Press Releases

The exhibition, which helps mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the War, is the result of an appeal made by Big Pit for Bevin Boys to tell their own stories.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication Glo (Coal), which is sponsored by Persimmon Homes Wales. It tells the stories of fifteen Bevin Boys who were either brought up in Wales or were conscripted to the Welsh coalfields.

As part of the commemorations, on September 24 Big Pit, the winner of this year's prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year, will also be hosting a reunion of Wales's Bevin Boys, organized with the kind support of the Big Lottery Fund Homefront Recall programme. This event will be an opportunity for Bevin Boys with connections to Wales to come together and relive their experiences of working underground during this difficult period in British history.

48,000 young men were conscripted for National Service Employment in British coalmines between 1943 and 1948, as part of Ernest Bevin, wartime Minister of Labour and National Service's plan to keep Britain's coal industry working. Many of these Bevin Boys came to the mines of the south Wales coalfield, a move that changed their lives and those of the local communities forever.

Peter Walker, Keeper & Mine Manager, Big Pit said: 'We are extremely proud to pay our own tribute to these special men who served King and Country on the 'underground front'. This exhibition and the accompanying activities let us tell the story of Bevin Boys from a uniquely Welsh angle. Researching and developing this project has been a very rewarding experience for all involved.'

Big Pit is one of the National Museums & Galleries of Wales's six sites across Wales. Other sites are the National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff, Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans, Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon, National Woollen Museum, Dre-fach Felindre and the Welsh Slate Museum, Llanberis. Opening in October is the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea, outlining the story of industry and innovation in Wales.

Entry to all NMGW sites is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Big Pit is open every day 9.30 am-5 pm. Underground tours run frequently between 10 am and 3.30 pm. The 'Coalfield at War' exhibition is open throughout September and October.