Bug and Wink Colliery roof fall and rescue attempt, 1910

In December 1910 a fall of roof buried Charles Marshall, a 23-year-old shifter, at the Bug and Wink colliery, Coleorton. His mate William Birch freed himself and kept digging for him through three more falls, until Marshall was covered completely; he was dead when he was got out, and Birch received the Edward Medal.

Cause

A fall of roof from above the timber during repairs to a gate-road.

What happened

Marshall and Birch were repairing a gate-road. They had taken out a low bar and set a new one after ripping about half a yard of roof, and had ripped far enough to make room for a second bar a yard further on, when a fall came from above the timber and reeled the new bar and an old one set three weeks before.

Birch quickly got himself free and set about releasing Marshall. A second fall covered both men nearly to the armpits. Birch freed himself again, but Marshall was pinned by large stones, and Birch went on trying to release him, at great risk, as another fall might come at any moment. He had nearly freed him when a third fall covered Marshall completely and caught Birch about the legs. Birch called to another workman, Witham, who was coming from the face, and the two dug together until a fourth fall sent Witham for help while Birch carried on alone. Witham came back with others about five minutes later, and after about half an hour Marshall was got out dead. Birch was awarded the Edward Medal of the Second Class and received it at Buckingham Palace in March 1911; a crowd of several thousand met him at Coalville on his return.

Rescue & recovery

William Birch tried to free Marshall through three further falls, with a workman named Witham helping until the fourth; others arrived about five minutes later and Marshall was dug out dead after about half an hour.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• Local accounts date the fall to 11 December, and to the night shift of 16 December 1910. (disputed) ^1,4

Recorded claims

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

• On 14 December 1910 Charles Marshall, a 23-year-old shifter, was killed by a fall of roof while repairing a gate-road at Coleorton No. 3 Colliery, the Bug and Wink. ^1,2,3
• William Birch, working with him, freed himself and tried to free Marshall through three further falls, the third covering Marshall completely; Marshall was dug out dead about half an hour after help arrived. ²
• Birch was awarded the Edward Medal of the Second Class, gazetted on 9 March 1911. ^1,2
• A fall from above the timber reeled the new bar the men had just set and an old one set three weeks before. ³
• Local accounts date the fall to 11 December, and to the night shift of 16 December 1910. (disputed) ^1,4

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: “…buried Charles Marshall, a 23-year-old shifter, at the Bug and Wink colliery, Coleorton. His mate William Birch freed himself and kept digging…”
• Gate Road (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A fall of roof from above the timber during repairs to a gate-road.”
• Ripping (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…a gate-road. They had taken out a low bar and set a new one after ripping about half a yard of roof, and had ripped far enough to make room…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “In December 1910 a fall of roof buried Charles Marshall, a 23-year-old shifter, at the Bug and Wink…”

Photographs & further reading

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

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining in Coleorton (Coleorton Heritage) — Coleorton Heritage
2. (primary) Awards for Gallantry: William Birch — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Coleorton Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) Heroism in the Coleorton Colliery: brave miner decorated by the King (1911 newspaper report) — Coleorton Heritage Group (reproduced newspaper report)

Record created: 1 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026