Coal Mining in Britain | The story of mining from the coal face to the strike
It's Saturday | Bill Smith
Memories of a Bevin Boy from Bridlington.
CHANNEL | Radio 4
FIRST BROADCAST | 11 March 1972
DURATION | 3 minutes 33 seconds
FIRSTBROADCAST
1972
Synopsis
In this interview taken from a longer programme, former Bevin Boy Bill Smith tells Norman Jackson about his time down the mines during World War II. He describes the different backgrounds the boys came from and touches on the prejudice that some miners experienced from people who assumed they were dodging active service during the war.
Did you know?
On 20 June 2007, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that all surviving Bevin Boys would be rewarded with a commemorative badge. The first badge was issued by Blair's successor, Gordon Brown, on 25 March 2008, marking the 60th anniversary of the last conscripted miners being released from service. Among the 27 men who received badges that day was DJ Jimmy Savile.
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