Ammanford Colliery explosion, 1935

Two repairers boring in the stone of a cross-measure heading at Ammanford Colliery on 18 September 1935 were killed by an unexplained explosion and found dead by the fireman.

Cause

An explosion in the face of a cross-measure drivage while the men were boring in the stone; its cause was not established.

What happened

On the afternoon of 17 September 1935 five shots were fired in a cross-measure heading at the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries' Ammanford Colliery, and no more work was done there until the next afternoon, when two repairers, James Davies and Emlyn Jones, went in and began boring in the stone with a compressed-air drill. They were later found dead by the fireman who went to inspect the place, killed by multiple injuries from an explosion whose cause was not established.

Recorded claims

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

• On 18 September 1935 two repairers, James Davies and Emlyn Jones, were killed at Ammanford Colliery. ^1,2,3
• They were using a compressed-air drill to bore in the stone of a cross-measure heading where five shots had been fired the previous afternoon, and were killed in an unexplained explosion. ¹
• They received fatal injuries while barring in the face of the drivage. ^2,3
• The colliery was owned by Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Limited. ^2,3

Related terminology

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

• Anthracite (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…five shots were fired in a cross-measure heading at the Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries' Ammanford Colliery, and no more work was done there…”
• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…boring in the stone of a cross-measure heading at Ammanford Colliery on 18 September 1935 were killed by an unexplained explosion and…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…1935 were killed by an unexplained explosion and found dead by the fireman.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1935 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Emlwyn Jones, Ammanford, 1935 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: J. Davies, Ammanford, 1935 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026