Durham Mining Museum - William Armstrong

William Armstrong

The victims of the Easington and Eppleton Disasters

Age:	55
Died:	29^th May 1951
Accident:	29^th May 1951 4:35 a.m.
Year Born:	abt. 1896
Colliery:	Easington
Company:	National Coal Board
Occupation:	Datal
Notes:	address: 6 Barwick Street, Easington Colliery ; killed in the 1951 explosion (ignition caused by sparks from cutter picks striking pyrites)
Buried:	Garden of Remembrance at Easington Colliery Cemetery


Description

The text of the report from the Mines Inspector into this disaster is available in the Disaster Reports section of this website.


Disaster Memorial


Memorial

Easington Colliery — Cemetery

Location: OS Map 88, Grid Ref NZ434442

This is a low resolution image for web display, if you would like to have a higher resolution image, then please email us quoting reference T-00041-00-0002 and we will make the image available on a temporary page for you to access.

Names in this memorial picture
Name	Died	Age	Born
No names listed


Related Newspaper Articles

29 May 1951	Pit Explosion Traps 78, One Man Rescued, Eight Bodies Found in Easington Disaster, Bishop At Pit-Head (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
29 May 1951	Editorial, Pit Disaster (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
30 May 1951	Miners Trapped After Pit Explosion, 14 Bodies Found : Over 60 Men Missing (The Times)
30 May 1951	63 Are Still Missing in Pit, Lord Hyndley and Mr. Shinwell at Easington Pit-head, 'Won't Give Up Hope' (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
30 May 1951	Relations Keep Night-long Vigil at Pit Head (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
30 May 1951	Miner Listed as Missing Was Safe Home in Bed (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
30 May 1951	Trapped Men Listed (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
30 May 1951	Editorial, Easington Pit Disaster (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
31 May 1951	No Hope For 60 Miners, Lord Hyndley's Statement (The Times)
31 May 1951	400 Yards from coal face, No Hope for 58 Missing Men : 23 Bodies Found at Easington, ‘Working Tirelessly’ (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
31 May 1951	Disaster Fund Opened (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
31 May 1951	Stricken Village is told there is no hope for miners, Women Break Down as News is Given (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
31 May 1951	Two Were Safe (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
01 Jun 1951	Distress Fund For Miners, Broadcast To-Day By Mr. Shinwell (The Times)
02 Jun 1951	Easington Pit Inquiry Ordered, Mr. Shinwell's Appeal For Fund (The Times)
02 Jun 1951	Mr. Atlee Sends Message (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
02 Jun 1951	Silent Village Lays Pit Disaster Victims To Rest (Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette)
31 Oct 1951	Easington Colliery Explosion, Miners’ Evidence At Inquiry (The Times)
01 Nov 1951	Easington Colliery Explosion, Inquiry Told Of Rescue Workers’ Deaths (The Times)
02 Nov 1951	Colliery Explosion Inquiry, Evidence Of Sparking from Machinery (The Times)
03 Nov 1951	Stone Dusting At Easington, Evidence At Inquiry Into Explosion (The Times)
06 Nov 1951	Shot Firing In Coal Face, Evidence At Easington Inquiry (The Times)
07 Nov 1951	Miner's Evidence Of Gas In Pit, Easington Inquiry (The Times)
16 Nov 1951	Colliery Explosion Inquiry Ended, Union Criticism Of Management (The Times)
09 Apr 1952	Easington Colliery Memorial (The Times)
20 Sep 1952	Cause Of Mine Disaster, Firedamp Ignition, Inspector On "Bad Practices" (The Times)


Further Reading

Mines Inspectors Report into the 1951 Explosion (Cmd. 8646)
Explosion at Easington - A Durham Mine Disaster Remembered by Gavin Purdon, Published by Pit Lamp Press


Sources

Mines Inspectors Report into the 1951 Explosion (Cmd. 8646)

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