The Bevin Boys Association

Please note that the official Bevin Boy Association is still active despite notices to the contrary on other sites.

All official enquiries should be addressed to one of the committee listed on this site and notifications of deceased Bevin Boys should also be sent to the Membership Secretary to be included in the Official Book of Remembrance. We are still trying to trace any Bevin Boys, again please send details to the Mem Sec. Any archives can be sent to the Archivist and these, after being added to the inventory, will be lodged at the Imperial War Museum for future generations. There is no guarantee that this will be the case if sent to other locations and non committee members.

The Bevin Boys still hold a yearly reunion and AGM in different locations (in 2017 at Blackheath, London. In 2018 at Stratford and at Caphouse Colliery, Wakefield in 2019). There are also several Regional area Reunion Lunches eg North West in the Wirral, Bristol area, Norfolk, and London and North East Essex.

Chairman
Anne Lane

In 1943 this country faced a crisis in coal production as there was only three weeks of coal stock available. This put the country’s ability to win the Second World War in jeopardy.

The then Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, charged Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service to increase coal production.

Mr Bevin decided that from all 18 to 24 year old men conscripts drafted to serve in the armed forces one in ten were to be directed – on pain of imprisonment and irrespective of background or ability - to work underground in British coal mines.

Approximately 48,000 Bevin Boys (as they came to be known) undertook unskilled manual jobs to release more experienced miners to move on to coal production at the coal face.

The role played by Bevin Boys should not be lost to history.

Reproduced with the permission of
H.Parkes

SECRETARY D.Elizabeth Todd [Mrs], “The Chalet”, 24 Oldfield Way, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside CH60 6RG. Tel. 0151 342 3703