Arthur and Edward Colliery inundation, 1949

At the start of the day shift on 30 June 1949 the workings of Arthur and Edward (Waterloo) Colliery at Lydbrook broke into the flooded old workings of East Slad Colliery. 177 men escaped up the shaft as the water rose to the cage, and five cut off below were led through the flooded mine to the old Pluds' shaft and winched out by hand that afternoon. No one died.

Cause

A breach into the old workings of East Slad Colliery, which were full of water.

What happened

Early on 30 June 1949 dirt and shale began to come from the roof with a rumbling noise. The order was given to get out, and about half a minute later the water broke in. The men made for the shaft bottom, where a line of full carts had been pushed to the edge; climbing over them they reached the cage even when the water was above a man's height, the last of them ducking under the surface to clear the roof beams. With the signal key under water, Harry Toomer rode up and down the shaft on top of the cage to signal to the winding engineman, and by 11 a.m. 177 men had been brought up.

Frank Bradley, a 63-year-old main road examiner, worked the man-riding trolleys on the steep main road to speed the men towards the shaft. Told to leave before the flood cut it off, he refused while some of his men were still below and walked back into the workings. Another official, Oswald George Simmonds, ordered his men out and went back for two men, one old and feeble, who were still in his district, finding them with Thomas George Manwaring, who had stayed to help them.

Rescue & recovery

Five men were still missing when a last descent of the cage found the workings full of water. They had joined up and found the telephone to the pit head still working, and were told to make for the old Pluds' Colliery shaft, re-opened a few months before as extra ventilation. The party, Bradley, Simmonds and Manwaring with the two other men, waded through torrents and clambered over falls, pushing one exhausted man along in a truck, for nearly seven hours. At Pluds' a temporary sheerlegs and winch were put up, two volunteers were lowered 130 yards, and at 3.15 p.m. all five were winched to the surface by hand. Pumping restored ventilation within a couple of days, and the men were back at work after two weeks.

Investigation & inquiry

Harry Toomer was awarded the British Empire Medal and Frank Bradley the Edward Medal; the citation for Bradley's medal also records the conduct of Simmonds and Manwaring.

Recorded claims

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

• On 30 June 1949, at the start of the day shift, Arthur and Edward (Waterloo) Colliery was flooded when a breach was made into the water-filled old workings of East Slad Colliery. ^1,2,3
• 177 men escaped up the shaft by the cage by 11 a.m. ^1,2
• Harry Toomer rode up and down the shaft on top of the cage to signal to the winding engineman once the signal key was under water, and was awarded the British Empire Medal. ²
• Five men cut off by the flood were rescued through the old Pluds' Colliery shaft, re-opened a few months before for ventilation, and were winched up by hand at 3.15 p.m. ^1,2,3
• Frank Bradley, aged 63, a main road examiner, received the Edward Medal for staying below to bring out men who were still underground. ³

Related terminology

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

• Cage (contextual relationship)
  Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “…Slad Colliery. 177 men escaped up the shaft as the water rose to the cage, and five cut off below were led through the flooded mine to the old…”
• Man-riding (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…up. Frank Bradley, a 63-year-old main road examiner, worked the man-riding trolleys on the steep main road to speed the men towards the shaft.…”
• Old Workings (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…and Edward (Waterloo) Colliery at Lydbrook broke into the flooded old workings of East Slad Colliery. 177 men escaped up the shaft as the water…”
• Pithead (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “…full of water. They had joined up and found the telephone to the pit head still working, and were told to make for the old Pluds' Colliery…”
• Shaft (contextual relationship)
  Named 6 times in this record, first in the summary: “…flooded old workings of East Slad Colliery. 177 men escaped up the shaft as the water rose to the cage, and five cut off below were led…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Arthur and Edward (Waterloo) Colliery (Forest of Dean Local History Society) — Forest of Dean Local History Society
2. (secondary) Arthur & Edward (Waterloo) (Lightmoor Press, Forest coal) — Lightmoor Press
3. (secondary) Frank Osman Bradley EM (victoriacrossonline.co.uk) — victoriacrossonline.co.uk

Record created: 23 October 2026 · Last researched: 23 October 2026