Llwynhelig Colliery explosion, 1929

On 6 November 1929 gas was fired in the Llwynhelig mine at Cwmdare, Aberdare, burning the collier William Davies and his seventeen-year-old assistant Joseph Carter, who both died of shock and burns.

Cause

Firedamp was ignited; the men said a mandrel striking the floor made the spark, but their lamp was found with its top off, raising a suspicion that it had been opened for a better light or to smoke.

What happened

Both men were burnt. They asked to be taken home rather than to hospital, and both died of shock and burns. A few weeks later, on 28 November, another collier at the mine, John Mason, was paralysed by a roof fall and died nearly a year afterwards.

Investigation & inquiry

The coroner said the men would have stood a better chance had they gone straight to hospital. The Secretary for Mines' return of fatal explosions for 1910 to 1929 lists the Llwynhelig explosion of 6 November 1929 with two deaths.

What's uncertain

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

• The men said a mandrel striking the floor made the spark that fired the gas, but their lamp was found with its top removed. (uncertain) ²
• In February 1930 Davies's widow, Annie, was awarded £435 for herself and her children. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

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

• An explosion of firedamp at Llwynhelig Colliery, Cwmdare, on 6 November 1929 killed two men. ^1,2,3
• The dead were William Davies, a collier of 37, and his assistant Joseph Isaac Carter, 17. ^1,2
• The men said a mandrel striking the floor made the spark that fired the gas, but their lamp was found with its top removed. (uncertain) ²
• In February 1930 Davies's widow, Annie, was awarded £435 for herself and her children. (uncertain) ²

Related terminology

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

• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp was ignited; the men said a mandrel striking the floor made the…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…another collier at the mine, John Mason, was paralysed by a roof fall and died nearly a year afterwards.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Llwynhelig Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1929 — Welsh Coal Mines
3. (primary) Hansard, 1 April 1930: Fatal accidents, South Wales and Monmouthshire (written answer listing colliery explosions 1910-1929) — UK Parliament, Hansard (HC Deb 01 April 1930 vol 237 cc1082-3W)

Record created: 20 October 2026 · Last researched: 20 October 2026