MineArchiveTaff Merthyr Colliery roof fall, 1956
A heavy fall in the Nine Feet seam at Taff Merthyr on 27 June 1956 trapped six men 1,200 feet below ground; three were dragged clear, one was dug out after five hours, and two, Clive Emery and Leslie Hockey, died before rescue squads reached them fifteen hours later.
| Date | 27 June 1956 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Taff Merthyr Colliery |
| Region | Merthyr Tydfil |
| Primary type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Associated types | Entrapment, Rescue |
| Fatalities | 2 (2 killed: Clive Emery (19) and Leslie Hockey (33), colliers; six men were trapped in all.) |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
A heavy fall of roof on a conveyor face in the Nine Feet seam.
What happened
On 27 June 1956 a heavy fall of roof in the Nine Feet seam, on a panzer conveyor face 1,200 feet below ground at Taff Merthyr, trapped six miners. Workmates dragged three of them clear, among them the overman, Emlyn Rogers. A fourth, Idris Owen, 40, was buried for five hours before he was brought out and taken to Merthyr Hospital, a doctor having stayed beside him underground for three hours. Rescue squads worked for more than fifteen hours to reach the last two men, Clive Emery, 19, and Leslie Hockey, 33, who had died of asphyxiation under the fall.
Rescue & recovery
Three men were dragged clear by workmates; Idris Owen was freed after five hours with a doctor at his side; rescue squads worked over fifteen hours to recover the two dead.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- A fall of roof at Taff Merthyr on 27 June 1956 killed two colliers by asphyxiation. 1,2,3
- Six men were trapped by the fall in the Nine Feet seam, 1,200 feet below ground. 1
- Three men were dragged clear, a fourth was buried for five hours, and rescue squads worked for over fifteen hours to recover the dead. 1
- The dead were Clive Emery, 19, and Leslie Hockey, 33. 1,2,3
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Overman (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…six miners. Workmates dragged three of them clear, among them the overman, Emlyn Rogers. A fourth, Idris Owen, 40, was buried for five hours…” - Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A heavy fall of roof on a conveyor face in the Nine Feet seam.”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1956 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: T. L. Hockey, Taff Merthyr, 27 June 1956 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: E. Emery, Taff Merthyr, 27 June 1956 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026