COFIO’R RHYFEL COFIO’R RHYFEL REMEMBERING THE WARREMEMBERING THE WAR

M LY N E D D Y E A R S

PWLL MAWR: AMGUEDDFA LOFAOL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU BIG PIT: NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM OF WALES

GLO C O A L

Bois BevinBevin Boys

WWW.AOCC .AC .UK WWW.NMGW.AC .UK

601 9 4 5 - 2 0 0 5

During the Spring of 2005, Big Pit:National Mining Museum of Wales made anappeal for Bevin Boys who served in Walesto recall the memories of their NationalService. Over 30 Bevin Boys, or their rela-tives, responded. This publication is theresult of the appeal. The staff at Big Pit:National Mining Museum of Wales wouldlike to offer their most sincere thanks to allwho contributed to this project.

The COALFIELD AT WAR exhibition, GLOpublication and Bevin Boys reunion havebeen made possible with the generous support of the Big Lottery Fund, PersimmonHomes and the Bevin Boys Association.

Yng ngwanwyn 2005,gwnaeth y Pwll Mawr:Amgueddfa LofaolGenedlaethol Cymru apêl i Fois Bevin oeddwedi gwasanaethu yngNghymru i hel atgofionam eu GwasanaethGwladol. Atebodd dros30 o Fois Bevin, neu eu

perthnasau. Canlyniad yr apêl honno yw’rcyhoeddiad hwn. Hoffai staff y Pwll Mawr:Amgueddfa Lofaol Genedlaethol Cymru ddiolch o galon i bawb gyfrannodd at y project.

Mae arddangosfa RHYFEL Y MAES GLO,cylchgrawn GLO ac aduniad Bois Bevin ynbosibl diolch i gefnogaeth hael Cronfa’rLoteri Fawr, Persimmon Homes aChymdeithas y Bois Bevin.

CONTENTSCYNNWYSForewordA letter from OakdaleMemories of the‘Underground Front’ - The Bevin Boys tell their storiesEvents

RhagarweiniadLlythyr o Oakdale

Atgofion o’r ‘FfryntDanddaear’ -

Bois Bevin yn adroddeu straeon

Digwyddiadau

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Mae Cymru yn genedl fodern a adeiladwyd

ar werthoedd a thraddodiadau cadarn.

Mae Amgueddfeydd ac Orielau Cenedlaethol

Cymru yn chwarae rhan hanfodol yn y

gwaith o gynnal ein diwylliant a’n treftadaeth

er mwyn i genedlaethau’r dyfodol allu dysgu

amdanynt a’u mwynhau, o hanes yr henfyd

yn Amgueddfa’r Lleng Rufeinig, Caerllion i

dreftadaeth ddiwydiannol fodern yn y Pwll

Mawr:Amgueddfa Lofaol Genedlaethol

Cymru ym Mlaenafon - enillydd Gwobr fawr

Gulbenkian am Amgueddfa’r Flwyddyn.

Mae’r amgueddfeydd yn adrodd hanes

Cymru mewn ffordd gyffrous a blaengar, a

diolch i gefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cynulliad

Cymru, cewch fynediad am ddim i bob un

o’u safleoedd.

Dydy stori’r Bois Bevin ddim yn un

cyfarwydd. Ni chafodd y dynion di-ri hynny

a dreuliodd y rhyfel ar y ‘ffrynt danddaear’

eu cydnabod am bron i hanner canrif.

Rydw i wrth fy modd fod y Pwll Mawr ac

Amgueddfeydd ac Orielau Cenedlaethol

Cymru’n dathlu 60 mlynedd ers diwedd yr

Ail Ryfel Byd trwy dalu teyrnged i gyfraniad

anghofiedig y dynion hyn.

Alun PughGWEINIDOG LLYWODRAETH CYNULLIAD CYMRU DROS

DDIWYLLIANT Y GYMRAEG A CHWARAEON

Wales is a modern nation built onstrong values and traditions. TheNational Museums & Galleries of Walesplays an essential role in maintaining ourculture and heritage for future genera-tions to learn from and enjoy, fromancient history at the Roman LegionaryMuseum in Caerleon to modern indus-trial heritage at Big Pit: National MiningMuseum of Wales in Blaenafon – winnerof the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize forMuseum of the Year. The museums tellthe story of Wales in an innovative andexciting way, and thanks to the WelshAssembly Government, entry to allNMGW museums is free of charge.The story of the Bevin Boys has beenlargely untold, those many men whospent their war on the so-called ‘under-ground front’ went unrecognised foralmost half a century. I am delightedthat Big Pit and the National Museums &Galleries of Wales is marking sixty yearssince the end of the Second World Warby paying tribute to these forgotten con-scripts.

Alun PughWELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT MINISTER FOR CULTURE,WELSH LANGUAGE AND SPORT

R H A G A I R F O R E W O R D

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None of you would funk a fight with the enemy and I do notbelieve that it would be said of any of you boys that you failed torespond to the call for coal upon which victory so much depends.

ERNEST BEVIN, 1942

Fyddai’r un ohonoch chi’n osgoi ymladd â’r gelyn a dwi ddim yn credu y gallai neb ddweud bod yr un ohonoch chi wedi methu ag ymateb i’r galw am lo, y glo y mae

buddugoliaeth yn dibynnu gymaint arno.ERNEST BEVIN, 1942

Bois Bevin

Bevin Boys

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When war was declared in 1939 thousands of experi-enced miners joined the armed services or transferredto higher paid ‘war industries’. By mid 1943 over36,000 men had left the coal industry.The British gov-ernment decided that it needed around 40,000 men totake their places.In December 1943, Ernest Bevin, the wartime Ministerof Labour and National Service, devised a schemewhereby a ballot took place to put a proportion ofconscripted men into the collieries rather than thearmed services. Every month ten numbers were placedin a hat and two drawn out; those whose National serv-ice registration number ended with those numberswere directed to the mining industry.These ‘ballotees’ became known as ‘Bevin Boys’ afterthe speech made by Bevin when announcing thescheme: ‘We need 720,000 men continuously employedin this industry. This is where you boys come in. Ourfighting men will not be able to achieve their purposeunless we get an adequate supply of coal.’Alongside the ballotees were the ‘optants’, men who

had volunteered for service in the coal mines ratherthan the armed services. Between 1943 and 1948,48,000 young men were conscripted for NationalService Employment in British coal mines. Contrary toa common belief at the time, only 41 of them were con-scientious objectors.Bevin Boys, therefore, came from all social classes andregions in Britain, not just the mining areas, and manyhad only been vaguely aware of the mining industrybefore being drafted. Most had set their sights on acareer in the armed services and were horrified to besent to the collieries instead.

PUNISHMENTConscripts who refused to go into the coal industrywere punished. In April 1944 the Colliery Guardianreported that 135 ballotees had been prosecuted forfailing to comply with the direct labour order. Thirtytwo went to prison, although 19 of them were releasedwhen they eventually agreed to go into the miningindustry.

Pan gyhoeddwyd y rhyfel ym 1939, ymunoddmiloedd o lowyr profiadol â’r lluoedd arfog, neudrosglwyddo i’r ‘diwydiannau rhyfel’ oedd yn talu’nwell. Erbyn canol 1943 roedd mwy na 36,000 oddynion wedi gadael y diwydiant glo. Penderfynoddllywodraeth Prydain fod angen tua 40,000 oddynion i gymryd eu lle.Ym mis Rhagfyr 1943, creodd Ernest Bevin, yGweinidog dros Lafur a Gwasanaeth Gwladol,gynllun oedd yn cynnwys cynnal balot i anfon cyfrano’r dynion oedd yn cael eu galw i wasanaethu i’r pyllau glo yn lle’r lluoedd arfog. Byddai deg rhif ynmynd i’r het bob mis a dau’n cael eu tynnu. Os oeddrhif cofrestru Gwasanaeth Gwladol dyn yn gorffen

gyda’r ddau rif yna, fe fyddai’n mynd i weithio yn ydiwydiant glo.Dechreuodd y dynion hyn gael eu galw’n ‘BoisBevin’ ar ôl araith Bevin wrth iddo gyhoeddi’r cynllun: ‘Mae angen cadw 720,000 o ddynion yn ydiwydiant yma drwy’r amser. A dyma’r lle i chi bois.Fydd y dynion sy’n ymladd ddim yn llwyddo os nafydd digon o lo gyda ni.’

COSBYn ogystal â’r rhai a gafodd eu dewis yn y balot,roedd yna wirfoddolwyr hefyd. Roedd y dynion ymawedi gwirfoddoli i wasanaethu yn y pyllau glo ynhytrach na’r lluoedd arfog. Rhwng 1943 a 1948,

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After being selected, the conscript was sent to one ofthe 13 training collieries for a month’s basic trainingbefore being sent to a colliery. He would either live inlodgings or a purpose built hostel. The training centrefor south Wales was at Oakdale Colliery. There was notraining centre in the north Wales coalfield so con-scripts who worked there were trained in English cen-tres such as Walkden near Manchester.

SHOVELSUnlike the ordinary miners, who wore their ownclothes, Bevin Boys were issued with overalls, safetyhelmet and working boots. However, they still had topay for their own tools and equipment which led tocomplaints that the infantry were not expected to sup-ply their own rifles so why were they expected to buypicks and shovels!Only a small proportion of Bevin Boys were actuallyemployed cutting coal on the coal face although someworked as colliers’ assistants filling tubs or drams. Themajority worked on the maintenance of haulage roads,

cafodd 48,000 o ddynion ifanc eu galw i’rGwasanaeth Gwladol mewn swyddi ym mhyllau gloPrydain.Yn groes i’r gred gyffredin ar y pryd, dimond 41 ohonyn nhw oedd yn wrthwynebwyr cydwybodol.Roedd Bois Bevin yn dod o bob dosbarth cymd-eithasol a phob rhan o Brydain – nid dim ond yrardaloedd glofaol. Rhyw wybodaeth ddigon niwlogoedd gan lawer ohonyn nhw am y diwydiant glo cyncael eu drafftio. Roedd y rhan fwyaf wedi gosod eubryd ar yrfa yn y lluoedd arfog ac roedd yn gasganddyn nhw gael eu hanfon i’r glofeydd.Roedd y dynion oedd yn gwrthod mynd i’r diwydiant glo’n cael eu cosbi. Ym mis Ebrill 1944,dywedodd Gwarcheidwad y Glofeydd fod 135 oddynion y balot wedi cael eu herlyn am fethu agufuddhau i’r gorchymyn llafur uniongyrchol. Aeth 32i’r carchar, er bod 19 wedi cael eu rhyddhau yn y pendraw ar ôl cytuno i fynd i weithio i’r diwydiant glo.Ar ôl cael eu dewis, câi’r dynion eu hanfon i un o 13o lofeydd hyfforddi i gael hyfforddiant sylfaenol amfis. Wedyn bydden nhw’n cael eu hanfon i’r lofa.Byddai’r dynion yn byw naill ai mewn llety neumewn hostel arbennig. Glofa Oakdale oedd y ganolfan hyfforddi yn y de. Doedd dim glofa hyfford-di ym maes glo’r gogledd ac felly roedd dynion oeddyn gweithio yno’n cael eu hyfforddi mewn canolfanyn Lloegr, fel Walkden ger Manceinion.

CAIB A RHAWYn wahanol i’r glowyr cyffredin, oedd yn gwisgo’udillad eu hunain, roedd Bois Bevin yn cael oferôl,helmed ddiogelwch ac esgidiau gwaith. Ond roedden nhw’n gorfod talu am eu hoffer eu hunainac ambell un yn cwyno nad oedd y milwyr yn gor-fod prynu eu drylliau eu hunain, felly pam ddylennhw orfod talu am gaib a rhaw!Dim ond cyfran fach o Fois Bevin gafodd eu cyflogii dorri glo ar y ffas, er bod rhai’n helpu’r glowyr ilenwi dramiau. Roedd y rhan fwyaf yn gwneudgwaith cynnal-a-chadw ar yr hewlydd tanddaear,

yn clymu ac yn datod dramiau neu’n rheoli symudiadau’r cludiant tanddaear. Byddai nifer fachoedd wedi cael profiad o waith trydan neu waithpeiriannu’n gwneud gwaith tebyg yn y glofeydd.Ym 1943, roedd un o bob pedwar glöwr yn cael eiladd neu ei anafu, ac roedd cael eich cyflogi i gludoglo neu offer bron mor beryglus â chynhyrchu glo ary ffas. Roedd trin a thrafod dramiau’n dal i achosillawer o anafiadau i’r bysedd a’r dwylo ac, yn fwydifrifol, fe allai arwain at farwolaeth pe bai rhywunyn cael ei wasgu o dan y cerbydau cyflym.Glowyr anfodlon oedd y rhan fwyaf o Fois Bevin.Doedd ganddyn nhw fawr o ddiddordeb yn y gwaith,ac roedd gweddill y gweithwyr yn tueddu i gredu eubod yn ddiwerth. Roedden nhw’n amhoblogaiddymhlith teuluoedd glofaol lleol, oedd wedi gweld euplant eu hunain yn cael eu drafftio i’r lluoedd arfoga gweld pobl o’r tu allan yn cymryd eu lle.At hynny,os nad oedd dynion ifanc mewn lifrai, fe allen nhwgael eu poeni gan y cyhoedd, a gallai’r heddlu amaueu bod nhw wedi dianc o’r fyddin neu eu bod nhw’nsbïo ar ran y gelyn. Does dim syndod bod llawerohonyn nhw’n mynd yn absennol heb ganiatâd.Nifer fach iawn arhosodd yn y diwydiant glo ar ôl yrhyfel: roedd y rhan fwyaf ar dân eisiau rhoi’r gorauiddi.

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Daeth y balot i ben ym mis Mai 1945 a chafodd ycanolfannau hyfforddi eu cau’r mis wedyn. Ers misIonawr 1944 roedd Oakdale wedi hyfforddi 5,615 oddynion, ac roedd 5,400 ohonyn nhw’n dal i weithio.O’r rhain, roedd 1,465 yn wirfoddolwyr.Cafodd yr olaf o Fois Bevin eu rhyddhau ym 1948ond, yn wahanol i’r dynion eraill oedd wedi cael eugorfodi i wasanaethu, doedd dim hawl ganddyn nhwi fynd nôl i’w hen swyddi. Chawson nhw ddim medalam wasanaethu, dim siwt o ddillad ‘demob’, na hydyn oed llythyr o ddiolch. Cafodd y cofnodion swyddogol eu dinistrio yn y 1950au, ac felly dyw

Bois Bevin ddim hyd yn oed yn gallu profi eu bodwedi gwasanaethau os nad ydyn nhw wedi cadw eudogfennau eu hunain.Cafodd aduniad swyddogol cyntaf Bois Bevin ei gynnal yn Amgueddfa Fwyngloddio ChatterleyWhitfield ym 1989 ac mae mwy wedi bod yma acacw ers hynny. Serch hynny, dim ond ym 1995, 50mlynedd ar ôl Diwrnod Buddugoliaeth yn Ewrop, yrhoddodd llywodraeth Prydain gydnabyddiaeth i’wgwasanaeth yn y rhyfel a chaniatáu i Fois Bevingymryd rhan swyddogol yn y gwasanaeth ar Sul yCofio yn Whitehall.

attached and detached drams or tubs or generally con-trolled the movement of underground transport. Asmall number who had previous electrical or engineer-ing experience were given similar work in the collieries.1 in 4 mineworkers who were killed or injured, wereemployed on transport of coal and supplies. A jobalmost as dangerous as working on production coalfaces. The continuous handling and movement ofdrams or tubs caused many injuries to fingers andhands and, more seriously, could result in death frombeing crushed under swiftly moving vehicles.

Most Bevin Boys proved to be reluctant miners. Theyhad little interest in the work and were generallyregarded as useless by the rest of the workforce. Theyalso suffered from resentment from local mining fami-lies who had seen their own children drafted into thearmed services only to be replaced by ‘outsiders’. Inaddition, just being young men out of uniform couldlead to abuse from the public or attention from thepolice as possible deserters, ‘army dodgers’ or evenenemy spies. It is not surprising that they suffered from

high absentee rates.A very small number stayed in min-ing after the war but most couldn’t wait to leave.The ballots were suspended in May 1945 and the train-ing centres closed a month later. Since January 1944Oakdale had trained 5,615 conscripts, 5,400 of themwere still at work. Out of these 1,465 were optants.The last Bevin Boys were demobbed in 1948 but, unlikeother conscripts, they had no right to go back to theirprevious occupations, they received no service medals,‘demob’ suit, or even a letter of thanks. Because theofficial records were destroyed in the 1950s, formerBevin Boy ballotees cannot even prove their serviceunless they have kept their personal documents.

The first official Bevin Boy reunion was held at the for-mer Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum in 1989 andmore have been held at various venues since then.However, it was not until 1995, 50 years after Victory inEurope Day, that the British government finally recog-nized their service to the war effort and former BevinBoys are now officially allowed to take part in theRemembrance Day service at Whitehall.

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OAKDALE MINERS HOSTEL

MAES–Y-GARN ROAD

OAKDALE, MONS

S WALES

9 OCT 1944

Dear Mum & Dad

After having been a "Bevin Boy" for a week it’s not at all a bad life. We have to get up at 6.30 in

the morning which is rather a blow. We are a dozen to a dormitory. The beds are liked shelter

bunks (single storey) with a wardrobe in between each one. The camp consists of Nissan huts

which are linked together in blocks by short brick passageways. One block consists of the can-

teen, snack bar, reading room, games room, reception room and offices. The canteen is a nice

place and we get good grub. The inside of the huts are beaver-boarded and panelled. The

wardrobe and racks are blue, the ceilings cream, the walls orange with a blue line round where

it meets the ceiling colour also the curtains are green, as you see it is all rather gay. The hos-

tel charge is 24/6d a week, two meals on workdays and three on Sunday. For breakfast we have

a bowl of porridge, bacon and fried bread or something similar and bread and marmalade to

finish also tea of course and sometimes coffee. At five o’clock we get a hot meal consisting of

soup, meat course, sweet course and tea. At mid day we can either get a hot meal at the

Training Centre canteen for 1/1d, (these are the same as the Hostel canteen) or get a snack at

the colliery canteen, here you can buy as much milk as you can drink a half pint at a time. I

generally have a mid-day meal at the canteen as the one hot meal at night is good enough and

also I like the milk. If we want anything more in the evening after five we have to buy it at

the Hostel snack bar. I have been down the mine three times now. When you get to the colliery

you go in one entrance and upstairs to the clean lockers where we take off our clothes, take our

towels and soap round to the "dirty lockers". Here we change into our pit clothes. We have been

issued out with pit-boots, a safety helmet and boiler suit. Could you send one of my old boiler

suits down as mine here is a little small and in any case we have to give our suits in when we

finish training. Also could you send my pair of grey shorts and those coloured shirts of mine

as my battle-dress is rather big to wear underneath overalls. When you are dressed you go and

collect your lamp and then line up for the cage (left). They go down about two feet quite nor-

mally and then they just drop. Funny enough you don’t get any pull in your stomach like you

get in ordinary lifts but you get a slight pressure in the ears, in fact it is rather like travel-

ling in a tube train. When I first went down I was quite surprised for the main haulage way is

quite big, it is rather like being in a shelter. When you get to the "working face" the height is

only the height of the coal seam usually about four feet although the seam we are working in

now is only about two feet six but we don’t work in it for very long stretches at a time. When

we come up again we give in our lamps and collect our "checks" to show that we have left the

pit-bottom O.K. and not been left behind. We go into the dirty-clothes lockers, undress collect

our towel and soap and go into the showers to clean up. After this we dress in our clean

clothes and proceed on out. All the lockers are heated so that the towels dry out and are lovely

and warm. I forgot to say there are rotary brushes where we clean our pit boots as we come in

from the pit. We have to be at work at eight and each day we have P.T., a lecture, and an after-

noon or morning at the colliery either underground or on the surface. Surface work is mainly

unloading logs, barking them and learning practically what to do underground on full scale

models. I have palled up with four blokes in particular. They are Don (the chap who sat direct-

ly opposite me on the train coming down), Pete and Len. Pete likes walking and is quite a good

hiker. On Sunday * we left the Hostel at about ten and walked about fifteen miles then bussed

Pete and I home. If you want to see it on the map we left Oakdale and walked up the Sirhowy

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* (Pete and I)

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Valley towards Tredegar. When we got to Mynydd Bedwellty we climbed up to where it is 1607 ft,

the view from here was smashing. I have never seen anything as terrific. You feel miles away

from anywhere and as if you could knock down a house. These mountains are partly bare lime-

stone rock at the top, the rest is springy grass. We then walked down into the valley of Rhymney

which was rather marred by a terrific slag heap and sprawling mining villages. Some of the

houses here are about the same height as our huts and have a front and back room, the majority of

side streets are cobbled and overgrown with grass. We then went up Cefn-y-Brithdir and lay up on

the top for some time taking it all in. The sides of the hills and mountains are light green, the

woods dark green mainly on the bottom slopes. There are large patches of ferns which are now

russet brown and the outcrop of limestone near the top varies between dun-yellow to grey. There

are deep clefts of about 10’ to 15 ft near the top with streamlets running down along the bottom

and down in the valley the river meanders with the road alongside meandering worse than the

river. We then walked down again into Rhymney and caught two buses round into Blackwood. We

lived all day on a bar of chocolate and three apples as all tea shops and café are closed on Sunday

in Wales, incidentally so are the pictures and the pubs. We manage our own washing down here

so I will only send back stuff I can not manage. When we are handling large bits of rock and

logs your hands get rather cut about if they slip so please could you send down a pair of my old

gauntlets also while I remember it, I could do with a "housewife" of sorts to darn a hole in my

socks and maybe sew on buttons. Also could John either go to Smiths at Putney or in someway

procure Bartholomews Map No 12 & 17 which is S. Wales and Cardigan (cloth backed if possible)

as we want to explore further West then the Wye Valley map extends. We have a nice long evening

as we pack up at four and have been for some nice short walks also we went to the pictures in

Blackwood last night. It is only about fifteen minutes walk across country or sixpence return on

the bus which runs once an hour and goes all round the houses to get there. There are two cine-

mas in Blackwood which of course show rather old pictures. The streets there are lit by big elec-

tric lamps and it is as bright as day at night, this seems strange after London blackout. They also

make darned good coffee in the cafes here. As regards coming home I understand that most chaps

take a week unofficial leave at the end of our four weeks training here before we move to a real

mine. As this is unofficial you do not get a pass. I do not know what view the authorities take of

this as of course the boys do not come back to this Hostel as it is only for trainees. What do you

advise me to do. I think I will wait the four week as I have decided I do not want by (sic) bike

until I get to my working colliery otherwise I might have to leave it here till I can collect it. By

the way I spoke of four weeks training, you see we do four weeks here and then move to our work-

ing colliery where we do two more weeks under special supervision after which we work with an

experienced man. Any how maybe you can think of what I shall do, maybe a long weekend?

Well I think I have covered everything for now so

Cheerio!

Your loving son,

David

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Rhyw gyflwyniad digon diniwedo’dd hyfforddiant mwyngloddioswyddogol ni’r Bois Bevin. O’dd’na sgyrsiau mewn stafell ddosbarth a gemau ac ymarfercorff i wneud yn siwr eich bod

chi’n iawn yn gorfforol yn Oakdale. Doedd y misyna ddim yn rhy ddrwg ar y cyfan. A phan elech chidan ddaear roedd hi’n’ itha glân a threfnus. Ond panges i fy nhrosglwyddo i Benallta wedyn, fe weles imor erchyll oedd y cyfan.

Bydden i wedi bod yn 18 yn y mis Mai. O’n i’n arosam y papurau i gael fy ngalw i fyny, ac yn gobeithiomynd i’r RAF. …. Ond o’dd cynllunie gwahanol ganMr Bevin. Roedd e wedi cyhoeddi’r cynllun ’ma,doedd e ddim yn golygu rhyw lawer i fi ar y dychre.…. Ond daeth fy rhif i fyny ac o’dd hi’n dipyn o ergyda dweud y gwir. Felly bant â fi i Oakdale….

Doedd y mis cyntaf yn Oakdale ddim yn rhy ddrwg.Fel wedes i, rhyw gyflwyniad digon diniwed oedd emewn ffordd. Mae rhyw frith gof gen i imi ofyn agawn i aros ar y wyneb – am fy mod i’n glostroffobig!Ond ches i ddim chwaith: a lawr â fi! O leia, er nado’n i’n gwybod bryd hynny, o’n i yn y rhan ore o’rpwll, o ran bod modd i ddyn sefyll ar ei draed. Onddoeddwn i ddim wedi paratoi ar ei gyfer y pellterfyddai’n rhaid i mi ei gerdded i gyrraedd y ffas ar ôlmynd i lawr yn y caets. O’dd hi’n mynd ymlaen am

oesoedd. Dwi ddim yn gwybod pa mor bell o’dd hi.O’dd hi fel petasech chi wedi’ch torri i ffwrdd o’rbyd i gyd, criw bach yn rhyw lusgo mynd. Roeddhi’n sych ac yn feddal dan draed. Rwy’n cofio bodtipyn o wynt ym Mhenallta. Roedd hi’n anodd agory drysau oherwydd y system awyru ac o’dd hi’n oer,hyd yn oed wrth y ffas. Dwi ddim yn cofio bod yndwym a chwyslyd ….

Byddai’r glöwr wrthi’n gwithio ar y ffas. Roedd y glofel petai’n dod i ffwrdd yn itha rhwydd. Fi o’dd yn ’iddodi fe yn y dramiau, yn rhoi marc ar ochr yddram. Byddai’r ponis yn mynd ag e o dipyn i beth.O’dd ofn y ponis arna i a dweud y gwir.

Pan fydden i’n eu gweld nhw’n dod ar hyd yr hewlydd,bydden i wastod yn chwilio am y twll agosaf i ddianciddo – achos doedd dim llawer o le. O’n nhw’nanferth! O’dd lot o barch ’da chi iddyn nhw pan o’nnhw’n symud. O’n nhw’n cael gofal da ac i’w gweldyn ddigon bodlon eu byd. O’n nhw jyst yn gwneudeu gwaith a doedden nhw ddim yn aflonydd neu’nnerfus na dim byd fel ’na. Fe fydden nhw’n byta’chbwyd chi ’tasech chi ddim yn gofalu amdano fe. Obydden, bydden nhw’n mynd â’ch bwyd chi reit iwala! …….

…..Bydden i’n colli un shifft bron bob wythnos. Fellygelen i’n symud o’r naill löwr i’r llall ac o’dd hynny’ncreu problemau wrth ffeindio ’nghyflog i’r wthnos

The official mine training youreceived as a Bevin boy in a train-ing centre was really a gentle intro-duction to it. In Oakdale therewere some classroom talks andgames and physical exercises tomake sure you were physically OK.

So that month wasn’t too bad. And when you wentdown it was pretty clean and tidy and orderly andorganised. But after that, when I was transferred toPenallta, then the horror of it all hit me.

I would have been eighteen in the May and I was wait-ing for my call-up papers hoping to get in the RAF. ….In the meantime Mr Bevin had other plans. He hadannounced this scheme, which still didn’t register muchon me. …. So up came my number and it was a bit of ashattering blow really. So off I went to Oakdale….

The first month in Oakdale wasn’t too bad. As I say itwas more of a gentle introduction in a way. I have avague memory that I asked if I could go to the surface

– that I was claustrophobic! But there was no dicethere, I was straight down! At least, although I didn’tknow it, I was in the best part of the pit in that I couldstand up. What I didn’t bargain for was the huge walkto get to the coalface once I’d gone down in the cage.It seemed to go on for ages. I don’t know how far itwas. You seemed to be totally cut-off from the worldcompletely, just this little group trudging along. It wasdry and sort of soft under foot. I can remember thatthere was quite a lot of wind in Penallta. It was quitehard to push those doors open because of the ventila-tion system and it was quite cold, even at the coal face.I can’t remember being hot and sweaty….

There was the miner there working away at the coal-face. The coal seemed to come away quite easily. AndI was putting it in the drams, put a mark on the side andoff it would go in batches with the ponies. I was alwaysscared of them really as they were coming along theroads. I always had it in my mind where was the near-est manhole - because there wasn’t much room. Theywere big! You had a great respect for them when they

‘Roedd y cyfan mor erchyll!’

‘The horror of it all!’

GEORGEHEARD,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAPENALLTA1944–45

GEORGEGEORGEHEARD,HEARD,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,PENALLTAPENALLTACOLLIERYCOLLIERY1944–451944–45

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wedyn! Prin oeddwn i’n nabod y dynion oeddwn i’ngweithio gyda nhw, ac o’dd rhaid i fi gasglu amlenfach ac arian ynddi am un diwrnod neu ddau neu drigan wahanol bobl. D’on i byth yn mynd heb fynghyflog, ond fyddech chi ddim yn ei chael hi’ngyflym iawn.

Doedd dim gelyniaeth. Ond o’dd rhywfaint ogydymdeimlad â’r picil oeddech chi ynddo. Ddes ibyth i nabod neb yn dda iawn o gwbl. O’n i’n bywmewn hostel felly ddes i ddim i nabod y teuluoeddCymreig. Dim ond yn y gwaith fyddech chi’n eunabod nhw. Dwi ddim yn teimlo bod neb wedidweud y drefn wrtha i am beidio â thynnu’mhwysau lawr ’na. Rwy’n credu fy mod i wedigweithio’n weddol dda pan oeddwn i yna. …..

Rwy’n cofio’r sioc ges i wrth fynd i faddondy pen ypwll. Rhaid bod fy mywyd i wedi bod yn ddiniwediawn, achos ges i’n syfrdanu o weld cymaint oddynion noeth. Chi’n gwybod, dwi ddim yn credu imi weld dyn noeth fel bachgen eriôd. O’dd hi’ndipyn o syndod gweld pawb yn cerdded o gwmpasheb eu dillad. O’dd hi’n system dda, ac oeddechchi’n teimlo’n dda ar ôl dod o’na. Byddai pethauwedi bod llawer gwaeth taswn i wedi gorfod dodo’r pwll a dal bws fel roeddwn i. Ond o’dd gyda chideimlad rywsut eich bod chi’n gadael y pwll ar ôl,o’ch chi’n lân nawr, wedi ymolchi a bant â chi. Ondpan fyddech chi’n chwythu’ch trwyn, byddai’rhances yn ddu! O’dd y baddondy’n dipyn o chwyldro ar y pryd, on’d oedd? Roedd yr adeiladbron yn antiseptig o lân, gyda’r teils yn wyn i gyd.Bois bach, roedd y gwahaniaeth yn drawiadol – hydyn oed yr adeilad. Fyddech chi byth yn dweud ei fode ar ben pwll glo, fyddech chi? ……

Is-glerc yn swyddfeydd y dociau ym Mryste oeddwni ac o’n i’n gwybod bod glo yn rhan o fasnach yporthladd. Heblaw hynny, do’n i’n gwybod dimamdano. O’n i’n gwybod bod y swydd yn un ofnadwy. Pan fyddwch chi’n gwybod eich bod chi’ncloddio glo o grombil y ddaear, does dim angen ichiwybod nag y’ch ch’n mynd i’w fwynhau e, os e? ….

….ar ôl rhyw 12 mis neu ychydig mwy, ges i fy rhyddhau o’r pwll am resymau meddygol …. ac o’ni mewn limbo am ddwy neu dair wythnos. A dweudy gwir, o’n i ar y dôl nôl ym Mryste. O’n i’n meddwlbeth wna i nawr? Wedyn ges i’r papurau i fynd i gaelprawf meddygol i’r lluoedd. Fe bases i. O’n i’nhapus iawn, o’n i’n mynd i’r fyddin!

were on the move. They were well cared for and theyseemed content. They would just do things and theydidn’t seem restless or twitchy or anything like that.They would have your food if you put it down and did-n’t take care of it. O yeah they’d have your food allright! …….

…..I’d certainly miss a shift most weeks. ConsequentlyI’d sort of be shoved around from miner to miner andthat produced problems when it came to finding my paythe following week! I hardly recognised who I’d beenworking with and I had to collect a little envelope withsome money in it for whether it was for a day, two days,or three days from various people. It was never a casethat I didn’t receive it but you didn’t always get it veryquickly perhaps.

There was no hostility. There was a certain amount ofsympathy to the predicament I was in. I never got toknow anybody really well at all. I was living in a hostelso you didn’t get to know Welsh families or anythinglike that. You just knew them at the workplace. I don’tfeel that I was ever told-off for not pulling my weightwhile I was down there. I think I worked reasonablywell when I was there. …..

I remember a shock when I went to the pithead baths.I must have led a very sheltered life because I was quite

staggered at seeing so many nude men walking around.As a boy, you know, I don’t suppose that I had ever seena nude man. Everyone strolling around and it was quitesurprising. It was a good system, you felt really goodwhen you came out. It would have felt a lot worse if Ihad just had to come out of the coalmine and get on abus as I was. But you did feel somehow that you hadleft it behind, you were tidy now, you were washed, andoff you go. Still, when you blew your nose it was black!The baths was quite a revolution at the time, wasn’t it?The building was almost antiseptic in its cleanliness,with its white tiles. I thought goodness me, the con-trast was striking, even the building. You’d never saythat it was on top of a coal mine would you? ……

I was a junior clerk in the docks office in Bristol and Iknew that coal formed part of the trade at the port.Other than that I knew nothing about it. I knew it wasa job that was horrible. When you know that you aredigging coal out from the bowels of the earth you don’tneed to know that you are not going to enjoy it do you?

….after a twelve month, or a bit more, they releasedme from the mines on medical grounds …. and I was inlimbo for two or three weeks. I was on the dole actu-ally, back in Bristol. I thought what do I do now? ThenI received call-up papers for a medical in the services. Ipassed. I was happy in that sense. I was in the army!

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Fe wnes i sawl swydd ar ôl iErnest Bevin fy anfon i’r pwll gloyn lle’r RAF. Bues i’n gweithiogyda chywirwr a haliwr, gydathaniwr, ac fel y cyd-deithiwr ar y dramiau – wastad yn

wrthryfelwr, yn anfodlon, a heb unrhyw ddiddordebo gwbl yn y gwaith.Erbyn hyn, o’n i ar y ffas lo gyda hen löwr oedd yngadeirydd ar gyfrinfa’r glowyr – arweinydd y glowyryn y pwll….. Wrth i’r dyddiau fynd heibio, byddeni’n edrych arno fe’n gweithio, a gweld mor daclus agofalus oedd e wrth weithio. Os nad ydych chi’ngyfarwydd â gwaith y glöwr, mae’n edrych ynddigon didoreth ond mae’n waith crefftus iawn,bron yn esthetig weithiau. O’n nhw mor ofaluswrth drimio llawr, wyneb a thop y stent, cadw’r pysta’r trawstiau’n syth ac o’n nhw mor browd o adaely stent yn daclus i gyd ar ddiwedd y shifft.

Er fy mod i’n gweithio’n galed gyda Mr David – acalwes i ddim byd arall arno byth – wnaeth fy nheimladau i am fyd y lofa ddim newid. O’dd fyffrindiau i gyd yn lifrai’r lluoedd ac yn gwasanaethudros y môr, a minnau mewn dillad bob dydd heb yrun iwnifform ond y sgidie mawr a’r helmed. Digontlawd oedd y bwyd hefyd, roedd y gyflog yn bitw acroedd pobl yn y’ch galw chi’n llwfrgi. Er i mi wneudsawl ymgais i symud i swyddi milwrol, ges i f ’atalbob tro ac roedd y rhagolygon at y dyfodol ynofnadw o ddu.Yn yr anobaith ’ma, o’n i’n dal i weithio gyda MrDavid ac yn araf bach fe ddaeth e â heddwch i fi ahelpu fy agwedd i hefyd. Dechreues i ei weld e fel

patrwm i’w ddilyn i edrych ar fywyd mewn fforddfwy cytbwys ac optimistig. Doedd dim llawer oaddysg ganddo, ond roedd e’n ddyn deallus iawn abarn glir iawn ganddo am hawliau a chyfrifoldebau.Fe ofynnes iddo unwaith sut roedd e, fel cadeiryddy gyfrinfa, yn trin a thrafod y cytundebau tâl gyda’rrheolwr. Dyma beth ddwedodd e "Fe wna i’n siwrei fod e’n cadw ei ochr e o’r fargen - ac os byddunrhyw un o’r dynion yn ei thorri hi, fyddan nhw’nateb i fi."Roedd yn gas gen i fod yn Bachgen Bevin o hyd, ondfe helpodd e fi i edrych arno fel profiad a fyddai o lesi fi yn nes ymlaen yn fy mywyd.

I had done many jobs since ErnestBevin forced me into the coalminerather than the RAF. I had workedwith a repairer and a haulier, with ashot firer, as a rider with journeysof drams – always reluctant, unin-

terested and rebellious.Now I was on the coal face with a senior collier whowas also chairman of the miners’ lodge – the unionleader at the colliery…..As the days passed, I watchedhim at work, noticing how neat and careful he was ineverything he did. To the uninitiated the work of thecollier appears rough and ready but it is really skilledand, at times, almost aesthetic. The care taken to keepfloor, face and top of the stent well trimmed, the postsand cross pieces in line and the pride taken in leavingthe stent neat and tidy at the end of the shift..

Although working hard with Mr David – never calledhim anything else – my feeling about coal mining did not

change. All my friends wore the uniform of one of theForces and serving overseas, whilst I was in civilianclothes with no uniform provided except boots andhelmet. I was on meagre rations, a very small wage andopen to accusations of cowardice. Various attempts toget re-assigned to military posts were thwarted so thatfuture prospects seemed bleak.

In this feeling of despair I continued to work alongsideMr David and gradually he brought me some peace andresolution of my attitudes. I began to see him as a rolemodel for a balanced and more optimistic view of life.He was a poorly educated, very intelligent man withclear views on rights and responsibilities. Once I askedhim how, in his role as lodge chairman, he dealt with thepayment agreements with the manager. He told me "Iwill see that he keeps to his side of the agreement –and if any of my men break it they will answer to me." I still hated being a Bevin Boy but he helped me to lookat it as an experience which would benefit me in later life.

Dyn i’w ddilyn

A role model

MEL HARRIS,BACHGENBEVIN,GLOFA CWM1944-47

MEL HARRIS,MEL HARRIS,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,CWMCWMCOLLIERYCOLLIERY1944-471944-47

MEL HARRIS YN Y 1940AU MEL HARRIS IN THE 1940S

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Doedd dim tamed o ots gyda’r Bois Bevin ’na. Byddai’n wellganddyn nhw fod yn y lluoedd. Nawr roedd un gyda ni - TrevorFarmer – o’dd yn gweithio yn mesur a chasto, y siort yna o beth,gwaith clarco tanddaear, sawl dram o lo ac ati. Roedd e’n lico’rgwaith cymaint nes iddo fe fynd i’r Ysgol Lofaol yn Nhrefforest ac ennill ei ME (tystysgrif rheolwr glofa). Daeth e’n ddarlithyddyn yr Ysgol Lofaol erbyn y diwedd.IVOR DAVIES,TRYDANWR TANDDAEAR, GLOFA PENALLTA

Roedd sawl un ohonyn nhw gyda ni. A gwastraff amser oedd lot ohonyn nhw a dweud y gwir. Byddech chi’n rhoi rhaw iddyn nhw ac roedd hi fel neidr yn eu dwylo nhw. Ond roedd ambell un yn olreit. Wnaeth rhai aros yma ar ôl y rhyfel hyd yn oed.VINCE COURT, GLOFA PENALLTA

What the miners thought of Bevin BoysThese Bevin Boys, they didn’t trouble, not one bit. They wouldrather have gone to the services. Now there was one – TrevorFarmer – who was working measuring and counting, that sort ofthing, clerical work for underground, how many drams of coal andso on. He liked it so much that while he was doing that he went tothe Trefforest School of Mines and got his ME (colliery manager’scertificate) and he finished up lecturing in the School of Mines.IVOR DAVIES, UNDERGROUND ELECTRICIAN, PENALLTA COLLIERY

We had quite a number of them. A lot of them to be honest were a waste of time. You’d put a shovel in their hand and it was like asnake in their hand. But some of them were all right. Some evenstopped there after the war.VINCE COURT, PENALLTA COLLIERY

Barn y glowyr am Fois Bevin

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Gweithio’r shifft prynhawn oeddwni’n benna, ac acha diwrnod twymo haf mae’n rhaid dweud ei bodyn boen mynd lawr y pwll. Feweles i rai yn troi nôl a cholli dauddiwrnod o bae.Buon ni’n sefyll mewn hostel argyrion Ystrad Mynach ar yr hewl

i Lanbradach. Roedd bwrdd i’w gael i gadw llygad ary ffigurau absenoldeb, ac fe aethon nhw ag un aelodo grwp oedd yn eistedd drwy’r dydd yn chwaraecardiau i’r llys. Gofynnodd y barnwr ‘Shwd ych chi’nllwyddo i fyw’, ac atebodd e ‘Wrth fy ngreddf syr’. Amynte’r barnwr ‘Mae’n well felly i chi gael chwe misi fyw wrth eich greddf’ – ac fe gododd hynny aml iwên yn yr hostel pan glywodd y bechgyn.

Roedd y tair blynedd geso i oddi cartre’n iawn ac

rwy’n dal yn cofio wynebau rhai o’r bechgyn y buesi’n gweithio gyda nhw – Owen Roberts, taniwr,Windsor Davies, gyrrwr pâr o sicstins ar y brif hewl,Passmore, roedd ein stâl ni oddi ar ei hedin e ac eno’dd gweithio gyda Bert Phillips, a Ianto bach aeth iymuno â’r RAF.

Un nosweth yn y gwaith geso i boen ar y frest wrthrofio. Daeth y Swyddog Iechyd a Diogelwch rownd aphenderfynu hala fi i stafell y cleifion yn yr hostel.Roedd hyn yn oriau mân y bore. Roedd hi’n oer acyn rhewllyd a tipyn bach o ffordd o Ben-y-bryn. Pangyrhaeddon ni, dyma Bill, hen blismon wedi ymddeol oedd yn cadw golwg yn dweud ‘Mae’nrhaid bod syched arnoch chi ar ôl cerdded morbell’. Roedd y swyddog yn disgwyl rhywbeth cryf i’wgynhesu ar noson fel hyn, felly o’dd y cynnig gafodde’n dipyn o siom - glased o ddwr!

I mostly worked the afternoonshift and, on a hot summer’s day, Imust say that it was a torment togo down and I saw some turn backand lose two days pay.We stayed at a hostel on the out-skirts of Ystrad Mynach on theLlanbradach Road. There was a

board to oversee absentee figures and one of a groupthat seemed to sit around all day playing cards wastaken to court. When asked by the judge ‘How do youmanage to exist’, he replied ‘By my wits sir’. The judgesaid ‘Then you’d better do six months by your wits’ - agreat source of amusement around the hostel whenheard.

My three years away from home was bearable and I stillremember the faces of some I worked with – OwenRoberts, fireman, Windsor Davies, driver of a pair ofsixteens on the main, Passmore, our stall was off hisheading, working with Bert Phillips, and young Iantowho left to join the RAF.

One night whilst working I had a pain in my chest shov-elling and the Health and Safety Officer happened tocome around and decided to take me to the hostel sickbay. It was early hours of the morning, cold and icy, anda fair walk from Penybryn. When we arrived Bill, an eld-erly retired policeman who was the watchman, said ‘Iexpect you’re thirsty after that walk. The officer,expecting something strong and warming on such anight was most upset and put out on receiving a glassof water!

Absenoliaeth a salwch

Absenteeism and sickness

RICHARDHENRYEVERITT,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAPENALLTA,1945-48.

RICHARDRICHARDHENRYHENRYEVERITT,EVERITT,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,PENALLTAPENALLTACOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1945-48.1945-48.

RICHARD EVERITT YNG NGLOFA PENALLTARICHARD EVERITT AT PENALLTA COLLIERY

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Ges i fy ngeni ar y 10fed oOrffennaf 1926 yn Oake, gerTaunton yng Ngwlad yr Haf.Ym mis Awst 1944 ges i ’ngalwlan i fod yn Bachgen Bevin acoff a fi i Oakdale i hyfforddi amchwe wythnos. Ar ôl hyfforddife fues i’n gweithio ar y ffas lo

gyda glowyr Pwll Llanbradach am y rhan fwya o’ngwasanaeth i. Ges i drosglwyddiad i Lofa Penalltaam y 12 mis ola. Un o’r atgofion penna sy gen i yw’rllygod mowr oedd yn rhedeg i bobman yn y pwll.Fe fues i’n byw yn Hostel y Glowyr yn YstradMynach nes cael mynd adre ym mis Tachwedd 1947. Yn y Butchers Arms ym Maesycymmer ges i ’mhenblwydd i’n 21 oed.

Cafodd y llun ei dynnu tu allan i’r hostel yn YstradMynach – aros am y bws i’r gwaith o’n ni, mae’ndebyg. Yn y llun mae Max Morgan o’r Drenewyddyn y crys gwyn, fi yn y canol a bachgen o’r enwDennis o Gernyw. Dyw’r llun ddim yn glir iawn onddyma’r unig un sy gen i o’r cyfnod. Ar ôl gwneud yGwasanaeth Gwladol, fe es i’n bobydd, a dilynes i’rproffesiwn yna wedyn nes i mi ymddeol yn 1991.

I was born on 10th July 1926 inOake, nr. Taunton in Somerset. InAugust 1944 I was called up tobecome a Bevin Boy and sent toOakdale for six weeks training.Following training I worked on thecoal face alongside the colliers atLlanbradach Colliery for themajority of my service. I trans-

ferred to Penallta Colliery for the last twelve months.One of my strongest memories is of the rats which ranloose in the pits. I lived at the Miners’ Hostel in YstradMynach until I returned home in November 1947. Ispent my 21st birthday in the Butchers Arms inMaesycymmer.

The photo was taken outside the hostel in YstradMynach – we were probably waiting for the work’s bus.In the photograph is Max Morgan from Newtown in thewhite shirt, me in the middle and a chap called Dennisfrom Cornwall. The photo is not very clear but is theonly one I have from this time. After my NationalService I became a baker, a profession I followed until Iretired in 1991.

Bachgen Bevin yn troi’n Bobydd

From BevinBoy to Baker

ARTHUR JOHNCABLE,BACHGENBEVIN,GLOFEYDDLLANBRADACHA PHENALLTA,1944-47.

ARTHUR ARTHUR JOHN CABLE,JOHN CABLE,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,LLANBRADACHANDANDPENALLTAPENALLTACOLLIERIES,COLLIERIES,1944–47.1944–47.

ARTHUR CABLE A’R BOIS BEVIN ERAILLYN AROS AM FWS Y GWAITHARTHUR CABLE AND FELLOW BEVINBOYS WAITING FOR THE WORK’S BUS

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HAROLD GIBSONBACHGENBEVIN

HAROLD HAROLD GIBSON,GIBSON,BEVIN BOYBEVIN BOY

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Ges i ngeni yn Herstmonceux,Dwyrain Sussex. Gadawes i’rysgol yn 14 oed i fynd i weithio mewn ffatri oedd yngwneud rhannau i geir. Panddes i’n 18 oed, ges i alwad ifynd i Brighton i gael prawf

meddygol. Roeddwn i eisiau ymuno â’r fyddin, ond adweud y gwir bydden i wedi bod yn ddigon bodlonaros gartre!

Daeth fy rhif i lan yn y balot i fynd i’r pyllau glo ac feanfonon nhw fi i Ganolfan Hyfforddi Oakdale. Fuesi’n lletya gyda Mrs Jones yn Rhisga, fi a WyndhamJones, cocni oedd â pherthnasau yn Abertyleri.Cawson ni chwech wythnos o hyffordiant ynOakdale (roedd Wyndham ‘fel menyw’ ar y rhaw)a’n hala wedyn i Lofa Roseheyworth. Roedd rhaidinni wisgo’n dillad ein hunain yn y gwaith. Fy rhieniroddodd fy nillad i fi ac roeddwn i’n arfer eu halanhw adre i Sussex bob wythnos i mam gael eu golchinhw. Roedd hi’n arfer dweud “Byddai’n well gen iweld Raymond yn mynd i’r fyddin na lawr y pwll” –roedd hi’n meddwl bod y cyfan yn ofnadwy, a bod yCymry’n byw mewn ogofâu.Ar ôl sbel es i i weithio gyda Sid Fox ar hedin lle bydden

‘Byddwn i wedi bod yn ddigon bodlon

‘I would have been

RAYMONDGEORGE ISTED,BACHGEN BEVIN, GLOFAROSEHEYWORTH1943-49

RAY ISTED1940AURAY ISTED1940S

LLUN PRIODAS RAY A PHYLLIS, 1947RAY AND PHYLLIS’S WEDDING PHOTO 1947

‘CERDYN GRADDIO’RAYMOND ISTEDRAYMOND ISTED’S‘GRADING CARD’

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ni’n llanw 13 neu 14 dram bob shifft – byddai Sid ynrhoi rhyw £3 o ‘arian cnoco’ i fi. Pan fyddai Sid yn sâl,fydden i’n gweithio ar yr hewl gyda Gerald Williams.

Gerald gyflwynodd fi i Phyllis ar ryw noson mâs -roeddwn i’n swil ac yn ffaelu dawnsio a dyna’r unigffordd i’w gwneud hi yn y dyddiau hynny. Ond yn ydiwedd, dyna’r unig ferch i fi fynd mâs gyda hi erioedac r’yn ni’n briod ers 58 o flynyddoedd mis Awst yma(2005). Priodas dawel geson ni, roedd fy rhieni i’n sâlac yn ffaelu dod lawr a doedd neb arall yna ar fy ochri o’r teulu. I Weston Super Mare aethon ni ar ein mismêl. Doedd y wraig newydd ddim am setlo ynEastbourne, felly aros yng Nghymru wnaethon ni.Roedd hi wastad yn “Helo Ray” bob deg munud yngNghymru - yn Eastbourne gallech chi gerdded ogwmpas am chwe mis a fyddai neb yn torri gair â chi!

Bues i’n gweithio yn y pyllau am chwe mlynedd.Rwy’n cofio goruchwyliwr yn pwyntio ata i a dweudwrth rywun “Chi’n gweld y bachan ’na? BachgenBevin sy’n dal i weithio yma – ni’n ffaelu cael gwaredarno fe!” Fe godes i’r acen hyd yn oed i ryw raddau,ond i atal pobl rhag gwneud hwyl ar ben fy acenSussex i y gwnes i hynny. Erbyn hyn rwy’n teimlo’nfwy o Gymro na’r wraig!

I was born in Herstmonceux inEast Sussex; I left school at 14and worked in a factory makingautomotive parts. When Ireached 18, I was called up andsent to Brighton for a medical, Iwanted to join the army

although to be honest I would have been quite happystopping at home!

I was actually balloted to go into the mines and sent toOakdale Training Centre. I lodged with a Mrs Jones inRisca along with Wyndham Jones, a cockney who hadrelations in Abertillery. We trained for six weeks atOakdale (Wyndham proved to be ‘like a woman’ on theshovel) and then sent to Roseheyworth Colliery. Wehad to wear our own clothes at work, mine were sup-plied by my parents, and I used to send them back toSussex every week by my mother for washing. She usedto say "I would rather my Raymond go to the army thanthe pit" – she thought it was all terrible, thought thatWelsh people lived in caves.After a while I worked with Sid Fox on a heading where

we were filling 13 or 14 drams a shift – Sid used to giveme around £3 ‘knocking money’. When Sid went on thesick I worked the road with Gerald Williams.Gerald introduced me to Phyllis on a night out – I wasshy and couldn’t dance so that was the only way to doit in those days. But it ended up that she was the onlygirl I ever went out with and we’ve been married for 58years this August (2005). We had a quiet wedding, bothmy parents were ill and couldn’t come and there was noone else from my side of the family there. We went toWeston Super Mare for the honeymoon. My new wifedidn’t want to settle in Eastbourne so we stopped inWales. It was always "Hello Ray" every ten minutes inWales - in Eastbourne you could walk around for sixmonths and no one would talk to you!

I worked for 6 years in the pits. I remember an over-man pointing me out to someone and saying "You seethis boy here? A Bevin Boy and still working here – wecan’t get him from here!" I even picked up the accent abit although that was to stop me getting ribbed aboutmy Sussex accent. I feel more Welsh than my wife doesnow!

yn aros gartre’

quite happy stopping at home’RAYMONDRAYMONDGEORGE ISTED,GEORGE ISTED,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,ROSEHEYWORTHROSEHEYWORTHCOLLIERY COLLIERY 1943–491943–49

RAY A PHYLLISAR EU MIS MÊLYN WESTONSUPER MARERAY ANDPHYLLIS ONHONEYMOON INWESTON SUPERMARE

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Do, fe fues i’n un o’rychydig anffodus –roedd y rhif ges i ar ddi-wedd fy mhrawf med-dygol yn gorffen gyda’rdigid anghywir!

Roeddwn i wedi gwasanaethu yn yr ATC(Corfflu Hyfforddi Awyr) oddi ar pan fues i ynyr ysgol ac roeddwn i’n ofnadw o browd fymod i wedi ennill trwyddedau gleidio A, B acC. Dywedes i hyn wrth y swyddog oedd yncynnal y cyfweliad yn y prawf meddygol –mae’r garden yn dal i fod gen i, wedi’i stampioag A1 – ac ysgrifennodd e ‘Waive’ mewn inccoch ar y garden (sy gen i o hyd). Roeddwn i arfy ffordd i ymuno â ffrind bore oes yn yr RAF.

Byddai wedi bod yn anodd i fi ddisgrifio’r siomges i pan glywes i wedyn y byddwn i’n gwneudfy Ngwasanaeth Gwladol danddaear – a doedddim byd arall i’w wneud.

Dyma ddyfyniad i chi (ac mae hwn gen i ohyd):-Ministry of Labour and National Service –form E.D. 383 (C.T.C.) Emergency Powers(Defence) Acts, 1939-1940.Direction under Regulation 58A of theDefence (General) Regulations 1939.

Any person failing to comply with the directionRegulation 58A of the Defence (General)

Regulations, 1939 is liable to summary convic-tion to imprisonment for a term not exceedingthree months, or to a fine not exceeding £100or to both such imprisonment and such fine.

Any person failing to comply after such a con-viction is liable to a further conviction to a fine

not exceeding five pounds for every day onwhich the failure continues.

Rhyw £3.00 oedd y gyflog wythnosol ar gyfartaledd i grefftwr bryd hynny ac fellyroedd hyn yn dipyn o ddirwy, heb sôn am y car-char.

Am fy mod yn ifanc a disgybledig, fel roeddpawb yn y dyddiau hynny, fe ddilynes i’r gorchmynion, ac ar 16 Tachwedd 1944 fe es i iGanolfan Hyfforddi Oakdale, Coed-duon, SirFynwy, i gael hyfforddiant. Ar ôl pythefnos osgyrsiau – allech chi mo’u galw nhw’n ddarlithoedd – gan lowyr oedd wedi’u recriwtio o’r pyllau lleol, ac ar ôl symud tunel-li lawer o lo o’r naill domen fawr i’r llall – ‘I chiddod yn gyfarwydd â chael rhaw yn eichdwylo’ ac un daith lawr pwll glo go iawn,cafodd pawb orchmynion i fynd i wahanol byllau i ddechrau gweithio.

Ces i fy anfon i bwll Markham, ychydig i’rgogledd o’r Coed-duon. Roedd y pwll ynperthyn i gwmni Haearn a Dur Tredegar, a’r

unig ddewis arall i fi oedd mynd i’r carchar. Oedrych nôl nawr, rwy’n sylweddoli y gallwn ifod wedi cael y gorau ar yr awdurdodau drwywrthod ymuno ag undeb y glowyr - roedd llyfryn cael ei wthio dan ein trwyn ar ein diwrnodcyntaf yng Nghanolfan Hyfforddi Oakdale i niei lofnodi. Fyddai dim perygl o gwbl y byddaiglowyr unrhyw bwll yn derbyn neb heb aelodaeth lawn o’r undeb, hyd yn oed yn ystody rhyfel.

Wedyn ces i dipyn o lwc dda. Fe gofiodd modryb i fi fod bachgen o’n pentre ni yn SirAmwythig wedi mynd i dde Cymru i chwilioam waith cyn y rhyfel, i fynd yn löwr. Fe setlodd Jim Acton ym Markham, ac ar ôlclywed am fy sefyllfa i, fe roddodd e a’i wraigWin groeso cynnes i fi fel lletywr am £2.75 yrwythnos. Fe fynnodd e hefyd y dylwn i weithiogydag e ar yr un ffas lo ‘er mwyn imi gadw llygad ar y bachgen o Sir Amwythig a gwrandoar ei acen’ (wyddwn i ddim bod acen gen i!).Ar adegau fe fyddai Jim am gael hoe a byddai’ndweud wrtha i am adrodd cerdd neu stori abyddai’n dweud wrth y lleill ‘Gallwn i wrandoar y crwt yma drwy’r dydd: mae’n f ’atgoffa fiam gartre’. Un gerdd (lân) roeddwn i’n eigwybod, ‘How Horatio held the bridge’, wedi’idysgu hi wrth gael fy nghadw i mewn ar ôl yrysgol, credwch neu beidio, ond roedd e’n cadwJim yn hapus.

Roeddwn i’n gwybod o’r dechrau’n deg naddyma’r bywyd i fi ac ar yr esgus lleiaf, salwchneu rywbeth arall, gan gynnwys tywydd drwg,i ffwrdd â fi i Sir Amwythig ar fy meic modurTriumph Speed Twin ffyddlon. Roedd Jim yngwybod sut roeddwn i’n teimlo ac fe drefnodde fod y goruchwyliwr yn rhoi gwaith i fi ynhelpu gweithiwr i osod systemau taenu dwr,oedd i fod i helpu i gadw’r llwch glo marwol ilawr. Roedd rhaid drilio twll dwy fodfedd ganddefnyddio dril glo chwe throedfedd o hyd ahwnnw’n cael ei yrru gan y modur cywasguaer mwya swnllyd glywsoch chi erioed. Roeddy cywasgwr yn cael ei gario ar yr ysgwydd, ynunion ar bwys eich clust, oedd yn golygu bod yswn yn llythrennol yn fyddarol (‘ear muffs’ - erioed wedi clywed amdanyn nhw!). Wedynbyddai piben dal dwr oedd yn ei selio’i hun yncael ei gosod i mewn a bydden ni’n gadael i’rdwr lifo am ryw funud.

Aeth y job yma ymlaen drwy’r gaeaf i gyd adim ond ar ddydd Sul y byddwn i’n gweld golaudydd. Codi am chwech y bore, i lawr y pwll amsaith a nôl am dri o’r gloch y prynhawn yn sythi’r bath. Tywyll, tywyll, tywyll. Fe es i o fod ynfachgen bochgoch o’r wlad i bryd a gweddgwelw fel petai’r dicléin arna i.

Ddechrau’r gwanwyn nesa roeddwn i ar fyffordd nôl i Onibury ac yn mynd yn aml i weld

ffrindiau ’nhad oedd yn cadw fferm a llawer oseidr da!!! Doedd dim llawer o betrol ar gaelfelly roeddwn i’n mynd ar gefn fy meic i’wgweld nhw a chael diferyn …… ond un nosonfe ges i ormod, cwympo oddi ar y beic a thorrify mawd. Aeth fy nhad â fi at y doctor drannoeth (roedd hi’n boenus ar y diawl drwy’rnos) ac ymlaen wedyn i Ysbyty OrthopedigAgnes Hunt yn ymyl Croesoswallt lle dwedonnhw y bydden nhw’n ceisio achub y bawd!!!

Am y bythefnos nesa, fe dreulies i rai o wythnosau gorau fy rhyfel yn cael tendans gannyrsys ifanc a deniadol (y gorau o ferched SirAmwythig yn ôl fy nghefnder) a’r holl fwyd ygallwn ei fwyta. Pan fyddai’r tywydd yn dda,byddai’r gwely’n cael ei osod ar y feranda i figael bod yn yr haul. Yn lle’r wyneb gwelw,

roedd gen i liw haul braf a des i nabod ambellferch oedd yn hyfforddi i fod yn nyrs – hyfryd ofyd …..

‘Beth yw’ch gwaith chi?’ holodd un o’r ymgynghorwyr.‘Glöwr’‘Bydd eich anaf chi’n cymryd cryn amser iwella, ac yn y cyfamser mae’n amhosibl ichigodi caib a rhaw.’‘Ydy syr, mae’n siwr’.

Dyna ddechrau dau fis o leiaf o segura digywilydd, nes i fi gael llythyr maes o law ganyr arswydus WEINYDDIAETH LAFUR oeddam gael gwybod pam nad oeddwn i yn y pwllyn Markham.‘Ewch i Gaerwrangon ar xx/xx/xx’. Os na fyddwch yno o fewn y saith diwrnod nesaf, nifydd gennym ddewis ond eich galw i’r lluoeddarfog gan fod yna brinder dybryd o ddynion yny llu awyr.’ A dyna chi wedi dyfalu, aros a gorweddian yn yr haul yn Onibury wnes i acfelly yn y pen draw fe ysgrifennon nhw eto.‘Wedi adolygu’ch achos chi a’i ystyried eto,rydyn ni wedi penderfynu nad oes arnomangen eich gwasanaeth chi …..’ Hwrê!!

Ond roedd un tro olaf yn y gwt.Fe benderfynoddy Weinyddiaeth Lafur na fyddai bechgyn Bevin,yn wahanol i bawb arall oedd wedi bod yn y lluoedd, yn cael hawlio’u hen swyddi oeddganddyn nhw cyn y rhyfel yn ôl, felly roeddhynny hyd yn oed wedi’i golli. Dim siwt demob.Dim tocyn trên adre. Dim addysg bellach argost y wlad. Doedd y Lleng Prydeinig ddimam eich nabod chi chwaith - nhw na neb arall.

Diolch yn dalpe i chi wleidyddion,lywodraethau a phawb. Ond fel mae’n digwydd, dyna’r peth gorau i ddigwydd i mi yny rhyfel. Dechreues i mewn maes gwaith arallym 1947 a gwneud yn dda. Fe wnes i hyd ynoed briodi nith Jim Acton - ond stori arall ywhonno.

‘Y peth gorau ddigwyddodd yn fy rhyfel i’ G. CAMPBELLJONES,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAMARKHAM,1944-47

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Yes I was one of thoseunfortunate few - thenumber given to mewhen I had my medicalended with the wrongdigit!I had served in the

ATC (Air Training Corps) since my schoolyears and was proud to have earned my A, Band C gliding licences. I told this to theinterviewing officer at my medical- I still havemy medical card stamped A1- and he wrote‘Waive’ in red on my card (which I still have).I was on my way to join a great boyhoodfriend in the RAF.

It would have been difficult for me todescribe my disappointment to be informedsubsequently that I was to spend myNational Service underground – and thereappeared to be no way out.

I quote from (which I still keep):-Ministry of Labour and National Service –form E.D. 383 (C.T.C.) Emergency Powers(Defence) Acts, 1939-1940.Direction under Regulation 58A of theDefence (General) Regulations 1939.

Any person failing to comply with the directionRegulation 58A of the Defence (General)

Regulations, 1939 is liable to summary convic-tion to imprisonment for a term not exceedingthree months, or to a fine not exceeding £100or to both such imprisonment and such fine.

Any person failing to comply after such a con-viction is liable to a further conviction to a fine

not exceeding five pounds for every day onwhich the failure continues.

The average weekly age for an artisan inthose days was around £3.00 so this, apartfrom the imprisonment was a hefty fine.

Being young and disciplined, as we all were inthose days, I did as I was told and reportedon 16th November 1944 to the OakdaleTraining Centre, Blackwood,Monmouthshire, for training. After twoweeks of chats – they couldn’t possibly becalled lectures – given by miners recruitedfrom local mines for that purpose and aftermoving many tons of coal from one largeheap to another – ‘To give you the feel of ashovel butty’ and one trip down a real coalmine we were all given our orders to reportto various pits to start work.

The pit I was sent to was at Markham, justnorth of Blackwood and owned by TheTredegar Iron and Steel Company Limitedand the only alternative for me was prison.Looking back now I know that I could have

called the authorities bluff by refusing tobecome a member of the miners’ union – abook for us to sign was thrust in front of uson our first day at Oakdale Training Centre.There was no way that miners at any pit inthe country would accept anyone withoutfull union membership, even in wartime.

Now comes a stroke of good fortune. Anaunt of mine recalled that a boy from my vil-lage in Shropshire, finding work pre- war, hadgone to south Wales to become a miner. JimActon settled in Markham, and hearing of myplight, he and his wife Win welcomed mewith open arms as lodger at £2.75 per week.He insisted too that I worked with him onthe same coal face so that ‘I can keep an eyeon this Shropshire Lad and listen to hisaccent’ (I didn’t know I had one!). Therewere occasions when he would want abreather and tell me to recite a poem or tella tale when he would tell the others ‘I couldlisten to this lad all day, he reminds me ofhome’. I only knew one (clean) poem, ‘HowHoratio held the bridge’, which I had learnedin detention in school would you believe, butit kept Jim happy.

I could tell from the start that this was notthe life for me and on the slightest excuse, ill-ness or otherwise, bad weather included, Iwould be off to Shropshire on my trustyTriumph Speed Twin motor bike. Jim knewhow I felt and got an Overman (big boss) togive me a job assisting a worker to installwater infusion systems which were sup-posed to help keep the killer coal dust incheck. A two inch hole had to be drilledusing a six foot long coal drill driven by thenoisiest compressed air motor you have everheard. The compressor was shouldermounted right by your ea, which meant thatthe noise was literally deafening (ear muffs –never heard of them!). A watertight self seal-ing pipe was then inserted and the water leftto flow for a minute or so.

The job lasted one whole winter duringwhich I only saw proper daylight on Sundays.Up at 6am, down the pit at 7am and back upat 3pm straight into the pit head baths.Dark, dark, dark. My complexion went fromrosy cheeked country boy to a tubercularlike pallid face.

At the start of the next spring I was off backto Onibury and often went to see myfather’s friends who had a farm and muchgood cider!!! As petrol was rationed I rodemy bike over to see them and imbibed……one evening I overdid it, fell off my bike andfractured my thumb. My father took me tothe doctors next morning (it hurt like the

devil all night) and then on to the AgnesHunt Orthopaedic Hospital near Oswestrywhere they said they would try and save mythumb!!!

The next two weeks I spent there weresome of the best weeks of my war. Cossetedby young attractive nurses (my cousin calledthem ‘the flower of Shropshire womanhood’)given all the food I could eat. Weather per-mitting my bed would be pulled onto averanda where I soaked up the sunshine. Ireplaced my ashen complexion with a tanand got to know a trainee nurse or two –what bliss…..

‘What is your occupation?’ asked a consult-ant there.‘Coal miner’‘Your injury will take some while to mend, inthe meantime you could not possibly handlea pick and shove.’‘No sir, I’m sure’.

That was the start of at least two months ofunashamed malingering until I received a let-ter from the dreaded MINISTRY OFLABOUR wanting to know why I was not atMarkham pit.‘Report to Worcester on xx/xx/xx’. If youdo not report there within the next sevendays we shall have no alternative but to draftyou into the forces as they are desperate forair crew.’ Well you guessed, I was still soak-ing up the sun in Onibury so they eventuallywrote again. ‘We have reviewed and consid-ered your case and have decided we do notrequire your services …..’ Yippee!!

One last sting in the tale. The Ministry ofLabour decided that Bevin Boys would not,unlike all other ex-servicemen, be able toclaim back the jobs they had prior to theircall-up so even that was lost. No demobsuit. No rail fare home. No further educationat the expense of the state. The BritishLegion did not want to know either – no onedid.

Thanks a lot politicians, governments et tout.But it turned out to be the best thing thathappened in my war. I took up another lineof work in1947 and did well. I even marriedJim Acton’s niece - but that’s another story.

‘The best thing that happened in my war’G. CAMPBELLG. CAMPBELLJONES,JONES,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,MARKHAMMARKHAMCOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1944-471944-47

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Yng Nghanada y ceso i fy ngeni;roedd ’nhad wedi cael niwed casar ei gefn yng Nglofa Nant-y-gloac roedd e am dengid o’r pwllglo. Fe ymfudodd e yn 1920 ageso i fy ngeni yna yn 1926.

Daeth Mam â ni’r plant nôl i Gymru ar ein gwyliauyn 1930 a gwrthod mynd nôl, felly gorffodd nhadddod nôl hefyd. Ond osgoi’r pyllau glo wnaeth e eto,drwy fynd yn ffiter moduron. Ar ôl i fi adael yr ysgol,fe hyfforddes innau i fod yn saer cerrig bedd.Rhoies i’n enw lawr i ymuno â’r lluoedd ym misMawrth 1944, gan obeithio cael mynd i’r RAF. Yn llehynny, dyma alwad yn dod i fynd i GanolfanHyfforddi Oakdale i gael gwaith rhyfel yn y pwll.

Dechreues i weithio dan ddaear fel cynorthwyyddglöwr ar hen hedin digon caled. Roedd yr hedin ymawedi torri mewn i hen weithfeydd llawn llygod mowrac, ar ôl mis dan yr amgylchiadau yna yn cymysguclai i lanw’r tyllau ar ôl i’r ffrwydron fynd i mewn, feddalies i glefyd Weil.

Geso i’n hala i Ysbyty’r Eglwys Newydd yngNghaerdydd oedd yn ysbyty milwrol bryd hynny.Achos bod fy nghyflwr i mor ddifrifol, buo i ar foddion tawelu am dair wythnos ac fe wedson nhwmod i’n lwcus i ddod drwyddi. Erbyn i fi gael fy rhyddhau o’r ysbyty, roedd y rhyfel ar ben a gorffes iddim mynd nôl dan ddaear, ond mynd nôl i’r grefftoedd gyda fi cyn y rhyfel, fel saer cerrig bedd.

I was born in Canada; my fatherhad badly injured his back in aNantyglo Colliery and wanted toget out of the pits. He emigrat-ed in 1920 and I was born there

in 1926. My mother brought us children back to Walesfor a holiday in 1930 and refused to go back again, so myfather had to come back as well but still avoided the coalmines by becoming a motor fitter. After I left school Itrained to become a monumental mason.I registered for the forces in March 1944; I was hopingto join the RAF. Instead I was called up to OakdaleTraining Centre for war work in the coal mines. I start-

ed underground working as a collier’s assistant in a hardheading. The heading had tapped into old, rat infestedworkings and, after a month in these conditions mixingand handling clay stemming for ramming explosives, Icontracted Weil’s disease.

I was sent to Whitchurch Hospital near Cardiff whichwas then a military hospital. Because of the seriousnessof my condition, I had to undergo sedation for threeweeks and was told that I was lucky to survive. By thetime I was discharged from hospital the war was overand never had to go back underground but continuedmy pre-war trade as a monumental mason.

Fy mis fel Bachgen Bevin

My month as a Bevin Boy

WILLIAMOWEN BEVAN,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAOAKDALE, 1944

WILLIAM OWENWILLIAM OWENBEVAN, BEVINBEVAN, BEVINBOY, OAKDALEBOY, OAKDALECOLLIERY, 1944COLLIERY, 1944

WILLIAM OWENBEVAN YNYMWELD ÂPHWLL GLOLLEOL CYN YRHYFEL(BLAEN CHWITH)WILLIAM OWENBEVAN VISITINGA LOCAL COLLIERYBEFORE THE WAR(FRONT LEFT)

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Fe briodes i â Bachgen Bevin

I married a Bevin BoyI was called up for National Servicein 1942. I was supposed to becomea land girl but didn’t fancy having tolive away from home so instead Iopted to become a conductress or,

as they were known, a ‘clippie’ on the local buses.My boyfriend Oswald John Wall, or ‘Ozzie’ as everyonecalled him, was a carpenter and joiner was very war ori-ented and was itching to go into the forces – army, navy,anything just to join up. When he was actually called upin January 1944 he passed all the medicals but was dev-astated to be directed to the coal mines. He went toOakdale first for training then to Blaensychan Colliery.

He often used to be on my bus going to work – I wastalking to him off the bus one evening and the driverdrove off and left me in Abersychan!He didn’t say much to me about the colliery as he hatedbeing there so much. We were courting from about1942 but he didn’t want to get married until he got outof the pit. He was demobbed in January 1946; we gotengaged soon after and married in 1948. He went on tobecome a clerk of works.It’s nice to know that after sixty years the Bevin boyshave been recognised at long last. Even though he hatedthe time he spent underground he would have beenenthusiastic about the celebrations.

Fe geso i ’ngalw lan i wneudGwasanaeth Gwladol ym1942. Gweithio ar y tir o’n ifod i’w wneud ond doedd dim

chwant byw oddi cartre arna i ac felly dewises i fyndyn docynnwr ar y bysys lleol - ‘clipi’ fel ro’n ni’n caelein galw.Saer coed o’dd fy nghariad i Oswald John Wall, neu‘Ozzie’ fel o’dd pawb yn ei alw fe, ac o’dd e wrth eifodd â’r rhyfel ac yn awchu am gael mynd i’r lluoedd- y fyddin, y llynges, unrhyw beth, ond iddo gael joino.Pan gas e ei alw lan ym mis Ionawr 1944 fe basodde’r profion meddygol i gyd ond dyna chi ergyd o’ddcael ei hala i’r pwll glo. I Oakdale i hyfforddi yr aethe gynta, wedyn i Lofa Blaensychan. Bydde fe yn amliawn ar y bws gyda fi’n mynd i’r gwaith – o’n i’nsiarad gyda fe oddi ar y bws un noson, a dyma’rgyrrwr yn gyrru bant a ’ngadael i yn Abersychan!Doedd dim llawer gyda fe i’w ddweud wrtha’i am ylofa achos ei fod e’n casáu’r lle gymaint. Buon ni’nwaco o tua 1942 ymlaen ond doedd e ddim am inni

briodi nes iddo fe gwpla yn y pwll. Cas e’i ryddhauym mis Ionawr 1946; fe ddyweddïon ni ychydigwedyn a phriodi ym 1948. Aeth e ymlaen wedyn ifod yn glerc gwaith.Mae’n braf gwybod bod Bois Bevin wedi cael eucydnabod o’r diwedd ar ôl 60 mlynedd. Er ei fod e’ncasáu ei amser dan ddaear, fe fyddai wedi bod ynfrwd ynglyn â’r dathlu.

MRS DOREENWALL,GRIFFITHSTOWN

MRS DOREENMRS DOREENWALL,WALL,GRIFFITHS-GRIFFITHS-TOWNTOWN

DOREEN WALLMEWNIWNIFFORM‘CLIPI’DOREEN WALLIN HER ‘CLIPPIE’UNIFORM

OZZIE WALL YN GWEITHIO FEL SAERCOED CYN Y RHYFEL. (AR Y CHWITH) OZZIE WALL WORKING AS CARPENTERBEFORE THE WAR. (ON LEFT)

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Yn Rhaglan o’n i’n byw yn ystody rhyfel ond, gan mai ynLlundain o’n i wedi cofrestru argyfer y Gwasanaeth Gwladol,ges i ’ngalw i ganolfan hyfforddiGlofa Askern yn Doncaster i

wneud y mis cyntaf o hyfforddi. Ces i lety ynDoncaster – oedd yn debycach i westy mewn gwirionedd er ei bod yn rhyfedd cael pâr o esgidiaumawr a blaenau dur i chwarae pêl-droed – er mwyninni ddod i arfer â nhw mae’n debyg.Wedyn ces i’n anfon i Bwll Cadeby Main i weithio, ar

‘tipler’ glo i ddechrau ac wedyn o dan ddaear gyda’rtrydanwyr, i hyfforddi i fod yn wifrwr. Mae’n debygmai fi yw’r unig un o holl Fois Bevin sy’n gallu honniiddo gael ei adael ar ei ben ei hun i ofalu am y gwaithtrydan dan ddaear ar shifftiau prynhawn.

Des i nôl adre ar fy ngwyliau ar ddechrau’r haf yn1945 ac am fy mod i’n teimlo’n dost fe es i at y meddyg. Yn y pen draw fe ges i fy rhyddhau o’r pyllau, ar sail afiechyd. Ond roedd hi’n beth rhyfeddeu bod nhw wedi dweud ym mhen y mis ’mod i’n A1yn feddygol, ac es i i’r Llynges yn y pen draw!

I was living in Raglan during thewar but, as I had registered forNational Service in London, I wascalled up to Askern Colliery train-ing centre in Doncaster for my ini-tial month’s training. I was billeted

in Doncaster – it was like a hotel there although it wasstrange to be given a pair of steel toe capped boots toplay football in – I suppose it was to get us used to them.I was then sent to Cadeby Main Colliery to work, first

on a coal tippler then underground with the electriciansto train as a wireman. I probably have the unique claimas a Bevin Boy to be often left in sole charge of electri-cal work underground on afternoon shifts.

I came back home on holiday in the early summer of1945 and, feeling ill I went to the doctors and was even-tually discharged from the pits on ill health. However itwas a bit strange that a month later I was declared to bemedically A1 and ended up in the Royal Navy!

‘Gofalu am y pwll’

‘Left in charge of the pit’

HENRY LUMLEY,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFACADEBY MAIN,1944-45

HENRY LUMLEY,HENRY LUMLEY,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,CADEBY MAINCADEBY MAINCOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1944-451944-45

27

Wrthi’n dysgu bod yn grydd oeddwn i pan ges i lythyr yndweud bod rhaid mynd iGasnewydd i gael prawf meddy-gol. Fe bases i gyda Gradd Un

ond doedd dim dewis i gael: o’dd rhaid i fi fynd i’r pyllau fel Bachgen Bevin ac nid i’r lluoedd. Dwedsonnhw wrtha i wedyn am fynd i’r Gyfnewidfa Lafur yny Coed-duon, lle ro’dd hyd at 30 o ddynion a bechgyn, rhai wedi dod o’r fyddin. Wedyn fe aethonnhw â fi i 21 Albany Road i gael llety gyda BachgenBevin arall o’r enw Dan Rogers o Bontypridd.Gorffes i wneud mis yn y pwll hyfforddi yn Oakdale.Yn yr wythnos ola, fe aethon ni i weld Pwll yr Ocean

yn Nhreharris. Wedyn geso i wybod bod rhaid myndi weithio i Lofa’r Navigation yn Oakdale, yn lle myndsha thre i Flaenafon a Big Pit. Fe drïodd fy nhad gaeltrosglwyddiad i’r Pwll Mawr i fi sawl tro, ond lwyddodd e fyth. Bues i’n gweithio yn Oakdale amdair blynedd. O’dd yn gas gen i feddwl mynd danddaear ond cyn hir fe ddes i i fwynhau cwmnïaeth ybech-gyn eraill. Yn nes ymlaen fe ges i fy anfon i BigPit a dyna lle gwples i, ar ôl 42 o flynyddoedd.

O’n i’n ffodus iawn cael llety da a chadwes i gysylltiad â’r teulu hefyd nes iddyn nhw farw. Liceni ddiolch i bob un o’m hen gydweithwyr am wneudbywyd gwaith mor hapus i fi.

I was learning my trade as a shoerepairer when I received a letter togo to Newport for my medical,which I passed Grade One but I hadno choice, I had to go to the minesas a Bevin Boy and not to the

forces. I was then told to report to Blackwood LabourExchange where there were up to thirty men and boys,some from the army. I was then taken to 21 AlbanyRoad which was to be my lodgings and joined by anoth-er Bevin Boy named Dan Rogers from Pontypridd.I had to do a month at the training pit at Oakdale. Onour last week we visited the Ocean Colliery at Treharris.

I then received notice that I had to report for work atOakdale Navigation Colliery instead of my home townof Blaenafon and Big Pit. My father tried on numerousoccasions for my transfer to Big Pit but was never suc-cessful. I worked at Oakdale for three years. I hated thethought of going underground but soon started to enjoythe comradeship of my workmates. I was later sent toBig Pit where I finished after forty two years.

I was fortunate to have had really good lodgings andkept in touch with the family until they passed away. SoI would like to give a vote of thanks to all my old work-mates for my making my working life happy.

W.A. HEAL,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAOAKDALE 1944-47

W.A. HEAL,W.A. HEAL,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,OAKDALEOAKDALECOLLIERY.COLLIERY.1944-471944-47

CwmnïaethCwmnïaeth

ComradeshipComradeship

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Ymunodd Desmond Samuelsâ’r Great Western Railwayfel clerc ym 1941 cyngwirfoddoli i ymuno â’r RAFym mis Gorffennaf 1943. Arôl cyrraedd mor bell â De

Rhodesia (Zimbabwe bellach) ffeindiodd bod y cyrsiau hyfforddi i beilotiaid i gyd yn orlawn. I hwylusopethau, gallai peilotiaid oedd wedi gwneud rhan o’uhyfforddiant naill ai ailhyfforddi fel peilotiaid gleidersneu gael eu rhyddhau i fynd i ddiwydiant. Wedigwirfoddoli i fynd i’r RAF, doedd e ddim am fynd i’rfyddin fel peilot gleider, felly fe wirfoddolodd e iwneud gwaith diwydiannol. Dyna pryd cafodd wybodbod hynny’n golygu gweithio o dan ddaear.

Ar ôl wythnos o wyliau fe ddechreuodd e yn YsgolHyfforddi Oakdale ym mis Mai 1945 a gweithiowedyn yng Nglofa Hafodyrynys tan fis Hydref 1947.‘Allwn i byth deall pam roedden ni’r ‘amaturiaid’ yncael lampau diogelwch gyda fflam oedd yn diffoddpe baech chi’n ei tharo hi, a’ch gadael chi yn y tywyllwch, yn lle cael lamp drydan fel y dynion ‘proffesiynol’. Ond o leia roedd y lampau’n gweithio,fely dangosodd fy myti i pan aeth i chwilio am nwy mewncornel fach heb awyr ar y prif hedin roedden ni’n eiddatblygu – bu ffrwydrad bach tu mewn i’w lamp!

Ar fy niwrnod cynta yn Hafodyrynys fe aethon nhwâ fi i’r ffas a chyflwyno fi i’r glöwr y byddwn i’n gweithio gydag e, ‘Wock’, oedd yn tyllu o danlwmpyn anferth o lo ar y ffas heb ddim byd i’w ddale ond ambell i brop. Tipyn o agoriad llygad!

Wrth lwytho dram y ces i fy anap cyntaf. Wrthgeisio gwthio lwmpyn mawr o lo i’r lle uwchlaw ymyl

uchaf y ddram roedd fy nghefn i yn erbyn prop i gaelgwthio yn ei erbyn. Yn lle gwthio’r lwmpyn i’w le, yprop ddaeth yn rhydd, a daeth y to lawr. Drwy lwc abendith, dim ond ychydig bach o rwbel rhydd ddaethi lawr, ond rwy’n cofio meddwl tybed pa mor uchellan fy nghorff y byddai’r pentwr yn dod.

Un bore cofiadwy iawn, daeth fy myti (sy’n cael arosyn ddienw) i’r gwaith yn dioddef pen tost ar ôl ynoson cynt. Fe gadwes i’r lle i fynd ar fy mhen fy hun,gan fod digon o brofiad gen i fy hun erbyn hynny.

Quack oedd enw un o’r ceffylau dan ddaear ynHafodyrynys a phe bai ei gefn e’n cyffwrdd â’r to neuun o’r trawstiau dros ben byddai’n cicio dros y tresi acyn gwneud dwr. O achos hynny, roedd ei haliwr (JackTurton oedd ei enw e rwy’n credu) yn awyddus iawni gael digon o le uwchben ble bynnag y byddai’n mynd.

Yn ystod gaeaf 1946/47 gyda’r eira mawr, roedd trêny glowyr yn methu mynd o Bont-y-pwl i Hafodyrynys,am dri diwrnod rwy’n credu. Pan gyrhaeddon ni’rgwaith yn y pen draw, y dasg gynta oedd clirio’r eiraer mwyn cyrraedd pen y pwll i ofalu am y ceffylau.Roedd yr eira’n ddigon dwfn i guddio’r wagenni yn yseidins yn llwyr.

£5 yr wythnos oedd y gyflog, cyn talu treth, ond weithiau fe fyddai’ch glöwr chi’n rhoi hyd at hannercoron yn fwy ichi, os oedd e wedi cael wythnos ddaneu os oedd yn credu’ch bod chi’n ei haeddu fe.

Fe briodes i ym mis Awst 1947, felly fe gafodd fyngwraig rai misoedd o brofiad o olchi dillad glöwrcyn imi fynd nôl i’r rheilffyrdd yn y mis Hydref, am laibyth o arian. Ond stori arall yw honno.’

Desmond Samuels joined theGreat Western railway as a clerkin 1941 before volunteering forRAF aircrew in July 1943. Aftergetting as far as SouthernRhodesia (now Zimbabwe) he

found that pilot training courses were oversubscribed.To ease the congestion partially trained pilots couldeither be retrained as glider pilots or released to indus-try. Having volunteered for the RAF he didn’t want togo into the army as a glider pilot so volunteered forindustrial work instead.This is when he discovered thatit meant working underground.

After a weeks leave he started at Oakdale TrainingSchool in May 1945 and then worked at HafodyrynysColliery until October 1947.

‘I could never understand why we ‘amateurs’ wereissued with flame safety lamps which were extinguishedif knocked, leaving you in the dark, instead of electricones like the ‘professionals’. That the lamps actuallyworked was demonstrated by my ‘butty’ when he test-ed for gas in an unventilated corner of the main headingwe were developing - there was a miniature explosioninside the lamp!

On my first day at Hafodyrynys I was shown to the faceand introduced to my collier ‘Wock’ who was holingunderneath a huge lump of coal in the face only held inposition by some props. An eye opener!

My first fright occurred whilst loading a dram. Trying toforce a large lump of coal into position above the topedge of the dram I had my back against a prop for pur-

O Bulawayo i Hafodyrynys

From Bulawayo to Hafodyrynys

D.V. SAMUELS,GWIRFODDOLWR,GLOFAHAFODYRYNYS1945-47

D.V. SAMUELS,D.V. SAMUELS,OPTANT,OPTANT,HAFODYRYNYSHAFODYRYNYSCOLLIERY COLLIERY 1945-471945-47

^

^

29

chase. Instead of the lump going into place, the propslipped out and the roof came down. Luckily for me itwas only a small amount of loose rubble but I remem-ber wondering how far up my body it would come.

One memorable morning my butty (who shall be name-less) came to work with a huge hangover. I kept theplace going on my own having gained sufficient experi-ence by then.One of the haulage horses at Hafodyrynys was calledQuack and if he ‘roughed’ (i.e. his back touched the roofor an overhead girder) he would squeal, buck and uri-nate. His haulier (I believe his name was Jack Turton)was therefore very keen on ample headroom whereverhe was going.

During the winter of 1946/47 with the heavy snowfall,

the miners train was unable to get from Pontypool toHafodyrynys for, I think, three days. When we eventual-ly got to work our first job was to clear away the snowto get to the pithead so that the horses could be attend-ed to. The snow was deep enough to completely coverthe wagons in the sidings.The wages of £5 per week before stoppages weresometimes supplemented by up to half a crown by yourcollier if he had had a good week or thought that youdeserved it.

I got married in August 1947 so my new wife had a fewmonths experience of washing miners’ clothes before Ireturned to the railway in October, for even less money.But that’s another story.’

30

Er gwaethaf tair blynedd a hanneryn y Corfflu Hyfforddi Awyr ynparatoi i wasanaethu yn yr RAF,cafodd Warwick Taylor ei alw ynhytrach i fod yn Bachgen Bevin.Cafodd ei anfon i Ganolfan HyfforddiOakdale ym mis Hydref 1944.

“Pan o’n i yn fy wythnos olaf yn Oakdale, fe ddaliesi’r ffliw ac o’n i’n methu codi o’r gwely. “Cwyd a cheri’r gwaith” gwaeddodd Warden yr Hostel. “Alla iddim, rwy’n teimlo’n sâl” atebes innau.“Cer i stafelly cleifion” meddai e. Gyda chryn anhawster ac ynbenysgafn iawn, fe lwyddes i rywsut i lusgo yn fymhyjamas drwy’r glaw trwm i stafell y cleifion.Roeddwn i’n wlyb diferol wrth sefyll o flaen desg ySister a dweud mewn llais egwan, “Rwy’n sâl”.“Steddwch ac arhoswch eich tro” oedd yr ateb,wrth imi gwympo i’r llawr yn anymwybodol.

Y cof nesaf sydd gen i yw deffro mewn gwely glân ynstafell y cleifion ac yno yr arhoses i am y pum niwrnodnesaf, gan fynd yn waeth ac yn waeth, a’m system yngwrthod pob math o fwyd a moddion. Roeddwn i’n gwaedu o’r ysgyfaint ac ar y pumed dydd fe benderfynon nhw fy anfon i i’r ysbyty.” Ar ôl mynd mewn tacsi i Gasnewydd, gan gynnwysgwyriad i godi menyw oedd ar fin rhoi genedigaeth,dyma Warwick yn cyrraedd yr Ysbyty.

“Edrychodd uwch-ymgynghorydd arna i ar unwaitha dweud bod arna i niwmonia dwbl. Roeddwn i i gael

pigiad penisilin bob wyth awr. Heb yn wybod i mi,ychydig iawn o obaith oedd gen i o ddod drwyddi acfe alwon am fy rhieni a dweud wrthyn nhw na fyddwn i’n byw drwy’r nos. Drwy lwc, llwyddodd ypenisilin, oedd yn gyffur newydd bryd hynny, i ostwng fy nhymheredd o 106.7 i normal bron mewn24 awr. Roeddwn i’n teimlo’n wan a heb fwyta ersbron i wythnos ond fe ddwedon nhw y byddaiargyfwng arall yn dilyn mewn ychydig ddyddiau.Dyna a fu, a phopeth yn digwydd yr eilwaith … sy’nnormal mae’n debyg ond fe ddes i’n well o dipyn ibeth dros y chwe wythnos nesaf.

Roedd y pum claf arall yn y ward yn aelodau o’r lluoedd oedd wedi’u clwyfo’n ddifrifol yn ymladd ynerbyn yr Almaenwyr yn Ffrainc. O weld y dynionhyn, oedd i gyd yn debyg i mi o ran oedran, a threulioamser gyda nhw, roeddwn i’n sylweddoli fy mod i oleiaf mewn un darn a bod eu sefyllfa nhw lawer ynfwy difrifol na f ’un i. Pan ges i fy rhyddhau o’r ysbytyo’r diwedd, roedd rhaid i ’nhad ddod â dillad sbâr atai gan fod rhywun wedi torri i mewn i’m locer (yn yrhostel) a dwyn popeth. Fel rhywbeth i gofioamdano, fe roiodd yr ysbyty y ddwy nodwydd oeddwedi cael eu defnyddio i roi 56 pigiad penisilin i mi.Ar ôl cyfnod byr o absenoldeb salwch,pryd dechreuesi golli fy ngwallt o ganlyniad i’r pigiadau, a cholli fynghariad, fe ges i fy anfon am archwiliad meddygol.”

Yn lle cael ei anfon yn ôl i’r pwll glo ar unwaith,cafodd Warwick ei anfon i weithio ar adeiladu saflear gyfer gynnau atal awyrennau ar gyrion Llundain.

In spite of three and a half years inthe Air Training Corps preparing forRAF service, Warwick Taylor foundhimself called up as a Bevin Boyinstead. He was sent to OakdaleTraining Centre in October 1944.“When in my final week at Oakdale,

I developed influenza and was unable to get out of mybed. "Get up and go to work" shouted the HostelWarden. "I can’t, I feel ill" I replied. "Go to the sick bay"he retorted. I managed with considerable difficulty anddizziness to stagger in my pyjamas through pouring rainto the sick bay. Dripping wet, I stood in front of theSister’s desk and said in a weak voice, "I’m ill". "Sit downand wait your turn" came the reply as I collapsed in aheap on the floor lapsing into unconsciousness.

The next recollection was waking up in a clean bed inthe sick quarters where I remained for the next fivedays, becoming progressively worse, with my systemrejecting every type of food and medicine thrust uponme. I was haemorrhaging from my lungs and on the fifthday they decided to send me to hospital.”

After a taxi ride to Newport, including a diversion topick up a woman in the advanced stages of labour,Warwick arrived at the Infirmary.“A senior consultant examined me immediately diag-nosing double pneumonia and I was to be given penicillinby injection every eight hours. Unknown to me, appar-ently my chances of survival were highly unlikely and myparents were called for and informed that I would notlive through the night. Fortunately penicillin, a new drugat that time used as a powerful antibiotic, reduced mytemperature from 106.7 to almost normal in 24 hours.Feeling very weak and not haven eaten for almost aweek, I was told that a crisis would follow within a fewdays. This duly happened when everything repeateditself all over again…this is apparently normal and grad-ually recovery followed during the next six weeks.

The other five patients in the ward were army service-men who had been seriously wounded in action againstthe Germans in France. Seeing and being with thesemen, all similar to my age, made me realise that at leastI was in one piece and that their plight was far moreserious. When I was finally discharged from the hospi-

Achubodd penisilin fi

Saved by penicillin

WARWICKTAYLOR MBE,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAOAKDALE,1944-46

WARWICKWARWICKTAYLOR MBE,TAYLOR MBE,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,OAKDALEOAKDALECOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1944-461944-46

31

Ar ôl ychydig wythnosau, ac er iddo obeithio amrywbeth gwahanol, fe gafodd ei anfon yn ôl iGanolfan Hyfforddi Oakdale ac yn y pen draw i LofaOakdale.“Treuliais i’r rhan fwyaf o’m hamser yn gweithio danddaear ar feltiau cludo, yn cadw’r troedffyrdd yn glirpan fyddai glo yn cwympo arnyn nhw a llwytho asymud dramiau. Roeddwn i, fel y Bois Bevin eraill, ynmynd yn absennol ambell waith, yn aml drwy aros ynrhy hir ar y penwythnos.”Ym 1946 llwyddodd Warwick o’r diwedd i bersw-adio’r Weinyddiaeth Llafur a Gwasanaeth Gwladol iadael iddo gwblhau ei wasanaeth gwladol yn yr RAF.“Wna i ddim anghofio’r dyddiau yn gwneud fyngwasanaeth bylchog braidd fel Bachgen Bevin amddwy flynedd ond, fel llawer o rai eraill, roeddwn i’ncredu mai ffars oedd y cyfan, ar ôl cael ein gorfodi i’rdiwydiant yn erbyn ein hewyllys tra bod y glowyr euhunain yn gwasanaethu yn y lluoedd arfog. Er hynny,mae ffawd yn beth rhyfedd ac fe allwn i fod wedimynd yn syth i’r RAF a chael fy lladd neu fy saethui lawr mewn awyren …..Tybed beth ddigwyddodd i’rdynion i gyd yn y ward yna a beth ddigwyddodd i’rfenyw feichiog ar y diwrnod oer yn Ionawr 1945?

Doedd Bois Bevin ddim yn boblogaidd ymhlith ybobl leol, am eu bod nhw’n teimlo ein bod ni wedidod i Gymru a chymryd swyddi eu tylwyth nhw oeddyn y lluoedd. Anfantais arall o fod o oedran milwrolond heb iwnifform oedd y sarhad ar lafar gan ycyhoedd, oedd yn amau ein bod ni’n osgoi mynd i’rfyddin, neu wedi rhedeg i ffwrdd o’r lluoedd neu’nwrthwynebwyr cydwybodol, yn ogystal â chael einherio’n aml gan yr heddlu lleol.

Roedd y cyfan yn brofiad bywyd ac rwy’n meddwl ynaml tybed beth ddigwyddodd i’r holl Fois Bevin erailla’r glowyr yng Nghymru a fu’n ein goddef ni.”

tal, my father had to bring spare clothes from home asmy locker (in the hostel) had been broken into andstripped of everything. I was given, as a souvenir fromthe hospital, the two needles used to inject me 56 timeswith the penicillin.

After a short spell of sick leave, during which my hairstarted to fall out as a result of the injections, and losingmy girlfriend, I was sent for a medical examination.”Instead of immediately being sent back to mining,Warwick was directed to work on the construction ofan anti-aircraft gun site just outside London.After a fewweeks, in spite of his hopes to the contrary, he ended upback in Oakdale Training Centre and was eventually sentto Oakdale Colliery.“The majority of my time working underground wasspent on conveyor belts, keeping the walkways clear ofcoal spillage, and the loading and movement of drams. I,like other Bevin Boys, went absent on a number of occa-sions, often overstaying weekends.” In 1946 Warwick eventually persuaded the Ministry ofLabour and National Service to allow him to completehis national service in the RAF.

“My days serving my somewhat broken service as aBevin Boy for two years will not be forgotten but, likeso many, I looked on the whole thing as a farce havingbeen forced into an industry entirely against our willwhilst the regular miners were serving in the armedforces. Fate, however, plays a strange game for I couldhave gone straight into the RAF and been killed or shotdown in an aircraft…..What happened to all those menin that ward and what became of the woman expectinga child on that cold January day in 1945?

Bevin Boys were not popular amongst the local peopleas they understandably felt that we had come down toWales to take away the jobs from their own kith and kinwho were serving in the forces. Another disadvantageof being military age and not in uniform brought aboutverbal abuse from the public who suspected us of beingdraft dodgers, deserters or conscientious objectors aswell as often being challenged by the local police.

It was all an experience of life and I often wonder whathas happened to all those fellow Bevin Boys and to theWelsh miners who tolerated us.”

IS-LYWYDD CYMDEITHAS BOIS BEVIN, WARWICK TAYLOR, MBE YN PLANNU CERDDINEN YN Y GOEDFA GOFFA GENEDLAETHOL,ALREWAS, 18 EBRILL 2004. MAE’R GERDDINEN YN CYNRYCHIOLI’RHOLL FOIS BEVIN FU’N GWEITHIO YM MEYSYDD GLO CYMRU.BEVIN BOYS ASSOCIATION VICE-PRESIDENT, WARWICK TAYLOR,MBE, PLANTING A MOUNTAIN ASH TREE AT THE NATIONALMEMORIAL ARBORETUM, ALREWAS, ON 18 APRIL 2004. THEMOUNTAIN ASH REPRESENTS ALL BEVIN BOYS WHO WORKED INTHE WELSH COALFIELDS.

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Cafodd Raymond Ballard ei eniyn Reading. Pan gafodd ei benblwydd yn 18, er ei fod ynawyddus i ymuno â’r Llynges,cafodd ei anfon i GanolfanHyfforddi Oakdale.‘Ar ôl inni setlo, fe ddechreuodd

yr hyfforddi, sef darlithoedd, ymarfer corff ac ychydig oriau dan ddaear. Doedd yr hyfforddiant ymaddim yn baratoad o fath yn y byd ar gyfer gwaith pwllglo. Y tro cyntaf i fi fynd i lawr y pwll oedd wedi’iddewis i fi, roedd arna i ofn am fy mywyd. Ar ddiweddfy hyfforddiant i, fe ddwedon nhw ym mha bwll ybydden ni’n gweithio. Pwll Ynysowen ym mhentrefAberfan ac Ynysowen oedd f ’un i. Ces i lety ynHostel Glowyr Rhydfelen yn ymyl Pontypridd. I fyndi’r gwaith byddech chi’n dal bws. O’r gyflog bitw oeddyn cael ei thalu, roedd y bechgyn i gyd yn gorfod taluam lety, oedd yn cynnwys brecwast a swper.Roeddech chi’n talu hefyd am y bws yn ôl ac ymlaeni’r gwaith. Ac roedd rhaid ichi brynu unrhyw brydau

bwyd eraill a bwyd i lanw’ch tun bwyd. Roedd gydachi gost prynu tywelion a sebon hefyd ar gyfer y baddondy a’ch dillad gwaith eich hun. Doedd hynnyddim yn gadael llawer o arian parod yn eich poced.

Pan ddechreues i weithio ar y ffas lo, fe ges i fy rhoigyda glöwr profiadol, oedd yn cael lwfans bach amdderbyn bachgen. Roedd e hefyd yn talu am bob llathen y byddai e a fi’n eu clirio. Ar y dydd Gwenerbob wythnos fe fyddai’n talu fy nghyflog i fi. Os oeddyn ddyn teg, fe fyddai’n rhoi swllt neu ddau yn ychwanegol. Yn y dyddiau hynny doeddech chi ddimyn ennill cyflog dyn nes cyrraedd eich 21 oed.’

Ar ôl ychydig fisoedd yn yr hostel, fe symudoddRaymond a’i gyfaill Billy Hillier, un arall o Berkshire,i lety gyda phâr ifanc lleol, Doreen ac Idris Evans.‘Roedd eu ty nhw gyferbyn â’r pwll. Allech chi ddimcael llety gwell. Roedd gyda ni stafell wely gyffyrddus, y parlwr i’w ddefnyddio os oedden ni amgael awr dawel i ysgrifennu llythyr neu sgwrsio gydaffrindiau. Roedd Doreen yn wych yn y gegin - gallaiwneud gwyrthiau gyda’r rasiwns. Roedden ni’n caelein trin fel rhan o’r teulu o’r diwrnod cyntaf un.Gyda’r teulu yma a chymdogion hyfryd, roedd hi felcartref oddi cartref. Fe sefon ni gyda nhw o ganol1945 nes inni gael ein rhyddhau o’r gwasanaeth ynRhagfyr 1947.Drwy fyw yn y pentre y cwrddes i â Violet a ddaethyn wraig i fi wedyn. Roedd hi’n gweithio fel ‘usherette’ yn y sinema yn Nhroedyrhiw ac roedd eithad a’i brawd yn gweithio yn Ynysowen hefyd. Ganfy mod i’n gweithio shifft ddydd a hithau’n gweithioar ddiwedd y prynhawn ac yn y nos, dim ond ychydigoriau o gwmni’n gilydd oedd gyda ni bob dydd.Aethon ni mâs gyda’n gilydd nes imi gael fy rhyddhau o’r pwll’.

Aeth Raymond yn ôl i Reading ar ôl ei WasanaethGwladol, ond cadwodd mewn cysylltiad â Violet ac febriodon nhw ym mis Rhagfyr 1948. Ar ôl cyfnod ynReading daeth y ddau yn ôl i Gymru ac ailymunoddRaymond â Glofa Ynysowen. Bu’n gweithio o danddaear ac ar yr wyneb ac, ym 1965, bu’n rhan o’rgwaith achub yn ystod trychineb Aberfan – ‘Amserofnadwy, amser fydd neb oedd yno byth yn gallu eianghofio.’ Fe ymddeolodd ym mis Gorffennaf 1986.

Erbyn hyn mae’n dad-cu i bedwar o wyrion ac wyresau, ac fel mae’n ei ddweud ‘Falle y dylen i ddiolch i Ernest Bevin wedi’r cwbwl.’

‘Falle y dylen i ddiolch iErnest Bevin wedi’r cwbwl!’

RAYMONDBALLARD,BACHGENBEVIN, GLOFAYNYSOWEN,1944-47

PAPURAU GWASANAETH RHYFEL R. A. BALLARD, BACHGEN BEVIN, PWLLMERTHYR VALE, 1944-47PAPERS CONNECTED WITH THE WARTIMESERVICE OF R A BALLARD, BEVIN BOY,MERTHYR VALE COLLIERY, 1944-47

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Raymond Ballard was born inReading. On reaching his eigh-teenth birthday, in spite of wantingto join the Royal Navy, he wasdirected to Oakdale TrainingCentre to be trained as a coalminer.‘Once we were settled in we began

our training. This consisted of lectures, physical educa-tion and a few hours underground. This training in noway prepared you for a proper working mine. The firsttime I went down my selected pit I was scared out of mywits. At the end of my training we were told which pitwe were assigned to. Mine was Merthyr Vale in Aberfanand Merthyr Vale village. I was billeted in the Rhyd yFelin Miners’ Hostel near Pontypridd.

To get to work you travelled by coach. Out of the mea-gre wage we were paid, all the boys had to pay for lodg-ings, which included breakfast and dinner. You also paidthe fare for the coach to and from work. Also you hadto buy any other meals you needed and food to fill your‘tommy box’. There was also the expense of buyingtowels and soap for the baths and supply your ownclothes for work. This did not leave a lot of cash in yourpocket.When I started work at the coal face. I was put with anexperienced collier. This man was paid a small allowancefor taking a boy. He was also paid for the yardage bothhe and I cleared. On the Friday each week he would payme my wages. If he was a fair man he would give you afew shillings extra. You were not paid a man’s wage untilyou were 21 in those days.’After a few months in the hostel, Raymond and hisfriend Billy Hillier, also from Berkshire, moved into lodg-ings with a young local couple, Doreen and Idris Evans.

‘Their home was right opposite the colliery. A finerlodging you would never find. We had a comfortablebedroom, use of the parlour if we wanted a quiet hourto write letters or chat with friends. Doreen was anexcellent cook – she could do wonders with rations.We were treated as part of the family from day one.

What with this family and some lovely neighbours itreally was home from home. We stayed with them frommid 1945 until our release from service in December1947.It was living in the village that I met Violet my futurewife. She was working as an usherette in a cinema inTroedyrhiw and her father and brother also worked inMerthyr Vale. With me working dayshift and her work-ing late afternoon and evening we only had each otherscompany for a few hours daily. We courted until myrelease from the pit’.

Raymond returned to Reading after his NationalService, but kept in touch with Violet who he married inDecember 1948. After a spell in Reading they returnedto Wales and Raymond signed back on at Merthyr ValeColliery where he worked until July 1986. He workedboth underground and on the surface and, in 1965 hetook part in rescue operations during the Aberfan dis-aster – ‘A terrible time, one in which anyone who wasinvolved will never forget.’

He is now a grandfather to four grandchildren and, as hesums up ‘Maybe I should thank Ernest Bevin after all.’

‘Maybe I should thankErnest Bevin after all!’RAYMONDRAYMONDBALLARD,BALLARD,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,MERTHYRMERTHYRVALEVALECOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1944-471944-47

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‘Fe rannais i’r profiad â naw oFois Bevin eraill am dairblynedd. Fe wynebon ni sialensiau newydd, gweithionni’n galed, a gwnaethon ni bobtasg gystal ag y gallen ni. Pan

gawson ni ein rhyddhau o’r pwll, arhosodd tri yn ydiwydiant, a daeth un yn rheolwr pwll.

Ar ôl profi’r gwaith bôn braich ar y ffas lo am dairblynedd, cefais i’r cyfle i ddarlunio byd glo a’r coliersgyda’u cynhesrwydd, eu hiwmor a’u hwynebauwedi’u mowldio gan frwydr y glo. Gobeithio y byddfy lluniau - y mae llawer ohonyn nhw yn archifau’rImperial War Museum - yn cyfuno balchder llafurcaled a’u bod nhw’n deyrnged addas i bob glöwr,teulu glofaol a Bachgen Bevin.’

‘I shared my experience with nineother Bevin Boys for three years.We faced new challenges, workedwell and undertook every miningtask to the best of our ability.When released from the colliery

three remained in the industry, one becoming a collierymanager.

Experiencing the hard physical work at the coal face forthree years I had the opportunity to illustrate the worldof coal and the daily life of the colliers – with theirwarmth, humour and stained features moulded by theirstruggle for coal. I hope that my illustrations – withmany in the archives of the Imperial War Museum – area synthesis of the pride of human labour and a fittingtribute to every miner, miner’s family and Bevin Boy.’

Darlunio brwydr y glo

Illustrating the struggle for coal

DEWI BOWEN,BACHGEN BEVIN, GLOFAELLIOT 1945-47

DEWI BOWEN,DEWI BOWEN,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,ELLIOTELLIOTCOLLIERY COLLIERY 1945-471945-47

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Ges i fy ngonsgriptio trwy falot i’rdiwydiant glo, a dechreuais i ynyng Nghanolfan Hyfforddi GlofaOakdale ar 18 Medi 1944. Ar ôlcyfnod byr o hyfforddiant, es i iweithio yng nglofa Ty Trist, nes i

mi gael fy niswyddo ar 1 Ebrill 1949. Am 4 1/2

mlynedd roeddwn i’n gwneud sifft nos rheolaidd felbyti’r ffitiwr, cyn dod y ffitiwr fy hun yn Ysgol LofaolBritannia..

Fe ddes i o’r gymuned lofaol, a gan fod fy nheulu’ngweithio yn y pyllau lleol eisoes, roedd hi’n haws i fisetlo ar ôl y sioc cyntaf.

Mae gormod o atgofion i’w rhestru yma, ond gallaidau fod o ddiddordeb.

Doedd yr holl lygod mowr gerllaw ddim yn bethneis, ond anghofiwch chi fyth y profiad o deimlo unyn cerdded dros eich croen. Gollyngais i’n lamp a’nbag llawn twls ar y llawr a gwasgu’r llygoden mowryn farw â dwylo noeth – torrais i ei wddf yn y diwedd.

Efallai nad fi oedd yr unig un o Fois Befin i ddringo iben y gwaith i godi’r faner ar y bore pan gymrodd yBwrdd Glo Cenedlaethol drosodd. Wrth sefyll ar y

trawst 3-modfedd dros ben yr olwynion weindio,roedd y peirannau torri glo ar ben y pwll yn edrychfel tiniau o sardins! Roeddwn i’n teimlo’n ddigonprowd wrth sefyll nôl ar y ddaear eto, nes i miedrych i fyny a gweld bod y gwynt wedi codi ac wedilapio’r faner o gwmpas y polyn felly doedd hi ddimyn hedfan mwyach! Lan a fi eto i’w ryddhau e.

O’n i’n lwcus – o’n i’n byw gartref, yn cysgu yn fyngwely fy hun, ac fe ddysgais i grefft – roedd ffrindiau eraill yn Lluoedd Ei Fawrhydi’ngwasanaethu ar draws y byd, mewn amodau ofnadw;cafodd rhai eu hanafu, a rhai eu lladd.

Gadawodd y rhan fwyaf o Fois Bevin eu cartrefi iweithio yn amodau dychrynllyd y pwll. Efallai ygwnaeth y profiad i rai ohonyn nhw sylweddoli sutbeth oedd bywyd wedi bod i’r cenedlaethau oddynion oedd wedi bod yn gweithio dan y ddaear erpan oedden nhw’n 14 oed, ond oedd hefyd yn teimlobod eu gwasanaeth nhw yn ystod y rhyfel wedi caelei gymryd yn ganiataol.

I was conscripted by ballot to thecoal mining industry, commencing atOakdale Colliery Training Centreon 18 September 1944. After theshort training period, I worked at Ty

Trist colliery,Tredegar, until demobilisation on 1st April1949. For 4 1/2 years I was on a regular night shift as afitter’s mate, later qualifying as a fitter at Britannia MiningSchool.

As I came from within the mining community, and withfamily already working in local collieries, it was perhapsmuch easier for me to settle in after the first few weeksinitial shock.

There are too many memories to list here, but two maybe of interest.

The close presence of so many large rats was neverpleasant, but having one crawl on the skin will never beforgotten. Dropping my lamp and bag of tools to thefloor, I crushed the rat to death with my hands – finallysnapping its neck.

Possibly, I may be the only Bevin Boy to have climbed tothe top of the sheaves on the morning the National CoalBoard took over the industry, to fix and raise the flag.Standing on the 3-inch girder above the winding wheels,the coal cutters on the pit top looked like tins of sar-dines! Feeling a sence of achievement when I stoodagain at ground level, that soon vanished when I lookedup and saw that the breeze, which had picked up, hadwrapped the flag around the pole and therefore it wasnot flying - another climb to the top to release it!

I was fortunate – I lived at home, slept in my own bed,learned a trade – other friends who were in HisMajesty’s Forces served in several areas of the world inharsh conditions; some were wounded, some killed.

Most Bevin Boys left home to work in the hostile envi-ronment of pit life. Perhaps many of them appreciatedtheir experience of what life had been like for the gen-erations whose working life from 14 years of age hadbeen below ground, but who also felt for 60 years thattheir war service had been taken for granted.

I slept in my own bed

O’n i’n cysgu yn fy ngwely fy hun JOHN LEWISADAMS,BACHGENBEVIN,1944-49

JOHN LEWISJOHN LEWISADAMS,ADAMS,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,1944-491944-49

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‘Ces i ngalw lan ym mis Ionawr1944 i weithio fel un o Fois Bevin.Y ddau rif olaf gafodd eu dewiso’dd 0 a 9 - 0 o’dd ‘da fi. Fe apeliaisi i fynd i’r llynges, ond yn ofer. Arôl yr hyfforddi gyda’r lleill ymMhwll Oakdale, fe ddechreues i

ar y sifft prynhawn yng Nglofa Viponds Lower Varteg(Deakins Slope). Bues i’n gwithio ar yr Hen WythïenLo a byddai’r ceffyl y pwll a’r dram yn pasio ’da’r haliwr yn aml. Fi o’dd yn gwthio’r pwmp llaw i gadwlefel y dwr i lawr – stwff digon cyntefig – gyda LesJones (‘Painter’) a Darnas Freeman. O’dd hi’n wythïenfrwnt a gwlyb ofnwdw. O’dd hi mor wlyb bod rhaid ini adael yn gynnar, ond do’dd dim baddonau ar ben ypwll felly fydden ni’n mynd â’r holl fudreddi sha thre.

Ar ôl gorffen y wythïen, ges i a Fred Collins y gwaitho godi rheils y dram ac unrhyw beth arall oeddwerth ei gadw. O’dd y lle ar lethr, a bob bore,byddai’r dwr brwnt wedi codi gan yrru’r llygod mowryn agosach aton ni.Wedyn es i i witho ar wythïen yGarw am sbel fach cyn mynd i’r Top Pits i helpu iagor ffas newydd yn y Big Vein. Gorffes i a BillySkipsy fynd i’r pwll ddwyweth yr wythnos i lwythopren i’r caetsh ar gyfer y ffas newydd. Roedd reidioyn y caetsh yn gyffrous a dweud y lleia’, sleids prenoedd ar yr ochrau â bolltau’n eu hoelio wrth ochr ypwll. Oherwydd y traul dros y blynyddoedd, roeddpennau’r bolltau’n dangos, a’r caetsh yn ratlo ynerbyn y metel wrth fynd i fyny ac i lawr.

Rwy’n cofio mynd i’r ty weindio yn Viponds Top Pits

i weld injan yn sgleinio â phres a phaent gwyrdd.Roedd Archie Williams y peiriannydd yn falch drosben ohono fe.

Wrth ddod allan o’r pwll ar ddiwedd shifft prynhawnâ mhocedi’n llawn coed tân, stopiodd plisman y pwllfi. Rhoddodd rybudd i mi beidio cael fy nal eto – danwenu.

Methiant oedd menter y Big Vein, ond rwy’n cofioJim Grist yr haliwr yn dod i mewn gyda phoni adram yn ffaelu anadlu ac yn dal ei geg dros y bibenblast - yr unig gyflenwad awyr!

Symudais i draw i Wythïen ‘bac’ y Garw (2’9" neulai) am brofiad! Fe helpais i’r coliars am sbel yn rhoiprops ac yn trio gwneud unrhyw beth o iws. Wrthgwrs, byddai’r gweithwyr ar eu pennau gliniau neu areu hochrau. Wedyn es i i yrru injan drydan bachoedd yn tynnu’r dramiau dan y ‘dymp end’ i gael eullenwi â glo o’r belt - bron i Will Forward golli ei fysfel hyn am iddo fel ballu gwrando! Fe fentron ni’ndwp weithiau - fel reidio’r ‘journey’ (trên o dramiau)allan o’r pwll.

O’dd hi’n brofiad a hanner. O’n i’n gwithio mewn lleofnadw, ond gyda grwp o ddynon arbennig. O’ddysbryd y bois yn grêt. O’dd gweld sut ro’dd rhaidynon yn ennill eu bara menyn yn brofiad pwysig i fi.Roedd dad a datcu wedi gorfod gwitho dan ddaearac yn siarad am eu gwaith. Ond wrth witho yno ambron i bedair blynedd, ces i brofi’r peryglon a’r sgiliauo weithio yng nghrombil y ddaear fy hunan.

‘Fe fentron ni’n dwp weithiau’DERRICKHYNAM,BACHGENBEVIN, PWLLLOWERVARTEG,1944-47

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‘I was conscripted in January 1944for work as a Bevin Boy, the twoend numbers selected were 0 and 9– mine was a 0. I appealed to gointo the navy but to no avail. Havingundertaken training with others atOakdale Pit, I started on the after-noon shift at Viponds Lower Varteg

Colliery (Deakins Slope). I worked for six months in theOld Coal Seam (stall and heading) with regular visitsfrom the pit pony and dram driven by the haulier. Myjob was to work a manual pump to keep the water leveldown – pretty primitive stuff – working with Les Jones‘Painter’) and Darnas Freeman. This was a particularlydirty and wet seam. It got so wet that we used to leaveearly but, as there were no pit head baths we took thedirt home.

When the seam finished, Fred Collins and I were left topick up the dram rails and anything else worth salvaging.This was on a slope and each morning the dirty waterhad risen driving the rats further up towards us. I thenwent to the Garw seam for a short while before goingto the Top Pits to help open a new coal face in the BigVein seam. Billy Skipsy and I had to go up the pit twicea week to load timber into the cage for use in the newface. The ride in the cage was exciting, the slides guid-ing the cage were wooden and bolted in to the pit sidesbut wear and tear over the years meant that the boltheads were exposed so, as the cage ascended anddescended, it rattled against these bolt heads.

I remember going into the winding house at Viponds TopPits to see an engine gleaming with shining brass and

bright green paint. It was the pride and joy of engineerArchie Williams.

Emerging at the top of the slope after an afternoon shift,I was stopped by the mine policeman who, noticing mybulging pockets, enquired what was in them. It was smallblocks of ‘Norway timber’ for firewood – he smilinglygave me a warning not to be caught again.

The venture in the Big Vein seam did not succeed but,before it finished, I remember Jim Grist the haulier com-ing in with pony and dram gasping for breath and hold-ing his mouth over the blast (compressed air) pipe – theonly air supply!

I moved from there to the ‘back’ Garw Seam (2’9" orless) – quite an experience! I helped the colliers for ashort time supplying props and generally trying to be ofsome use - work here, of course, was on knees or sides.Afterwards I drove a small electric engine which pulledthe drams under the ‘dump end’ to be filled with thecoal coming off the conveyor – one nearly slicing WilfForward’s finger off through him not listening carefully!We took some silly risks such as riding the’ journey’ (atrain of drams) to have a lift out.

This for me was a marvellous experience, working insome horrible conditions with a fine body of men. Thecamaraderie was great. I have always valued being ableto see at close quarters how some men earned their liv-ing. My father and grandfather had worked under-ground and used to speak about it. Being there foralmost four years enabled me to experience the dangersand skills required to work in the bowels of the earth.

‘We took some silly risks’DERRICKDERRICKHYNAM,HYNAM,BEVIN BOY,BEVIN BOY,LOWERLOWERVARTEGVARTEGCOLLIERY,COLLIERY,1944-471944-47

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Mehefin 1940Cwymp Ffrainc yn golygu bod12,000 o lowyr de Cymru allano waith. Llawer o’r glowyr yngwirfoddoli i fynd i’r lluoedd,ac eraill yn mynd i ennillcyflogau gwell yn y ffatrïoedd.

1941915 o lowyr yn cael eu lladd a2,883 yn cael anafiadau difrifolym mhyllau glo Prydain.

Cyflwyno Gorchymyn GwaithHanfodol i atal glowyr rhaggwirfoddoli dros y lluoedd ac iorfodi’r glowyr yn y lluoeddarfog i fynd nôl i’r pyllau.

Y glowyr yn cwyno am brinderbaco cnoi.

Y Ddeddf Pwerau Argyfwng yncyfyngu ar yr hawl i streicio.

Tanchwa yng Nglofa Cwmgorsyn lladd dau.

Tanchwa yng Nglofa OnllwynRhif 3 yn lladd un.

Tanchwa yn lladd pedwar acyn anafu tri yng NglofaLlantrisant.

1942Ionawr - Allbwn glo 10% yn isna’r targed, mae angen114,000 o ddynion mewnglofeydd yng Nghymru.

16 Ionawr - Llywydd Bwrdd yrYmddiriedolwyr yn gwneudapêl am fwy o ymdrech ganlowyr Cymru.

Chwefror - Gorchymyn GwaithHanfodol yn dod â gwarantcyflog i lowyr, ac yn ffurfio

pwyllgorau cynhyrchu o’rrheolwyr a’r dynion i roi hwbi’r diwydiant. Gosod mwy ogantîns yn y glofeydd.

26 Rhagfyr - cyfraddauabsenoliaeth o 50% yn yglofeydd (10 – 12% oedd ygyfradd arferol)

1943Mehefin - 24 haliwr yng NglofaTareni ar ‘go slow’ drosgyflogau.Yn cael eu herlyn a’udirwyo £20 neu’n cael dewismis o garchar – 20 yn dewis ycarchar.

Gorffennaf - Glowyr yn mynnumwy o glociau larwm am eubod nhw’n cael eu cosbi amfod yn hwyr i’r gwaith, ond dimclociau ar gael.

Rhyfel y meysydd glo

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June 1940Fall of France puts 12,000 southWales miners out of work. Manyminers have volunteered forforces but some get better paidwork in factories.

1941915 miners killed and 2,883seriously injured in British coalmines.

Essential Work Order introducedto prevent miners volunteering forservices and return miners inarmed forces to the collieries.

Miners complain about shortage ofchewing tobacco.

Right to strike restricted byEmergency Powers Act.

Two killed in explosion atCwmgorse Colliery.

One miner killed in explosion atOnllwyn No.3 Colliery.

Explosion kills four miners andinjures three at LlantrisantColliery.

1942January - Output of coal 10%below target, 114,000 men neededin Welsh collieries.

16 January - President of theBoard of Trade makes urgentappeal for greater effort by Welshminers

February - Essential Work Orderbrings in guaranteed wage for

miners, production committeesformed from management andmen to boost production. Morecolliery canteens to be installed.

The coalfield at war

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Diffyg esgidiau diogelwch yngolygu bod llawer o lowyr yngwisgo hen esgidiau oedd weditorri.

Y Llywodraeth yn penderfynudrafftio dynion ifanc i’r pyllauglo.

Cyflogau cyfartalog oedolionyn wythnos talu olaf 1943:-

Glowyr £5.11/0dTrwsio cerbydau £7.8/7dAdeiladau llongau £6.10/8dDiwydiannau’r Llywodraeth £6.1/1dGweithwyr tunplat £5, 17/1d

Y glowyr oedd yn ennill y lleiafo 29 swydd!

1944Ionawr - Y Bois Bevin cyntaf yncael eu drafftio i’r pyllau.

Mawrth - Y WeinyddiaethFwyd yn cynnig mwy oddognau toddion i’r glowyr.

Ebrill - Arolygwr RhanbartholCymru’n datgan y bodrhywfaint o ‘anfodlonrwydd’am ddiffyg diddordeb rhaiBechgyn Bevin yn eu gwaith.

Mehefin - Hyd yma, roedd 15 obobl wedi cael eu herlyn a 12wedi mynd i’r carchar am

wrthod cael eu consgriptio ibyllau glo Cymru.

Awst - Pwyllgor CyfunolGlowyr Powell Duffryn yndatgan mai tri phrif achos yrallbwn isel oedd; diffyggweithwyr, gwastraff llafur aBois Bevin.Rhwng Medi 1939 a Hydref1944 cafwyd 514 o streiciauym maes glo’r de.

1945Mai - Gwahardd y bleidlais iFois Bevin.

Mehefin - 5,615 o bobl ifancwedi cael hyfforddiant ers agoCanolfan Hyfforddi Oakdale.

Rhwng 1939 a 1945, cafodd5,394 eu lladd yn y gwaith a204,376 eu hanafu. Ar benhynny, bu farw dros 4,000 olowyr o silicosis neu glefyd yllwch.

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26 December - 50% absenteeismin the collieries (normal rate was10 – 12%)

1943June - 24 hauliers at TareniColliery go slow over wages.They were prosecuted and fined£20 or could instead go to prisonfor a month – 20 chose prison.

July - Miners demand more alarmclocks as they were beingpunished for being late for workyet could not obtain them.

- The shortage of safety boots led to many miners wearingfootwear that was broken andworn out.

Government decide to draft youngmen into the mines.

Average earnings of adults in lastpay week of 1943:-

Coal Mining £5.11/0dMotor vehicle repairs £7.8/7d

Shipbuilding £6.10/8dGovernment IndustrialEstablishments £6.1/1dTinplate workers £5, 17/1d

Coal mining was at the bottom of29 occupations!

1944January – First Bevin Boysdrafted into mines.

March - Ministry of Food offersextra dripping rations for miners.

April – Regional Controller forWales states that there was asmall amount of ‘unsatisfaction’over Bevin Boys who had nointerest in their work.

June – To date there had been 15convictions and 12 imprisonmentsfor refusing conscription into themines of Wales.

August – Powell Duffryn MinersCombined Committee stated thethree main causes of low output

were; shortage of labour, wastageof labour and Bevin Boys.

Between September 1939 andOctober 1944 there were 514strikes in the south Wales coalfield

1945Mayballot for Bevin Boys suspended.

JuneSince Oakdale Training Centre wasopened, 5,615 youths had beentrained.

Between 1939 and 1945 noless than 5,394 miners werekilled at work and 204,376were injured. In addition over4,000 miners died fromsilicosis or pneumoconiosis.

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1 Sept - 31 Oct:THE COALFIELD AT WARAn exhibition commemorating the contribution made by the south Walescoalfield to the War effort.

24 Sept:BEVIN BOYS REUNIONAn opportunity for Bevin Boys to gettogether and share reminiscences oftheir National Service. If you would likean invitation, please contact Big Pit:National Mining Museum of Wales.

1 Medi - 31 Hyd:RHYFEL Y MAES GLOArddangosfa i gofio cyfraniad maes glo de Cymru at ymdrech y Rhyfel.

24 Medi:ADUNIAD BOIS BEVINDyma gyfle i Fois Bevin ddod atei gilydd i hel atgofion am euGwasanaeth Gwladol. Os hoffechchi gael gwahoddiad, cysylltwchâ'r Pwll Mawr:Amgueddfa LofaolGenedlaethol Cymru.

D I G W Y D D I A D A U AT Y D Y F O D O LF O R T H C O M I N G E V E N T S

CYNLLUNIO DESIGN: MO-design ARGRAFFU PRINT: Gwasg Gomer

Pwll Mawr:Amgueddfa Lofaol Genedlaethol Cymru,Blaenafon,Torfaen. NP4 9XP.

Ffôn: 01495 790311, Ffacs: 01495 792618,E-bost: pwllmawr@aocc.ac.uk

ORIAU AGOR:Saith diwrnod yr wythnos, 9.30am–5pm.

Teithiau danddaear 10am–3.30pm.Ar gau Rhagfyr 25 a 26, Ionawr 1.

Ffoniwch am oriau agor dros y gaeaf.

Big Pit: National Mining Museum of Wales,Blaenafon,Torfaen. NP4 9XP.

Tel: 01495 790311, Fax: 01495 792618,Email: bigpit@nmgw.ac.uk

OPENING TIMES:Seven days a week, 9.30am –5pm.Underground tours:10am–3.30pm.

Closed, December 25 & 26, January 1.Please call for winter opening times.

AMGUEDDFEYDD AC ORIELAU CENEDLAETHOL CYMRUNATIONAL MUSEUMS & GALLERIES OF WALES