Tibshelf Colliery Closed 1939

 In August 1939 Tibshelf Colliery 3 and 4 shafts were closed down after 69 years. Does anyone have stories to share about the miners who lost their employment there? Many Newton men worked there.

(This information from a recommended website http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/.../Bob.../Bk-3/B3-1939-B.html

)

Tibshelf No3 and No4 Top pits (Derbyshire) Sunk in 1893/94 by Charles Seely who sold out to Babbington Coal Co on 1 Apr 1936, subsequently taken over by BA Collieries Ltd, who in turn were bought out by the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Co in 1939, who closed and abandoned the pit on 18th August 1939, after 69 years, so that production at their more modern mines could improve and increase production. No3 shaft 876ft 6in (267m) deep, No4 shaft 895ft 8in (273m) to Blackshale. No1 and No2 pits or Bottom pit was closed in 1936 but pumping continued to protect the Top pit from being flooded.

Harry Wilkinson and Empire Lakeland

 One of our contributors has told us that the name Harry Wilkinson was on the Blackwell Methodist Roll of Honour. Could this have been Harry George Wilkinson, husband of Hilda Taylor, who was a Boatswain on the Empire Lakeland sunk by Uboats in 1943? Harry George is recorded as son of Mr and Mrs James Wilkinson and husband of Hilda of Huthwaite.

EMPIRE LAKELAND SS was a British Cargo Steamer of 7,015 tons built in 1942 - J Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields and owned by Ministry of War Transport, operated by Blue Star Line Ltd. On the 8th March 1943 when on route from New York 23rd February 1943 for Glasgow and due Glasgow 13th March 1943 SC-121 as a straggler carrying a cargo of 7,805 tons refrigerated and general cargo she was torpedoed by U-190 and sunk. Complement of 64, all lost. Read more at wrecksite:

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11912

The Athenia and Annie Bailey of Huthwaite

 Within hours of Britain's declaration of war on September 3rd 1939,The Athenia was the first UK ship to be sunk by Germany during World War II, and the incident accounted for the Donaldson Line's greatest single loss of life at sea. 117 civilian passengers and crew were killed with the sinking condemned as a war crime. The dead included 28 US citizens, leading Germany to fear that the US might react by joining the war on the side of the UK and France. Wartime German authorities denied that one of their vessels had sunk the ship, and a German admission of responsibility did not come until 1946.

She was the second Donaldson ship of that name to be torpedoed and sunk off Inishtrahull by a German submarine; the earlier Athenia was similarly attacked in 1918. ( Wikipedia)

One year later a Huthwaite woman, Annie Bailey, was lost as the SS Benares was torpedoed while taking evacuees to Canada. Countryfile covered the story last night of a young girl lost on that occasion.

(http://huthwaite-online.net/gal.../memorial/ww2/bailey_a.php

3rd September 1939..Britain at War

80 years ago today , 3rd September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland on September 1st.  If you have family stories to tell, please let us know so that the history of those dark days may be recorded and not lost.
And it's not only the stories of the men who were killed that we want to record, but also of those who lived through those years at home and overseas. Did your families take in evacuees? Did you have family who were prisoners of war, or who served as Air Raid Wardens..And let's see all the photos!

(Alec Renshaw Don’t forget many of the young men in the area never had chance to serve, they had to work down the mines, they served their country with as much honour as any of the forces men

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 Absolutely agree Alec Renshaw. We want to record their stories too.

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 In support of this, and demonstrating the dangers in the mines,there is the record of Solomon Ball of South Normanton who died following an accident at Blackwell A Winning Colliery 3 weeks before War was declared. Trapped and injured by a roof fall on January 18th, Solomon died 7 months later on 10 Aug 1939. He had been born in South Normanton in 1881, had married Jane Allmark of Pinxton and they had 3 sons and a daughter, George, Solomon, Arthur and Alice. Solomon Junior had died in infancy.)

·       Blackwell Parish 1939 -1945 Very grateful to Glenda and Sandra for remembering the names of the Blackwell men, whose names were listed on the Roll of Honour at Blackwell Methodist Church, and whose names I understand were read out in the Armistice Day Services.

 

·