Forest of Dean FHT Forum - - Miners at war

Miners at war (reply)

Roger Griffiths — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:57:17 +0000

Answer to your original question is probably both. In the 1890's one of my grandfathers brothers served in the Monmouthshire Engineers Militia. He was Soudley so the Regiment probably had a company or more in FoD. The Regiment numbered 3,000 plus!!!

My greatgrandfather became of military age about 1808. I've trawled all the local militia regiments etc. but without success. There was the Corps of Sappers and Miners, officers Royal Engineers. That's all PRO, Kew. Not done that yet.

Roger

Miners at war (reply)

fredb — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:14:30 +0000

It was the subjet of a BBC? TV documentary a while ago, during the First World war there was a special regiment/battalion? that just dug defences and tunnelled under the german lines to plant tons of explosives to blow the enemy to kingdom come. They were called mines but they were almost nuclear events.

When it comes right down to it, even in modern warfare soldiers are useless without the back up of so many trades.

Miners at war (reply)

slowhands — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:55:51 +0000

There are stories that some miners were used as "sappers" / tunnelling etc.

i.e.

The current free miners owe their rights to their fore fathers of the 14th century, who won a battle for King Edward 1st by tunnelling under castle fortifications at Berwick Upon Tweed. ( It must have been well
remembered as the Northumbrian miners did the same to Newcastle City Walls in the Civil War). By way of reward King Edward passed a new law, giving the Dean miners the right to own their own workings. Broadly, any man who was born within The Forest Of dean was 21 or over and had
worked down a local coal mine for one year and a day was entitled to mine for coal anywhere in that location "without tax or hindrance".

Miners at war

r meek — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:57:18 +0000

As the kings used to call upon the miners to fight in his wars were they
trained as archers or men at arms.
lords of the manor`s had on orders from the kings of the time to maintain
so many of the menfolk to train as achers or men-at-arms [an old fashioned T.A.
or dads army] or were they just used as miners to tunnel under the fortifed walls?