Post by aghart on Mar 4, 2015 21:45:31 GMT
14 members were present for the March 2015 meeting. Loyal Toast/The Regiment, Green Fields (nil) and welfare were dealt with. Minutes of the February 2015 meeting passed. TankFest attendence was discussed. Last call for names to attend the RTRA Church Service and Curry Lunch was made. Names were requested of those who would like a chance of tickets for the Royal Hospital Chelsea Founders Day Parade. Second call for those who would be interested in a visit to the Blandford Brewery.
With nothing left to discuss the Chairman closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker.
Mr Warwick Taylor MBE is President of the Bevin Boys Veterans and gave an excellent presentation which included tangeble items including miners lamps, photo's and other items.
At the outbreak of WWII many coal miners volunteered for the Armed Forces, and with WWI in mind and the possibility of digging tunnels again they were welcomed. By 1942 however there was in the UK a serious shortage of miners and with national stored reserves of coal down to 3 weeks supply it was decided that this was a serious problem. Initially the Government asked for volunteers, either ex-miners to leave HM Forces and go back down the pits, or for civilians to opt out of joining the Forces and opting in to become a miner. They did get a total of 13,078 men step forward but this was not enough. It was calculated that another 50,000 were needed so Ernest Bevin the minister in charge brought in conscription for the coal mines. All those being called up in the war were given a National Service registration number and this was used to decide who went down the mines. Each time a draft of miners were needed (usually once a month) a number between 0-9 was chosen, and all those whose National Service number ended in that didget were detailed to become Miners (Bevin Boys). Refusual meant 3 months imprisonment, and although there was an appeals procedure few were successful.
There were 13 training collieries in the UK and the training lasted 4 weeks. There was no specialised training and few Bevin Boys actually worked right on the coal face. 30% worked underground with the rest on other tasks. They were paid £3 5s 11d per week which our WWII veterans mentioned was more than they were getting. They tended to live in hostels and were sent to collieries all over the UK with no thought of sending those living close to pits to a local colliery. In WWII they produced 1.07 tons per man per shift, today they produce 30 tons per man per shift. Warwick said that about 12 Bevin Boys were killed in accidents whilst at work during the war. A total of 48,000 Bevin Boys were sent to the coal mines, and the scheme ended in 1947. Of the total of 48,000, only 41 were "conciencious objectors" a small number indeed. Few Bevin Boys suffered serious lung disease in later years, mainly because of the limited time underground and the fact that they were not doing it for years, and years. There was no medal for this band of men who had no choice in their contribution to the war effort. They were unsung hero's who worked very long hours, to produce the coal our factories needed, without them our war production would have ground to a halt. They did eventually get a government sponsored "badge" and did form a marching contingent at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for a number of years, but they remain the "forgotten conscripts". The few who remain are now all in their late 80's or early 90's, so soon none will around to tell what it was like, so it was a privilige to be present and hear it from someone who went through it and was there.
A lot more was said, but that is the jist of it, a very interesting address and a successful branch meeting.
Fear Naught.
With nothing left to discuss the Chairman closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker.
Mr Warwick Taylor MBE is President of the Bevin Boys Veterans and gave an excellent presentation which included tangeble items including miners lamps, photo's and other items.
At the outbreak of WWII many coal miners volunteered for the Armed Forces, and with WWI in mind and the possibility of digging tunnels again they were welcomed. By 1942 however there was in the UK a serious shortage of miners and with national stored reserves of coal down to 3 weeks supply it was decided that this was a serious problem. Initially the Government asked for volunteers, either ex-miners to leave HM Forces and go back down the pits, or for civilians to opt out of joining the Forces and opting in to become a miner. They did get a total of 13,078 men step forward but this was not enough. It was calculated that another 50,000 were needed so Ernest Bevin the minister in charge brought in conscription for the coal mines. All those being called up in the war were given a National Service registration number and this was used to decide who went down the mines. Each time a draft of miners were needed (usually once a month) a number between 0-9 was chosen, and all those whose National Service number ended in that didget were detailed to become Miners (Bevin Boys). Refusual meant 3 months imprisonment, and although there was an appeals procedure few were successful.
There were 13 training collieries in the UK and the training lasted 4 weeks. There was no specialised training and few Bevin Boys actually worked right on the coal face. 30% worked underground with the rest on other tasks. They were paid £3 5s 11d per week which our WWII veterans mentioned was more than they were getting. They tended to live in hostels and were sent to collieries all over the UK with no thought of sending those living close to pits to a local colliery. In WWII they produced 1.07 tons per man per shift, today they produce 30 tons per man per shift. Warwick said that about 12 Bevin Boys were killed in accidents whilst at work during the war. A total of 48,000 Bevin Boys were sent to the coal mines, and the scheme ended in 1947. Of the total of 48,000, only 41 were "conciencious objectors" a small number indeed. Few Bevin Boys suffered serious lung disease in later years, mainly because of the limited time underground and the fact that they were not doing it for years, and years. There was no medal for this band of men who had no choice in their contribution to the war effort. They were unsung hero's who worked very long hours, to produce the coal our factories needed, without them our war production would have ground to a halt. They did eventually get a government sponsored "badge" and did form a marching contingent at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for a number of years, but they remain the "forgotten conscripts". The few who remain are now all in their late 80's or early 90's, so soon none will around to tell what it was like, so it was a privilige to be present and hear it from someone who went through it and was there.
A lot more was said, but that is the jist of it, a very interesting address and a successful branch meeting.
Fear Naught.