255 men and boys are still buried never found in UK disaster which still causes pain

Many miners moving astatine Gresford Colliery connected September 22 1934 were moving treble shifts truthful they could spot Wrexham play erstwhile their displacement ended; for 266 of them, they would ne'er spot the airy again

When a immense detonation ripped done the excavation during a nighttime displacement astatine Gresford Colliery successful 1934 it caused the deaths of 266 men and boys, and near a assemblage successful tatters. The tragedy, successful the aboriginal hours 90 years agone Sunday, is 1 of Britain’s worst ever mining disasters.

There was nationwide choler astatine the clip arsenic colliery bosses refused to springiness grieving relatives the wage for the shift. The Daily Mirror organised a alleviation money to assistance the families – and our loyal readers raised what would beryllium millions of pounds successful today’s money. One of our beforehand pages backmost past said: “A household of 9 young children is fatherless; a bride of a week agone is simply a widow; a miss who had conscionable finished her wedding formal is wearing achromatic and 2 mothers person each mislaid 3 sons.”

Now relatives of those who died successful the catastrophe successful Gresford adjacent Wrexham are coming unneurotic to guarantee the miners are ne'er forgotten. There are galore Remembering Gresford events crossed the area. Wrexham shot nine are besides supporting the memorials. The club’s owners, Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, arranged for the twelvemonth “1934” to beryllium sewn connected the team’s distant strip.

Some of the miners died due to the fact that they swapped shifts oregon did treble shifts truthful they could beryllium escaped to ticker Wrexham play astatine location against Tranmere hours later. Husband and woman Al and Margaret Jones, some 78, are among those who are honouring the men and boys killed connected September 22, 1934. Al’s grandad Josiah Jones changed shifts with his relative Jabez Jones, who subsequently died successful the disaster. Jabez’s brother-in-law, William Lloyd, besides perished.

Margaret, caput of Friends of Gresford Colliery Disaster Memorial, said: “There are inactive implicit 250 men entombed down there. It’s truthful important that they are remembered each year. They waited 48 years to person a memorial, but present they person one.”

Mining historiographer George Powell, of the Wrexham Miners Project, said: “Wrexham were playing Tranmere astatine the Racecourse Ground, and [the miners] were moving a treble displacement truthful they could spell to the game. It was Friday erstwhile they started, and the detonation happened successful the Dennis shaft successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday morning. They couldn’t retrieve 255 of them and they’re buried down there, galore with their wage packets successful their pockets. The owners refused to wage the families due to the fact that they said the wealth had already been paid.”

Only 11 bodies were ever recovered. All the remaining 255 men and boys remained entombed underground successful sealed-up tunnels. Of those who were killed, 38 had the surname Jones. There were 19 called Davies, 18 called Roberts and 12 with the surname Williams. The youngest unfortunate was Bill Jones aged 14. He was 1 of 10 who would ne'er scope their 18th birthdays.

Professor Joe Yates, vice-chancellor astatine Wrexham University, said: “The Gresford mining catastrophe is simply a devastating portion of Wrexham’s past – and 1 of the worst ember mining disasters successful British history. It impacted the assemblage crossed Wrexham, with each colony successful the country losing someone. I besides cognize that galore colleagues person loved ones who were impacted by the disaster, which is wherefore we consciousness it is important to instrumentality clip to retrieve those men and boys who mislaid their lives.”

An authoritative enquiry was held to effort to find the origin of the detonation but it proved inconclusive. It is believed a build-up of state was ignited by a spark from a metallic tool. The monolithic blast past caused a occurrence heavy underground. The enquiry led to the mine’s manager William Bonsall being charged with failing to support records of aerial travel and was fined £40 with £350 costs – a full of astir £20,000 successful today’s money.

A scope of memorial events are planned for this weekend. Wrexham brothers Jonathan and Robert Guy, the founders of the NEW Sinfonia orchestra, person worked with the Wrexham Miners Project to organise the section commemorations, with enactment from the Arts Council of Wales. A pistillate whose begetter narrowly avoided being caught up successful the catastrophe is singing successful a caller opera marking the tragedy’s 90th anniversary.

Ivor Owen Bellis injured his manus portion down the pit connected the nighttime earlier the deadly explosion. When the tiny chopped turned into a ample and achy blister, the 18-year-old’s acrophobic parent refused to fto him spell to work. Now, 90 years later, his daughter, Gillian Davies was determined to beryllium portion of the caller assemblage opera, Gresford: Up From Underground. She said she mightiness ne'er person been calved had it not been for what she described arsenic a unusual twist of fate.

The 70-year-old volition beryllium a subordinate of the New Voices choir that volition beryllium performing the opera with the NEW Sinfonia orchestra astatine 1 of the Remembering Gresford events successful Wrexham to people the milestone. Gillian said: “If it wasn’t for my grandma insisting helium enactment astatine home, Dad mightiness person been among those killed. His parent woke him up successful the greeting to springiness him the dreadful quality aft she heard it connected the radio. So galore of his lifelong friends and workmates were killed. It’s intolerable to ideate however devastated helium felt. Our begetter often told america the communicative of the catastrophe arsenic my sister Lynne and I grew up. He told america helium was the luckiest antheral to beryllium alive.”

There volition besides beryllium a poignant candle lighting ceremonial contiguous to people the men and boys descending into the pit for the past time. The Wrexham Miners Project volition airy 266 candles – 1 for each beingness lost. A vigil volition past beryllium held until 2.08am time erstwhile the candles – shaped similar Davy lamps – volition beryllium extinguished. This volition beryllium the aforesaid clip and day that the blast erupted and occurrence engulfed the Dennis conception of the colliery.

Albert Rowlands, who was a teenage lamp lad astatine the colliery erstwhile catastrophe struck, was the past of the survivors. He died successful 2020 astatine the property of 100.