Brynlliw Colliery roof fall, 1963

At the end of the day shift on Friday 10 May 1963 the roof came in over twenty feet at the gate end of the S2 face at Brynlliw Colliery near Gorseinon, after a week of squeezing. Four colliers were killed. The undermanager, buried with them, survived by building a pack wall of stones around himself while rescuers dug in from both sides. The Minister of Power promised inquiries in the Commons the following Monday.

Cause

A fall of roof over about twenty feet at the S2 face gate end.

Contributing factors

There had been squeezing in the face all that week.

What happened

The fall came as the day shift ended. George Lewis, the undermanager, was among those buried and kept a large stone from crushing him by building a pack of smaller stones. Cyril O'Connor jumped clear, leaving his boots behind. Two brothers who had worked the place all week escaped because they overslept and missed the Friday shift.

Rescue & recovery

Rescuers worked from both sides of the fall to reach the trapped men; the dead and injured were taken to Gorseinon Hospital. In the Commons, Ifor Davies paid tribute to the rescue teams, among them Durham miners transferred to the pit and the general manager.

Investigation & inquiry

Asked by Ifor Davies on 13 May, the Minister of Power, Richard Wood, said inquiries were being made into the cause and sent his sympathy to the families.

Recorded claims

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

• Hansard for Monday 13 May 1963 refers to the accident at Brynlliw on Friday 10 May, and the Welsh Coal Mines 1963 fatality list dates the deaths to the 10th. (disputed) ^1,2
• The Welsh Coal Mines colliery page gives 17 May 1963. (disputed) ³
• The four colliers killed were James Webber, 50; Bryn Griffiths, 54; Antonio Era, 39, a Sicilian; and Malcolm Thomas, 26. ^3,1
• The fall, at the gate end of the S2 face at the end of the day shift, covered 20 feet after a week of squeezing; the undermanager George Lewis was buried but saved himself by building a pack of stones. ^3,1

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s summary: “…came in over twenty feet at the gate end of the S2 face at Brynlliw Colliery near Gorseinon, after a week of squeezing. Four colliers were…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  The fall was at the S2 face gate end.
• National Coal Board (contextual relationship)
  An NCB colliery.
• Roof Fall (direct cause)
  A fall of roof at the face gate end.

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1963 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Brynlliw Colliery (Accident) (Hansard, 13 May 1963) — UK Parliament, Hansard
3. (secondary) Brynlliw Colliery — Welsh Coal Mines

Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 13 September 2026