The Bevin Boys.
Barbara McElroy.
Our speaker explained that her interest in the story of the Bevin boys began because her father told her stories of his experience as a Bevin Boy. She remembers being fascinated by the black marks on his back where cuts had been embedded with coal dust and then healed over creating a permanent memory of those days working down the mines.
The Bevin boys were young British men conscripted for vital civil service in the nation’s coal mines from 1943 to 1948, named after the Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin, who introduced the scheme. About 48,000 men, chosen by ballot, worked underground to boost war-time coal production. Many Bevin Boys were patriotic men who wanted to join the armed forces, but were instead assigned to the dangerous, demanding work of mining. Often misunderstood by the public, they faced suspicion and abuse, sometimes being mistaken for draft dodgers. They received no military recognition, such as a demobilization suit or medal, unlike service members, leading to a sense of injustice that lasted for decades.
In 1989 the “The Bevin Boys Association” was founded and campaigned for recognition for these forgotten heroes. This was a remarkable talk about some unappreciated heroes.
Sally Card
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A reminder about the Excursion to the Roman Museum in Colchester and Ingatestone Hall, three places still available.