Bevin Boys finally rewarded for their wartime graft in coal mines
20th June 2007
Daily Mail
A long-running campaign for official recognition of the war effort of the so-called Bevin Boys has come to fruition as Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the creation of a special commemorative badge.
Mr Blair told the Commons it would "give some recognition for the tremendous work they have done and the sense of gratitude the country feels towards them".
The Bevin Boys were conscripted to work in the mines during the Second World War.
Wartime minister of labour Ernest Bevin
Announcing the move at Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, Mr Blair hailed the "extraordinary work" of the conscripts, "without which our war effort would have been seriously hindered".
"We are going to have a special commemorative badge for the Bevin Boys," he added.
To cheers from all sides, he continued: "I think it will give them some recognition for the tremendous work that they have done, the sense of gratitude that the country owes to them and why it is a very, very good idea that ... we commemorate their work."
Further details of the badge will be announced in a written statement later today.
The new special commemorative badge for those British coalminers who worked during World War II
The Bevin Boys were young men conscripted towards the end of the war to replace miners called up for military service.
Some 48,000 men worked in the mines between 1943 and 1948 under a scheme devised by the, then, Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin.
They were conscripted after a massive slump in coal production but had no right to go back to their old jobs.
Announcing further details of the lapel badge in a written statement, energy minister Lord Truscott said the first would be awarded next March.
This would coincide with the 60th anniversary of the demobilisation of the last Bevin Boys.
Outlining eligibility criteria, he advised: "Of the 48,000, some 43 per cent were conscripted directly into the mines and are known more generally as 'ballotees'.
"The remaining 57 per cent were those who opted for mine work in preference to joining the armed forces or those who were in the armed forces and volunteered to become miners.
"Only those who fall into these categories will be eligible for the badge."
Widows and estates will not be eligible.
Lord Truscott added: "The Bevin Boys badge is a survivors' badge and I would encourage Bevin Boy veterans to wear it in public in order visibly to raise awareness of the important role they played during World War Two and in the post-war reconstruction of the UK."
Applications for the badges - which feature a pithead design and profile of a miner - will begin later this year.
***********************************
BRITAIN'S ONCE-MIGHTY COALMINING INDUSTRY
British coalminers, circa 1880s, when Britain was at the height of her Imperial and manufacturing might
In the 1800s, when Britain ruled the planet it was also, by far, the biggest coal producer. At one point in the late 1800s Britain probably mined more coal than the rest of the world put together.
Up until the 1840s even women and children worked in Britain's dangerous coalmines, risking serious injury or death. In Victorian Britain there was none of that "namby-pamby" Health and Safety you find nowadays! Children as young as seven were eligible to work down the coal pits until the 1840s Act prohibiting it.
In 1873 when the industrial revolution was in full swing 700 people died in a London coal smog. The toll rose remorselessly and in 1880 there was a London smog that killed 2,000 people in 1 week and 90 days per year were recorded as having a yellow/brown/orange, well, sulphurous coal smog. The smoggy scenes so beloved of contemporary 19th century writers like Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde) plus countless Jack the Ripper films, were dependent upon coal smog! London was the most populous and energy consuming city in the world back then, but it was coal that supplied the UK's energy needs, and the Yorkshire coalfields supplied much of the black gold.
The Great London Smog of 1952 killed 4000 people.
In 1900, 1,100,000 coalminers were employed in Great Britain.
THE GREAT LONDON SMOG OF 1952
Up until the mid-1900s Britain was a very dirty and dangerous place to live. Hundreds upon hundreds of huge chimneys in the great cities, those of the factories and homesm pumped out thick, black dirty coal-produced smoke. Smogs and the resultant deaths were commonplace
The Great Smog also referred to as the Big Smoke, befell London starting on 5 December 1952, and lasted until 9 December 1952. This catastrophe caused or advanced the death of thousands and formed an important impetus to the modern environmental movement.
Early in December 1952, a cold fog descended upon London. Because of the cold, Londoners began to burn more coal than usual. The resulting air pollution was trapped by the inversion layer formed by the dense mass of cold air. Concentrations of pollutants, coal smoke in particular, built up dramatically.
The problem was made worse by use of low-quality high-sulfur coal for home heating in London in order to permit export of higher-quality coal, because of the country's tenuous economic situation.
The "fog," or smog, was so thick that driving became difficult or impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were cancelled as the audience could not see the stage or screen.
Since London was known for its fog, there was no great panic at the time. In the weeks that followed, the medical services compiled statistics and found that the fog had killed 4,000 people—most of whom were very young or elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. There was relief that Queen Mary The Queen Dowager, then aged 85 and suffering with respiratory problems, was not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident. Another 8,000 died in the weeks and months that followed. 12,000 Londoners died during and after the Great London Smog.
These shocking revelations led to a rethinking of air pollution; the disaster had demonstrated its lethal potential to people around the world. New regulations were put in place restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. These included the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and of 1968, and the City of London(Various Powers) Act of 1954.
Coal producing countries, 1905 (millions of tons)
Great Britain - 236,128,936
Germany - 121,298,167
France - 35,869,497
Belgium - 21,775,280
telegraph.co.uk
20th June 2007
Daily Mail
A long-running campaign for official recognition of the war effort of the so-called Bevin Boys has come to fruition as Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the creation of a special commemorative badge.
Mr Blair told the Commons it would "give some recognition for the tremendous work they have done and the sense of gratitude the country feels towards them".
The Bevin Boys were conscripted to work in the mines during the Second World War.
Wartime minister of labour Ernest Bevin
Announcing the move at Prime Minister's Question Time in Parliament, Mr Blair hailed the "extraordinary work" of the conscripts, "without which our war effort would have been seriously hindered".
"We are going to have a special commemorative badge for the Bevin Boys," he added.
To cheers from all sides, he continued: "I think it will give them some recognition for the tremendous work that they have done, the sense of gratitude that the country owes to them and why it is a very, very good idea that ... we commemorate their work."
Further details of the badge will be announced in a written statement later today.
The new special commemorative badge for those British coalminers who worked during World War II
The Bevin Boys were young men conscripted towards the end of the war to replace miners called up for military service.
Some 48,000 men worked in the mines between 1943 and 1948 under a scheme devised by the, then, Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin.
They were conscripted after a massive slump in coal production but had no right to go back to their old jobs.
Announcing further details of the lapel badge in a written statement, energy minister Lord Truscott said the first would be awarded next March.
This would coincide with the 60th anniversary of the demobilisation of the last Bevin Boys.
Outlining eligibility criteria, he advised: "Of the 48,000, some 43 per cent were conscripted directly into the mines and are known more generally as 'ballotees'.
"The remaining 57 per cent were those who opted for mine work in preference to joining the armed forces or those who were in the armed forces and volunteered to become miners.
"Only those who fall into these categories will be eligible for the badge."
Widows and estates will not be eligible.
Lord Truscott added: "The Bevin Boys badge is a survivors' badge and I would encourage Bevin Boy veterans to wear it in public in order visibly to raise awareness of the important role they played during World War Two and in the post-war reconstruction of the UK."
Applications for the badges - which feature a pithead design and profile of a miner - will begin later this year.
***********************************
BRITAIN'S ONCE-MIGHTY COALMINING INDUSTRY
British coalminers, circa 1880s, when Britain was at the height of her Imperial and manufacturing might
In the 1800s, when Britain ruled the planet it was also, by far, the biggest coal producer. At one point in the late 1800s Britain probably mined more coal than the rest of the world put together.
Up until the 1840s even women and children worked in Britain's dangerous coalmines, risking serious injury or death. In Victorian Britain there was none of that "namby-pamby" Health and Safety you find nowadays! Children as young as seven were eligible to work down the coal pits until the 1840s Act prohibiting it.
In 1873 when the industrial revolution was in full swing 700 people died in a London coal smog. The toll rose remorselessly and in 1880 there was a London smog that killed 2,000 people in 1 week and 90 days per year were recorded as having a yellow/brown/orange, well, sulphurous coal smog. The smoggy scenes so beloved of contemporary 19th century writers like Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde) plus countless Jack the Ripper films, were dependent upon coal smog! London was the most populous and energy consuming city in the world back then, but it was coal that supplied the UK's energy needs, and the Yorkshire coalfields supplied much of the black gold.
The Great London Smog of 1952 killed 4000 people.
In 1900, 1,100,000 coalminers were employed in Great Britain.
THE GREAT LONDON SMOG OF 1952
Up until the mid-1900s Britain was a very dirty and dangerous place to live. Hundreds upon hundreds of huge chimneys in the great cities, those of the factories and homesm pumped out thick, black dirty coal-produced smoke. Smogs and the resultant deaths were commonplace
The Great Smog also referred to as the Big Smoke, befell London starting on 5 December 1952, and lasted until 9 December 1952. This catastrophe caused or advanced the death of thousands and formed an important impetus to the modern environmental movement.
Early in December 1952, a cold fog descended upon London. Because of the cold, Londoners began to burn more coal than usual. The resulting air pollution was trapped by the inversion layer formed by the dense mass of cold air. Concentrations of pollutants, coal smoke in particular, built up dramatically.
The problem was made worse by use of low-quality high-sulfur coal for home heating in London in order to permit export of higher-quality coal, because of the country's tenuous economic situation.
The "fog," or smog, was so thick that driving became difficult or impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were cancelled as the audience could not see the stage or screen.
Since London was known for its fog, there was no great panic at the time. In the weeks that followed, the medical services compiled statistics and found that the fog had killed 4,000 people—most of whom were very young or elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. There was relief that Queen Mary The Queen Dowager, then aged 85 and suffering with respiratory problems, was not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident. Another 8,000 died in the weeks and months that followed. 12,000 Londoners died during and after the Great London Smog.
These shocking revelations led to a rethinking of air pollution; the disaster had demonstrated its lethal potential to people around the world. New regulations were put in place restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. These included the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and of 1968, and the City of London(Various Powers) Act of 1954.
Coal producing countries, 1905 (millions of tons)
Great Britain - 236,128,936
Germany - 121,298,167
France - 35,869,497
Belgium - 21,775,280
telegraph.co.uk
