Aberbaiden Colliery Pentre Slant explosion, 1944

An explosion in the Pentre Slant of Aberbaiden Colliery, north of Kenfig Hill, on the night shift of 10 November 1944 killed four colliers, among them a father and son, and burned three other men.

Cause

An explosion of gas in the Pentre Slant. How it was ignited was never established; contraband was suspected as the source of the blast.

What happened

The Pentre Slant, driven in 1908 and worked with the Aberbaiden Slant by Baldwins and later Richard Thomas and Baldwins, followed the Rock Fawr seam of prime coking coal north of Kenfig Hill. On the night shift of 10 November 1944, with between fifty and sixty men at work in the slant, an explosion sent a sheet of flame through the workings. Four colliers were killed: Edward Jenkins, 55, and his son John, 18, John Hurley, 17, and John Davies, 39. Three more were taken to hospital, the fireman John Roach and another father and son, Edgar and Thomas Henry Morgan; nearly all the injuries were burns.

Investigation & inquiry

How the explosion occurred was described as a mystery. A later account records that contraband was suspected as the source of the blast.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• An explosion in the Pentre Slant on 10 November 1944 killed four men and injured three: Edward Jenkins (55) and his son John (18), John Hurley (17) and John Davies (39), all colliers. ^1,2
• The explosion happened on the night shift, with between 50 and 60 men at work in the slant; a sheet of flame swept through the workings and nearly all the injuries were burns. ²
• The injured taken to hospital were John Roach, fireman, and Edgar and Thomas Henry Morgan, father and son, colliers. ²
• In 1944 an explosion at the Pentre Slant killed four miners; contraband was suspected as the source of the blast. ³

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Coal (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Thomas and Baldwins, followed the Rock Fawr seam of prime coking coal north of Kenfig Hill. On the night shift of 10 November 1944, with…”
• Contraband (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “…gas in the Pentre Slant. How it was ignited was never established; contraband was suspected as the source of the blast.”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…17, and John Davies, 39. Three more were taken to hospital, the fireman John Roach and another father and son, Edgar and Thomas Henry…”
• Slant (contextual relationship)
  Named 5 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion in the Pentre Slant of Aberbaiden Colliery, north of Kenfig Hill, on the night shift of…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…colliers were killed: Edward Jenkins, 55, and his son John, 18, John Hurley, 17, and John Davies, 39. Three more were taken to hospital, the…”

Photographs & further reading

This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.

Sources

1. (secondary) 1944 Fatalities — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Aberbaiden colliery - Welsh Coal Mines — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (secondary) Pentre Colliery - Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026