Twenty three years later an Arthur Bibey taught me the basic workshop skills of electrics & electronics at Ranks' Apprentice Training School. Facially I'm sure he is the same man as in the mines photo. In '78 I was special-ising in Mechanical engineering so didn't see as much of him as the Electrical lads did, a shame I now realise. I recall it seemed a little odd to us mere boys that despite appearing somewhat unfit with what seemed a smoker's cough, he was the official First Aider for that building (the old brewery, now the Mews, Mitcheldean). I knew from my paper-round days he lived in Cinderford but I knew nowt else about him. I wish I had known then that, despite his unlikely appearance, this cheerful & kindly gent had once been a good servant of Cinderford St Johns CC and, it seems, a mines hero too. On reflection I realise his slightly stooped stature and cough was very typical of the retired miners that were commonplace at RX and around Cinderford and the Forest in the 1980s.
I'm very sorry we were never able to chat over a pint about his times on our "hallowed" cricket field at lower Cinderford or the coal field immediately below it.

-----------------------

It's a shame that Mr Bibey barely enjoyed his deserved retirement, although he probably took early retirement from Ranks, he sadly passed away far too young like so many ex-miners.

Burial enquiry
Cemetery Yew Tree Brake
Grave Ref C-K28 1131
Name BIBEY Arthur James
Age 65 years
Address 28 Market Street, Cinderford.
Date of Death 10th December, 1988
Date of Burial 16th December, 1988
Place of Death Cinderford
Officiating Minister Rev. A. Fraser

Cemetery Yew Tree Brake
Grave Ref C-A42 1375
Name BIBEY Ruby Irene
Age 66
Address 28 Market Street, Cinderford, Glos
Date of Death 24th July 1991
Date of Burial 31st July 1991
Place of Death Dilke Hospital, Cinderford
Officiating Minister Rev G Bowyer

http://apps.fdean.gov.uk/OnlineCemeteries_Live/

And from GlosBMD;

Marriage Details
Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
BIBEY Arthur James Donald BAKER Ruby Irene Forest of Dean Cinderford Woodside St Stephen 1950 4 154

From FreeBMD;

Surname First name(s) Mother/Spouse/Age District Vol Page
---------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1923 (>99%)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Bibey Arthur J D Hunt Monmouth 11a 39

Possible siblings & parents ?

Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Mar 1913 (>99%)
Bibey Hilda C Hunt Bridgend 11a 1854

Births Mar 1914 (>99%)
BIBEY Benjamin J D Hunt Monmouth 11a 48

Births Sep 1917 (>99%)
Bibey Olwyn C T Hunt Monmouth 11a 31

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1912 (>99%)
Bibey William Hunt Bridgend 11a 1751
Hunt Laura S Bibey Bridgend 11a 1751

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RIP Mister Bibey.
Thanks to your good training and a few possibly "planned" accidental shocks off the Training School mains, rest assured I'm now a competent and above-all safety-minded Home & Car electrician.

Searching this site for AB Clifford shows he was one of the Bearers at the Funeral of the greatly-respected Doctor M.L. Bangara in 1927. He is mentioned in relation to the FoD St John Ambulance Association.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/downloads/Stories_Articles/Dr_M_L_Bangara_Cinderford.pdf

PS Here's that photo and a brief mention of AB Clifford, clearly a man of considerable & deserved importance in the Mines Rescue field. It also describes in detail the working days of the WW1 Tunnellers.
http://www.healeyhero.co.uk/rescue/Collection/jl/WW1-1.htm

Further searching finds this excellent website which I'll enjoy studying in depth. It appears to be written by a descendant of AB Clifford and among many interesting things contains more details of his life and a few photos of his Dean Mines Rescue teams among others.
http://www.heroes-of-mine.co.uk/

This has been discussed here in the past, such as
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=20751
http://forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=37883

(These and all other links are best opened into a new tab or Window)

Apologies for the late notice due to my sickly pc, but tonight BBC Four are showing a new documentary on this subject that hopefully will interest anyone with WW1 mining roots. First shown at 9pm, I believe it will be repeated later in the helpfull BBC Four manner, and available on the BBC iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01skvnh

Later update: This whole programme may now be viewed on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc9s3ZMYIec

The programme's excellent webpage includes a few film clips, plus some excellent resources links such as the ever-usefull Long Trail site. This shows the original eight Companies; as can be seen the second one formed, the 171st, drew on the men of Monmouthshire. It should also be noted that many of our ANZAC and Canadian allies served in their own Tunnelling Companies.
http://www.1914-1918.net/tunnelcoyre.htm

Another site is new to me but I will return very soon as it lists complete details of all the members of two of the Tunnelling Companies,
https://sites.google.com/site/laboisselletunnellers/home
Initial browsing these lists shows these brave men were drawn from Regiments from the traditional mining areas such as Notts, Durham, South Wales and so on.

I do hope this subject and programme is of interest, it certainly covers an element of the War that has been somewhat overlooked in the past, yet for many brave tough men this grim life was the daily norm.