Videoconferencing sessions at the National Coal Mining Museum for England A Bevin Boy Remembers Availability: Mondays 9.30-10.00; 14.30-15.00 Duration: 30 minutes Cost: Free of charge Suitability: This session is most suitable for pupils who have been studying WW2 and is aimed at KS2 pupils. Pupils will get the most out of the workshop if they have some basic knowledge of WW2 and the Home Front. Learning outcomes: to understand why there was an increased need for miners during WW2 to learn why and how Bevin Boys were chosen to understand what it was like to work down a mine to know that Bevin Boys made an important contribution to WW2 Content This workshop introduces pupils to coal miningâ€&#x;s contribution to the World War Two. One of our living history interpreters takes on the role of an ex-Bevin Boy, Jeff, who, using a suitcase full of objects and documents from his past, shares his memories of WW2 as a Bevin Boy. Jeff explains how he was conscripted to work in the mines during the war, why coal mining was so important to the war effort and what it was like to work underground. Pupils also have the opportunity to ask Jeff questions at the end. National Curriculum Links: KS2 History Knowledge, skills and understanding: 1a-b; 2a-d; 3; 4a-b, b; 7, 11b Breadth of Study: 7 Local history study; 11 Britain since 1930
Literacy Strand 1 speaking; Strand 2 listening and responding
QCA Links: History Unit 9, Section 6; In what other ways might the war have affected people? History Unit 18: What was it like to live here in the past?
Preparatory Materials Included in this pack are some resources and activities to help pupils prepare for the videoconferencing session. It would be beneficial to pupils if they have an understanding of what National Service is, although it is not necessary for them to know anything about Bevin Boys. Some understanding of rationing would also be useful, as would an idea of what coal is and what it can be used for. Pupils should have some questions prepared to ask Jeff at the end.
Resources Images of paintings from Museum Collection: 1. North Tilley Curve, Tom McGuiness (Ref: Ref: YKSMM:1993.2) 2. Putter in a low seam, Ted Holloway (Ref: Ref: YKSMM:1993.2) 3. At the Coal Face, William Dring (Ref: Ref: YKSMM:1993.2) Documents from the Museum collection: 1. Poster COAL! COAL! COAL! (Ref: T3942) 2. Letter from the Coal Board (Ref: YKSMM:1993.2) 3. Soap ration card (Ref: YKSMM: 1986.217) 4. Wage slip for Peter Halford (Ref: YKSMM: 1998.395.2) 5. Certificate of Authority for Peter Halford (Ref: YKSMM: 1998.374) 6. Image of Bevin Boy Association commemorative plate (Ref: YKSMM: 2006.163) Other resources 1. Snap tin template 2. Dudley Investigation sheet 3. Interview with Bevin Boys from Yorkshire Area.
Suggested pre- videoconference activities Coal and coal mining What is coal and what is it used for? Find out about coal mining in your local area Document 1 - Poster COAL! COAL! COAL! (Ref: T3942) Use the poster to work out why coal was so important during World War Two? What was it used for? What do you think the poster is trying to do? Do you think the poster is effective? How does the poster try to get its message across? How is this poster similar to other wartime posters you have seen?
Document 2 - Letter to Mineworkers, October 1943 (Ref: YKSMM: 1993.2) Why do you think that this letter was sent to mineworkers? How do you think this letter was meant to make mineworkers feel? Pick out some words or phrases that you think are effective, giving reasons for your choice. Images of Paintings – Holloway, McGuiness, Dring (Ref: YKSMM: 1993.2; YKSMM: 1993.2; YKSMM: 1993.2) Use the three paintings to explore what it would have been like to work underground. Use the prompt questions below to get discussion going. What is your first reaction to the painting? Describe what you can see in the painting. What it the painting about? What is happening? What are the men doing? What are the men wearing? How does it make you feel? Does the painting remind you of anything? When was it made? Is this important? Who made it? What do we know about the artist? What do you think the artist is trying to say about working underground? National Service What is National Service? Why was it brought into effect? Who did National Service apply to? Rationing What is „rationing‟? Below are some foods that were rationed during the World War Two. Find out how much an average person was allowed each week of: Sugar Milk Tea Meat Cheese Eggs Ham/Bacon Preserve Margarine Document 3 - Soap ration card (Ref: YKSMM: 1986.217) What do you think this was used for? Why do you think miners were given this?
Suggested post-videoconference activities Literacy Design your own propaganda poster to encourage men to work in the mines Write Jeff‟s first letter home to his family describing his first week as a Bevin Boy. History Find out more about Ernest Bevin and the Ministry of Labour. Compare Jeff‟s experiences with another person‟s experience of World War Two. What are the differences and similarities? Art and Design Look at the Bevin Boys Association plate, which was made to commemorate the important work that Bevin Boys did. Create your own plate for your school or local community. What symbols or pictures will you use to represent your school? Find out more about one of the following artists: Tom McGuiness, Ted Holloway and William Dring. Make your own snap tin using the template provided. Drama Jeff, found himself in a strange place, with no friends or family, having to do a job he knew nothing about. Imagine a similar situation for yourself and create a freeze frame or role play to explore what happened. What difficulties did you face? What new things did you learn? How did you feel? Numeracy Document 4 - Wage slip (Ref:YKSMM: 1998.395.2) Look at Peter Halford‟s wage slip. What percentage of his wage was deducted for: Baths Hospital W. M. Pensions Fund Income Tax What would Peter have earned in a month? A year? Science Find out about how a safety lamp works and why they were so important to miners working underground. Use the Dudley investigation sheet to complete a Science investigation.
Teacher Information Bevin Boys- Background Information "We've reached a point at which there are not enough miners to produce the amount of coal needed to keep the war effort going. We need 720,000 men continuously employed in this industry. This is where you boys come in. Our fighting men will not be able to achieve their purpose unless we get an adequate supply of coal” Ernest Bevin During the World War Two, the production of coal was vital. Factories needed extra supplies for the production of ships, guns, tanks and aircraft; all vital for the war effort. The shortage of manpower in the mines prompted Ernest Bevin, the wartime Minister of Labour and National Service, to introduce a number of schemes to increase the number of men working in the mines. In May 1941, Bevin applied the „Essential Work Order‟ to the mines prohibiting miners from leaving the pits and employers from dismissing them. In July 1941, he introduced the compulsory registration of all who had worked in the industry since 1935, which resulted in 60,000 men being forced to return to the mines in the next two years. By late 1943, there were just three week‟s supply of coal left and so by December of that year compulsory conscription was introduced. This meant young men trained as miners instead of being sent to fight. Men were selected randomly by ballot. Every young man registering for National Service was given a number which ended with a digit from 0 to 9. A number was then drawn out of a hat and all those whose registration ended with that number had to go down the mines and became a „Bevin Boy‟. Any male who refused to comply with the „Direction Order‟ could be imprisoned for three months and then still had to comply with the original order. Around 48,000 young men, who would otherwise have been conscripted into the armed forces, were sent underground between 1943 and 1948. Although this scheme did maintain employment levels in the mines, many of the men were not suited to working underground. Miners resented their presence and many of the men themselves did not want to be there, so it led to a lot of absenteeism as well as social and personal problems. Many left the industry once they had been demobilised in 1948.
North Tilley Curve, Limited edition (9/20) Tom McGuiness ŠThe McGuiness family
YKSMM: 2006.64
Putter in a Low Seam Ted Holloway (1984) Š Gill Holloway
YKSMM: 1997.744
At the Coal face William Dring (1946) Š Bridgeman Art Gallery
YKSMM: 2004.210
Letter to Mineworkers Ref: Ref: YKSMM: 1993.2
Soap Ration Card Ref: YKSMM: 1986.217
Wage slip for Peter Halford, 1946 Ref: YKSMM: 1998.395.2
Certificate belonging to Peter Halford Ref: YKSMM: 1998.395.2
Image of Bevin Boys Association commemorative plate Ref: YKSMM: 2006.163
Bevin Boys – Oral History Interviews These interviews were conducted on 14th October 2005 at a reunion for Bevin Boys from the Yorkshire Area, hosted by the National Coal Mining Museum. The names of interviewees have been removed for copyright reasons.
How Did You Feel When You Were Conscripted? “Like a fish out of water, I had been working in a hospital in Scotland from the time I left school at 14. It was like going from heaven to hell.” “My first reaction was to refuse to go down the mines; I wanted to be in the Navy or the Army. I was told it would be prison if I refused.” “Disbelief!!! I had been accepted for the Navy and this was a mistake. Reading the small print it sank in – there was no way out of it.” “More than a little surprised, straight from Sheffield College of Art was quite a contrast to say the least!” “Felt a huge surge of disappointment. Fully expected to be called up into the Army.” “With mixed feelings. Being raised and living in London had little knowledge what a coal mine was.” “Very disappointed, I wanted the Royal Navy. The pits or go to prison, No option.”
How did it feel going underground For the First Time? “It was just something you did because you were told to do it. It was horrendous.” “Frightened and when I got to the pit bottom we went past the blocked –off tunnel where the disaster had taken place.” “With in trepidation, and feeling of excitement into a strange new environment.”
“Terrified. Apprehensive but with a group of others in the same position we all accepted it.”
Is there any thing that you miss from your time as a Bevin Boy? “The camaraderie at the miners‟ hostel where we used to have „Ensa‟ shows once a month! (Every night something awful). Weekly dances with the local girls, where I met my wife.” “Good mates and trust in your fellow miners.” “The friendliness of the chaps that I worked with in the Yorkshire pit-Nunnery, Handsworth.” “Nothing. No doubt a good deal of nostalgia, for an unusual shared experience.” “No, I had a very hard time in digs. I miss nothing.” “No, but I worked along side some hard-working men, who accepted me as one of their own.” “No, I was glad to get away from it and never went underground for some 40 years until I vested Caphouse.”
The Bevin Boys Song (sung to the tune of Way Down in Dixie) We had to join, we had to join, we had to join old Bevin's army, Three quid a week and bugger all to eat, Hob-nailed boots and blisters on our feet We had to join, we had to join, we had to join old Bevin‟s army, If it wasn‟t for the war we‟d be where we were before, Bevin you‟re bloody barmy!
Snap tin template