Move to create garden to enhance memorial for mine workers

PITMAN WHOSE VALOUR EARNED HIM THE VC

A PUBLIC appeal has been launched to create a memorial garden around a national memorial to pit workers.

The memorial to commemorate the men, women and children who worked in the national mining industry and served or died for their country has been installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.

The unveiling was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in September.

The memorial cost £100,000 and now an appeal for funding has been made for a garden area and the final instalment for the memorial itself. Each of the panels has been sponsored by individuals or interested parties. It is all thanks to a group of volunteers based in towns within the former Cannock Chase coalfield.

CHAPS (Chase Arts for Public Spaces) was given the go-ahead to place the monument, following numerous requests to the group to find a way of recognising the country’s mining heritage. The structure, which stands five metres long and two metres tall, has the backing of the National Union of Mineworkers, MPs representing former mining constituencies and the Arboretum.

CHAPS, set up in 2003, works to support and promote public works of art and to celebrate its area’s diverse heritage. President Mike Mellor said: “During research for these particular projects and from queries received from around the country it appeared many mining areas were without some form of recognition of their mining heritage.”

Following discussions, a design was agreed upon with sculptor Andy DeComyn, whose work includes the Shot at Dawn memorial at the 150acre site, and the four mining sculptures at a roundabout in Rugeley.

Built in Derbyshire stone, the memorial has a bronze frieze depicting the history of mining including recognising the colliers’ contribution to the two World Wars.

Research has discovered that 45

LANCE Corporal Thomas Bryan was among the 45 miners awarded the Victoria Cross.

He was born in Worcestershire but moved as a toddler with his family, who headed north to find work in the Yorkshire collieries. His father worked as a miner at the Whitwood Colliery.

Bryan followed his father into the mines working at Askern Colliery.

He was 35 years old, and serving in the 25th (Service) Battalion (2nd Tyneside Irish), Northumberland

miners were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions in the Great War, plus two from the Second World War. Each of the 25 bronze panels depicts scenes of the life of those involved in coalmining, including four panels on the miners

Fusiliers during the Battle of Arras when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:

On April 9, 1917 near Arras, France, during an attack, Lance-Corporal Bryan although wounded, went forward alone to silence a machine-gun which was inflicting much damage.

who joined the Tunnellers digging galleries under the Great War trenches of the Western Front. There is also a bronze panel of information about the project. An example in the booklet describes the life and the action in 1917 that led to Lance Corporal

He worked his way along the communication trench, approached the gun from behind, disabled it and killed two of the team.

His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London and his grave is maintained by the Victoria Cross Trust.

Miner L Cpl Thomas Bryan was awarded the Victoria Cross

Thomas Bryan, born in Lye, near Stourbridge, being awarded the Victoria Cross.

Cannock Chase MP Amanda Milling is supportive of the project. She said: “With such a rich mining heritage it is fitting that CHAPS, a local

The Derbyshire stone memorial was unveiled by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the National Memorial Arboretum last year group, have led this initiative. I would like to congratulate everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point in the process and I look forward to continuing to support this project.”

Mr Mellor said: “It’s fantastic that the project was finally approved. CHAPS was engaged in raising the appropriate funds to construct the memorial which honours the contribution miners have made in service to their country.

“We sincerely hope the public approves of our project, particularly those living in areas with a mining heritage, and that they feel able to donate to the project, which will be a fitting legacy to the miners.”

There are a limited number of copies of the A4 size, 108-page booklet available to purchase, which includes information about the project and has a page of information on each of the Victoria Cross recipients.

For more information visit www. chaseartsforpublicspaces.co.uk