Information

We are often asked by families to provide information on Bevin Boys. Unfortunately, most of the Bevin Boy records were destroyed after the war with only those of the West Midlands remaining. These are in the Imperial War Museum Archives and can be viewed (as can all Bevin Boy Archives) by contacting the IWM in London and booking into the Reading Room there. At least one week’s notice is required. An inventory of what is held is on the Inventory section of this site.

Over the years we have asked members to set down their experiences and these are also lodged in the IWM.

We can only provide limited information to families if the Bevin Boy in question has provided us with where they served and trained and it must be noted that not all Bevin Boys joined the Association which was founded in 1989.

The organisation is now run by a small volunteer management committee and unfortunately does not have funding to support Bevin Boys in need. We are happy to receive Bevin Boy papers etc and will ensure they are lodged in the appropriate museum. Please note that the IWM does not display Bevin Boy Archives.

For general information the best book to read is ‘Called Up, Sent Down’ by Tom Hickman.

It was agreed at the AGM in 2019 that our Banner would be donated to the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse Colliery, Overton, near Wakefield, as it has a small permanent Bevin Boy display and would be displayed for about six months of the year with other Mining Banners, as well as some audio records of Bevin Boy interviews. The remaining time it would be kept in a humidity controlled environment. We have had a plastic replica made, which can be used in future, even if outdoors.

The Book of Remembrance will also reside in the Mining Museum, when it, the Book of Remembrance, has been closed. We have had to make this decision as the Imperial War Museum, now housed at Duxford, no longer accepts artefacts, only original papers and photographs. We have also moved to a Management Committee, this means we can carry on the business of the Association, (e.g. the Newsletters and the Book of Remembrance entries) although we still have to call an AGM, via Zoom, and to present the Accounts of course.