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Bevin Boys - Ernest Bevin 1881 - 1951
Bevin Boy's Emails, Page 13
Contact Bevin Boys Association
Taken from the BBC's Archive of WW2 memories 
Written by the public, gathered by the BBC - See Copyright





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Action Desk, BBC Radio Suffolk
09 September 2005
Clarence Sarbutt - Bevin Boy Life

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Stan Tate. This user did not write any autobiographical information about him/herself while the site was active. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Contributed by Action Desk, BBC Radio Suffolk
People in story: Clarence Sarbutt
Location of story: Hickling Colliery, Thurnscoe, Yorkshire
Background to story: Civilian Force
Article ID: A5656845

1944 - 1947. At the age of eighteen I was called up to work in the coalmines in Yorkshire.

I did my training at Askham Colliery for four weeks. I was then sent to Hickleton Main Colliery in Yorkshire.

My first experiences were taking empty wagons down to a loader end where they were filled with coal and sent away on a return rope to the pit bottom where they were then wound to the surface.

I finished my career in mining at the coal face driving a compressed air conveyor, bringing coal from the coal face to supply the main gate. I have done most jobs at the pit including assisting shot firing, cutting and drilling.

After I became demobbed I still remember the good times I had - it will live with me as long as I live.
Clarence Sarbutt



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 East Ayrshire Libraries
28 August 2003
Killed down the pit

This story was submitted to the People’s War site and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Contributed by East Ayrshire Libraries
People in story: Hugh Johnstone
Location of story: Dalmellington, Ayrshire
Article ID: A1158266

Hugh Johnstone of Dalmellington remembers a local boy - Stewart Blane - who started as a surfaceworker at Chalmerston Pit aged 21 and was due to be called up for the war. However, his family arranged for him to go down the pit as mining was a reserved occupation and he would not need to go to war.

He worked on the surface until Hogmanay 1940 (31st December) had a day off for the New Years Day holiday - then went down the pit for the first time on the 2nd January 1941.

He was killed underground in the pit by a runaway coal hutch on the 11th January 1941.
Hugh Johnstone

Pit Terminology - Glossary