effort, as there was no such thing as reserved occupations The 6th DLI seemed to take any men irrespective of occupation in 1914/1915, the only men who were refused were those medically unfit for service. They did release men who didn't go overseas in April 1915 but these men were who had been transferred to the 2nd line units. At some point I plan to take a look at the men who's records survived and see what the occupation spread is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Thans for the speedy replies both of you. They were all from Durham, with the surnames, Pattison, Elliott, Brimilow and Wilkinson. Too many to mention, and not knowing any service numbers or Regiments, it could be all guessing without surviving service records to compare addresses or next of kin with Rich Rich Not sure if this helps but there are records on the Durham Mining Museum site http://www.dmm2.org.uk/masterix/index.htm From the Long long trail I count 20 Territorial and Service Battalions of the DLI and 29 NF , and would suggest many were miners supporting what Graham highlighted in the problems this would have caused in the mining industry, Ashington in Northumberland, one of the main mining towns in the North East lists 736 dead on its war memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick D Posted 24 January , 2012 Share Posted 24 January , 2012 Rich, Both of my relatives below were miners, they both came from Durham mining villages, I cannot think of anyone else that I have looked at from my area who wasn't a miner or from a mining village, Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eve11 Posted 20 February , 2012 Share Posted 20 February , 2012 I was wondering if anyone knows what happened to the workforce in UK collieries at the beginning of WW1? I have read that many men who volunteered c1914 were miners and mine workers so who was working to produce the coal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 20 February , 2012 Admin Share Posted 20 February , 2012 The short answer to your query as to who was producing the coal is the very young and those too old to enlist, which given the conscience of some recruiting officers wasn't many. The official recruitment age was 18 for the Regular Army and 19 for Kitchener's volunteers, and although many under age soldiers enlisted, many more boys aged 13 and up were working in the mines. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharkin56 Posted 20 February , 2012 Share Posted 20 February , 2012 Those that left the mines from Bedworth, many seem to have ended up in the Royal Engineers back down the tunnels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bclivingmuseum Posted 9 December , 2013 Share Posted 9 December , 2013 Some of the local miners from the Black Country ended up joining the Royal Engineers and then joining tunnellers. Walsall Local History Centre holds oral history records of such a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petroc Posted 21 December , 2013 Share Posted 21 December , 2013 Hi Eve, Further to trawling the Web, utilising the LLT site and searching this Forum, which will undoubtedly provide a great deal of information, it might be worth contacting the National Association of Mining History Organisations; www.namho.org Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripeyman Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 My wife's dad born 1898 was a 'pit mon' in Hindley, Wigan. As he would be say 18 in 1916 would he have had to declare his occupation to the conscripting authorities ? Or would he be classified as essential labour automatically? Thank you Mrs Grundy's husband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 My wife's dad born 1898 was a 'pit mon' in Hindley, Wigan. As he would be say 18 in 1916 would he have had to declare his occupation to the conscripting authorities ? Or would he be classified as essential labour automatically? Thank you Mrs Grundy's husband. I don't think anyone was automatically exempted, given the non automated nature of records at the time the 'authorities' wouldn't have a handle on who was a miner and who wasn't - he'd probably have to claim exemption to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 If everyone can wait until Tuesday or Wednesday, when I get back to one of my days at the local archives and my current research I will try to get more exact information about the exempt status of coal miners. I have seen a series of booklets listing the exemption status of all occupations which seemed to indicate unusually that all underground workers of whatever age or marital status were exempt. However I would prefer to re-read the preamble at the beginning of the booklets to get dates and conditions. My grandfather worked as a miner throughout the war as far as I know. His nephew (more or less the same age) a mine engineer (or on the way to being) was on the RE reserve from about 1916 and was called on very late and I don't think he actually got overseas before the end of the war. There was an interesting article in an IWM Review many years ago about the recruitment of mining engineers and miners for RE Tunnelling companies with fairly minimal military training. I remember it said that the military powers that be occasionally got their selections wrong, in one case failing to understand that a mining engineer used to hard rock coal mining would not know much about driving a tunnel through soft sand. I have seen it stated somewhere that in some coalfields (I think Northumberland and Durham was quoted, that so many miners volunteered that some men had to be sent back from the army, but I have never seen a respectable source to substantiate this. Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 2 February , 2014 Share Posted 2 February , 2014 I wasn't arguing that they weren't exempt - but rather that one might have to claim that exemption Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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