52 miners of double Doncaster pit tragedy to be honoured at annual service
The annual service remembers two separate tragedies in 1931 and 1978
More than 50 miners killed in separate tragedies at a former Doncaster pit are due to be remembered at an annual service.
The Bentley NUM Memorial Service will take place at Arksey Cemetery on Sunday 22 November from noon.
The month of November is always one of sorrow and mourning in the proud mining village of Bentley.
For it was in that month in both 1931 and 1978 that dozens of men lost their lives in two tragic mining accidents.
On November 20, 1931 at approximately 5.45pm, an explosion of firedamp at the colliery resulted in the death of 45 men and boys.
The youngest victim was a lad of 17.
One miner was working in another part of the mine just before the explosion.
Having come up to the surface, he immediately volunteered to join the rescue parties.
He went down, where he found his own son lying unconscious.
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He dragged him out, so that he could be taken to hospital, but it was the last time he saw him alive.
If that wasn’t enough, 47 years later and almost to the day, tragedy struck again on November 21, 1978.
An underground train crash resulted in the deaths of seven men, while nineteen others were injured.
A paddy train, used to shuttle the miners and haul coal, crashed at speed and derailed.
Each November, the lives of the 52 men killed are commemorated with a service at Arksey Cemetery where a memorial is erected.
And every year, locals gather to remember the victims.
All are welcome at this year’s service with refreshments available after the service in The Cricketer's Club (The Jet).
An NUM spokesperson said: “Your support in attendance will be much appreciated in remembrance of those loved ones who have left us, but who live on forever in our hearts and in our memory.”