Coal Mining in Britain | The story of mining from the coal face to the strike
What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?
The story of the men who spent World War II down the mines.
CHANNEL | Radio 4
FIRST BROADCAST | 19 September 1969
DURATION | 27 minutes 40 seconds
FIRSTBROADCAST
1969
Synopsis
In 1943, Britain's mines were struggling to find enough men willing or available to work in the pits. The Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin, devised a controversial lottery that saw over 21,000 18-year-old males of conscription age siphoned away from the armed forces to become miners, known as Bevin Boys. In this documentary, broadcast on the 25th anniversary of the scheme, we hear from just a few of the 'boys', including comedian Eric Morecambe and playwright Brian Rix.
Did you know?
Other well-known Bevin Boys include playwright Peter Shaffer and DJ and charity campaigner Jimmy Savile.
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