Gresford Colliery disaster - 83 years on

[Red Light]

About 0208 am on Saturday 22 September 1934 a massive explosion rocked the Dennis shaft - further explosions and fire followed, and continued for several days. The Dennis shaft and it’s associated tunnels or ‘districts’ were 690 metres below ground level and shafts / coalseams were mined at a distances between 1.3 and 2.75 miles from the bottom of the shaft.

The disaster took the lives of 266 men and boys in an age bracket ranging from 15 - 68. It left 200 women widowed and 800 children without a father. Only 6 men escaped from the pit with their lives and a mere 11 bodies were recovered - the rest are still entombed deep in the ground.

Why is this significant for Wrexham FC supporters ?

Later in the day Wrexham were to play a League Division 3 home fixture at the Racecourse - the opposition coincidentally being Tranmere Rovers. Both teams had started the season well and both were unbeaten. Amazingly by today’s standards the match went ahead - probably because at that time there was still hope that those underground would be rescued. The game finished in a 2 - 2 draw. There was so much interest in the match that about 50 miners ‘doubled up’ on the night shift so they would be able to go to the match later in the day - a match they were never to see.

The whole pit was ‘capped’ / sealed for 6 months and remained inactive but was later opened and the underground ‘districts’ were gradually opened up again with one exception - the dennis section remained sealed. Production started again in January 1936 and by 1945 a total of 1.743 men worked at Gresford.

Gresford colliery operated from 1911 until 1973 when it closed due to a depletion of reserves and numerous geological problems namely fault lines cutting through the coal seams.

My grandfather at the time worked at another local colliery - Llay main which provided a voluntary rescue team to Gresford - I sometimes think that if he had been at Gresford instead of Llay I might not be here now. This disaster had a profound effect on so many local families, despite the passage of time it still has some bearing today for the descendants some of whom never saw their fathers ever again - similar to the great Welsh entertainer Max Boyce who’s father died in a pit accident before he was born.

In addition to the minutes silence held prior to our last match v Guiseley - for those going to Prenton Park tomorrow pause and reflect what was going on at the same fixture 83 years ago - never ever forget.

[Red Light]

'Greford' aka 'The Miners Hymn' by Robert Saint - fantastic piece of music.


https://youtu.be/2BjdaMGaVLs

[EnglishRed]

For those who enjoy their folk music their is a song by Seth Lakeman called 'The Colliers' that is about the disaster

[RED2309]

The disaster brought untold hardship to the area. The wages of over 1,000 miners were docked by the owners as the men had failed to complete their shift - short sighted and incredibly cruel management. And, of course, the mine stayed closed.

By the end of that autumn it was estimated that 1,100 Gresford men had been forced to sign on the unemployment register. Relief funds were set up, with over half a million pounds raised, but they could not even begin to compensate for the loss of regular income.

The inquiry that began on 25 October 1934 highlighted a lack of safety measures and bad working practices in the colliery. Te owners faced possible criminal charges over negligence, and they brought in a formidable team of barristers to fight their corner. They refused permission for anyone to enter the closed-off pit, something that was widely seen as a deliberate cover up.
BBC Blogs - Wales - The Gresford Mining Disaster

It was a tragedy brought about by the greed of the owners!

[Windsor Mike]

Lost my grandfather a few months after the disaster, family were unable to afford any kind of proper representation to help prove their case of his injuries in the explosion causing his death, as a result my grandmother was in effect, left, a penniless widow.
I'll never forget the words of my father about how heartless the ruling classes were towards the mining community in those days It made him a lifelong Socialist. It all in turn helped make so immensely proud of my Welsh roots.

[wxmdoug]

sobering thoughts.....

terrible tragedy ..............

[Vorporix]

Gresford was a terrible disaster - sadly they are still happening around the world now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...dents_in_China