Cribbwr Fawr Colliery roof fall, 1918

A rider and his boy assistant were buried by a heavy fall of roof while riding a journey at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, Pyle, on 18 June 1918.

Cause

Derailed drams knocked out roof timber, bringing down a fall of 15 to 20 tons on the journey.

What happened

At about 7.15 on the morning of Tuesday 18 June 1918 John Henry Davies, a rider of 21 from Neath who had recently married, and his assistant rider, Arthur Rowland Williams of North Cornelly, a boy of 14 or 15, were riding a journey at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery near Pyle when a heavy fall of roof buried them both and killed them on the spot. The fall, of some 15 to 20 tons, came after derailed drams knocked out timber.

What's uncertain

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

• Williams was 14. (uncertain) ¹
• Williams was 15. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• Early on 18 June 1918 a fall of roof at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, Pyle, killed the rider John Henry Davies, 21, and his boy assistant, Arthur Rowland Williams. ^1,2
• The two were riding a journey at about 7.15 in the morning when a heavy fall buried them, killing both on the spot. ^1,2
• The fall, of 15 to 20 tons, came after derailed drams knocked out timber. ¹
• Williams was 14. (uncertain) ¹
• Williams was 15. (uncertain) ²

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…by a heavy fall of roof while riding a journey at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, Pyle, on 18 June 1918.”
• Journey (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…his boy assistant were buried by a heavy fall of roof while riding a journey at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, Pyle, on 18 June 1918.”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A rider and his boy assistant were buried by a heavy fall of roof while riding a journey at Cribbwr Fawr Colliery, Pyle, on 18 June…”
• Tub (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “Derailed drams knocked out roof timber, bringing down a fall of 15 to 20 tons on…”

Sources

1. (secondary) 1918 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Neath man killed at Pyle pit (South Wales Weekly Post, 22 June 1918) — Welsh Newspapers (National Library of Wales)

Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026