Bevin Boys were young British men conscripted to work in the coal mines of the United Kingdom, between December 1943 and March 1948. Chosen by lot as ten percent of all male conscripts aged 18–25, plus some volunteering as an alternative to military conscription, nearly 48,000 Bevin Boys performed vital but largely unrecognised service in the mines, many of them not released from service until well over two years after hostilities ended.
Their service was not formally recognised until Bevin Boy medals were awarded many years later.
Bridget’s father, Elliott Sheard, served as a Bevin Boy at Fryston Colliery before making a career as a baker.
Sadly Elliott passed away aged 90 in May of 2017. He lived in Pudsey, West Yorkshire
