Gresford Disaster

During the early hours of September 22nd 1934, an explosion in Gresford Colliery, near Wrexham, North Wales, killed 266 men and boys. Only 6 men made it out alive. It is one of Britain’s worst ever mining disasters.

The colliery had lost money the previous year and so the new manager, William Bonsall, chose to bypass safety measures to save money. Safety regulations were not followed, the mine shafts were poorly ventilated, the tunnels were not well supported and there were insufficient escape routes.

After the explosion, families were distraught when the Mines Inspectorate stopped recovery teams from entering the mine to recover the bodies of their loved ones. This also meant that vital evidence about the cause of the blast remained buried.

Many of the miners had just been paid and were carrying their wages when they were killed. Deductions were even taken from surviving workers’ wages for not completing their shifts on the day of the disaster. Families were never reimbursed and many had to rely on welfare and charity to survive.

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At the inquiry into the disaster, William Idris Cuffin, an assistant surveyor, admitted to recording false air measurements. He claimed William Bonsall had instructed him to stop measuring gas levels in June 1934 and had asked him to lie to the inquiry.

The colliery owners could afford premium legal representation. The miners and their families, on the other hand, only received legal representation because Sir Stafford Cripps MP agreed to provide his services free of charge.

The inquiry could not reach a conclusion because government officials and inspectors prevented a full examination of the mine shaft. No-one was ever fully held to account for the miners’ deaths. William Bonsall was only held liable for false record keeping, incurring a fine of £140.

“The impact of the Gresford Disaster—and the injustice and cover-ups that followed—still rings painfully true today. The strain placed on mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, and children was immense, made worse by the lack of compassion shown by the pit owners”

Michael Hett, Ex-Coal Miner and Trustee of Wrexham
Miners Project