The Death of our Coal Industry

1st of January 1947 to the 18th of December 2015

The miners played a massive part in securing victory in WWII, thousands of miners enlisted to fight in the war, while others remained at the pits to fuel the war effort.

This section focuses entirely on the Yorkshire Coalfield but the same was repeated in every area. VE Day 8th of May 1945.

After six years of war the nation celebrates victory, but what lays ahead? Our country needed rebuilding, and the challenges were monumental.

The Conservative Government had taken control of coal production during the war, and most observers expected things to go back to how they were. However, in July 1945 Winston Churchill lost the General Election to Clement Attlee, meaning the House was now controlled by a Labour Government for the first time since 1929.

Clement Attlee and his Labour Government held a strong desire to Nationalise the coal industry. 12/07/1946 - The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act receives the Royal Accent. 15/07/1946 - National Coal Board is formally constituted with Lord Hyndley as its first chairman. 01/01/1947 - Vesting Day - A notice is posted at every colliery which falls under the act. It read - "This colliery is now managed by the National Coal Board on behalf of the people”.

Unfortunately, although it would be a slow lingering death, Vesting Day turned out to be the beginning of the end for deep coal mining in the UK. Over the next 68 years our industry suffered a series of massive pit closure programmes at the hands of both Labour and Tory governments. On the 18th of December 2015 Kellingley Colliery was closed, and our once great coal industry was gone. Summary of the Coal Industry from 1947 to 2015 On Vesting Day 1st January 1947 (Coal industry is Nationalised) The National Coal Board acquired 958 Collieries. 800,000 Men (4% of the UK workforce) Compensation was paid to more than 800 companies as follows, £164,660,000 is paid to the owners for the collieries. £78,457,000 to former owners and for other assets, including. 55 coke ovens, 85 brickworks 20 smokeless fuel plants. Some colliery power stations, Railway sidings, Over 140,000 houses 200,000 acres of farmland.