Bevin Boys World War 2

[smary 14]

My dad was a Bevin boy - he worked at Nunnery and then Silverwood. He says it was all down to the number on your call up card whether or not you went in the forces or down the pit. He told me one funny story of a young Bevin boy who wanted to do more than spend a penny - an old wag said go down behind there - a call came up 'no paper' so the wag passed him a piece of shale. 'Use that' when the lad had finished he said - Thanks I put the shale back in your coat pocket'.

It must have been awful down there my dad was trapped twice by the wagons. He hated it - he passed his medical for the navy but as he always said his number on his call up card let him down. He always blamed his mother saying she didn't want me to go in the navy so she fixed it!!Not true of course.

[Texas 10]

I can remember during WW2 a Recruiting/Mining Exhibition on West Bar, it was in a building to the right of the Don Picture Palace. I remember we had a trip from school. It seemed to be there for years, there was a lot of pictures in the windows of happy looking kids with blackened faces and hard hats with lamps on. They had a mock up of an actual pit in the exhibition, coal face and everything. I didn't buy it though.

[karentrinder 10]

Hi. I know my Dad was down the mines in WW2 - he mentioned knowing Brian Rix. I am not sure of how to go about leasrning more of his war service - any useful ideas anyone?