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Introduction

This article is mainly based on information I obtained during an interview with Mr John Skelly of Kells, Whitehaven, Cumbria in July 2000. During World War Two, John registered as a Conscientious Objector on religious grounds and worked as a coal miner at Haig Pit, Kells.

John has written several books of poems, about his life experience and about mining in the West Cumberland coalfield but kindly agreed to assist me with information for a university research project I was doing at the time. John was also in the course of writing one of his own books, which has subsequently been published. John signed a form assigning copyright of the interview to me, agreeing that I could write about it and that others could read it if they wished.

John passed away suddenly in January 2002 but has left a lot of published information about mining, religion and the local history of West Cumbria in other archives. John's own first-hand accounts of his life in his books are far more detailed and superior to my brief account. However, I am pleased to honour the memory of a very knowledgeable, helpful and scholarly friend by submitting this article.

Before the war

John Skelly was born on 16 December 1913 at Plumblands Lane, Whitehaven in what was then the county of Cumberland. His parents were James Skelly, a coal miner and Mary Ann Skelly and he had two brothers, Joseph and George. The family home, however, between 1913 and 1925 was on Mark Lane / Strand Street near the harbour. Later, in 1926, the family moved into a miner's house at North Row, Kells.

John's formal education began at St James' Infants School (Church of England) in 1918, leaving in 1920. He then attended what was then known as the National School, Monkwray, Kells, from 1920 to 1927.

Like many people of the time John started work when he was fourteen years old in 1927, firstly as a coal miner at Wellington Pit, Whitehaven. As John told me, "I would rather not have went into the pits, I was a pretty good scholar. I was wanted for earning, not learning."

Effectively, John spent virtually all his working life in the Whitehaven Collieries. In 1931 he transferred to Haig Pit at Kells. However, for about eighteen months, between 1935 and 1937 the Whitehaven mines were temporarily closed down. Therefore John moved to the South of England and found work there.

After John returned to Whitehaven, he married his first wife Ethel in 1938. They lived at Coach Road, Whitehaven until 1950. So it was at Coach Road that John and Ethel Skelly lived during World War Two.

Conscientious Objectors

John had become a member of the Christian Brethren as a young boy, and he remained so for the rest of his life. According to John, " Before the war, when I was a lad, everything was dark and dismal: no money, poverty. People went to church because they were looking for comfort." In fact John probably became even more committed as a Christian during World War Two and became an Elder / Lay Preacher.

As a coal miner, John was already working in an exempted occupation for being called up. Nevertheless, as a matter of conscience and a religious faith not shared by his father, John felt it wrong to be an armed combatant. Together with his younger brother George who worked for West Cumberland Farmers, at the beginning of the war John registered as a Conscientious Objector (CO).

According to John, "We decided that it was wrong for a Christian to kill. It would have been a sin for me not to be registered as a CO when I had that persuasion." So, John and George Skelly had to travel to Carlisle and appear in person to explain their reasons for registering as Conscientious Objectors.

Among the questions John told me they asked him were what he would do if a German burst into his home and attacked his wife. John's reply to this was, "Well I don't know what I would do, but I know what I should do!" This was of course "to turn the other cheek."

The result was that both John and George were allowed to be Conscientious Objectors so long as they stayed at their jobs in mining and farming respectively. John did stay as a miner, whereas his brother George left farming and joined the army as a non-combatant, firstly in the Pioneer Corps and then in the Medical Corps.

Private George Skelly, RAMC went on to parachute into Normandy on D-Day and was decorated with the Military Medal for gallantry. There cannot have been many registered Conscientious Objectors who retained their beliefs and yet went on to win an award for bravery. After the war John said his brother George never wore his M.M., or any other medals, at Remembrance Services. However, Mr George Skelly, MM did write a Christian tract about his experiences in Normandy.

Unfortunately, John did not have a copy of the tract to hand and as yet I have not been able to trace down a copy to read it. Nevertheless, John told me what it was about: "My brother being decorated was evidence that to be a CO was not to be a coward. What he was saying in the tract was 'You're never sure of life and death, so make your peace with God while you can'. As a matter of fact, I've never seen his medal!"

Wartime community work

I asked John if anyone had called him a coward because he had been a known Conscientious Objector. John said that no-one had ever said so to his face. In fact, because John was living and working in a community where many men and women were in exempt occupations, mainly mining, there was probably little to distinguish him from any of the others.

Of course, John was also exempted from being a member of the Home Guard. However, he was a 'Fire Watcher' at Haig Pit. John did his duty, along with many fellow miners, in this non-combatant role.

Additionally, because of his religious commitment and being well known in the mining community, John used to visit the homes of friends and neighbours who suffered bereavements or serious injury during the war. Inevitably there were many killed and injured directly due to fighting in the war. There were also victims of industrial accidents. For example, on 3 June 1941 there was a mining explosion at William Pit, Whitehaven. In this accident 12 men and boys aged between 18 and 57 were killed and 10 men and boys aged between 17 and 51 were injured. John was one of those who used to visit the homes of others in the community. The principle was to bring some comfort and support to those who needed it, regardless of their religious denomination.

I have known John all my life and some of the families who suffered losses during the war and afterwards. These visits by John, and of course many others, at a time of personal loss were greatly appreciated and never forgotten.

Remembering wartime mining

In the latter half of World War Two about one in ten new recruits were conscripted into the coal mines instead of the Armed Forces. This was an attempt to compensate for the manpower shortages with so many young men and boys away in the Armed Forces. These were known as 'Bevin Boys' after the Government Minister in charge of the scheme, Ernest Bevin.

It was also a period when full-time miners were often presented with opportunities within the mining sector that had never arisen before, nor arose again. So, management recognised John's undoubted working and personal abilities and he was given more responsibilities in charge of men, eventually becoming an Under-Manager at Haig Pit. John was quite proud of having gone from being an ordinary miner to passing for his Under-Manager’s ticket in a short time.

Regarding the 'Bevin Boys' who came into the mines, some put themselves into the job they had been given for the war effort. However, there were others who were reluctant recruits. Basically, some 'Bevin Boys' were good workers, a credit to the scheme and did some productive work. On the other hand, John said that he was in charge of some Bevin Boys down the mine who caused a lot of problems to the management in the mining industry. Mining was a dangerous occupation where you had to have complete trust and confidence in your fellow workers.

For the full-time miner, the problem with some Bevin Boys was because they did not want to be working down a mine and could be reluctant to do many of the jobs they were given. In these situations, John had to send two men to do what was really one man's job: one to do the job and one to see that it was done right. A man could not be sacked or transferred so a reluctant 'Bevin Boy' had to stay whether he wanted to or not. This situation continued for a time after World War Two as well. Eventually all the Bevin Boys conscripted into the mine completed their service. Those that did not want to be there could leave and be replaced by full-time miners who were returning back home from the Armed Forces to work in the industry.

Remembrance Services

John used to take a fully active part in remembrance services for those who lost their lives in the war or mining disasters, such as William Pit, Whitehaven in 1941 and 1947 and Harrington No 10 Pit, Lowca in 1946. John would often speak at remembrance services for the miners or read one of his own poems to honour those victims of the mining disasters. I asked John about this collective display of 'Remembrance'. He felt the contribution to the war effort by several civilian groups was often ignored.

According to John, "It would be considered that the soldiers or sailors or airmen made 'The Sacrifice'. But it would be equally true to say that the miners or the Land Girls made sacrifices too. They should be recognised because without the miner into the war effort of those days there'd have been no war won!"

Conclusion

John's first wife Ethel passed away in 1962 and they had one daughter, Irene, born in 1946. John married his second wife Margaret in 1970 and they had over 30 happy years together until John passed away in 2002. After his retirement in 1971, John continued to have a very active life: writing, preaching and giving talks to school groups on the wide range of subjects he knew about so well. He was always prepared to help others and is well remembered by those he helped, including myself.

The 'Bevin Boys' have their own Association for former mining conscripts from the war years. Along with some other civilian groups, such as the ‘Land Girls‘, they have been allowed to take part in Remembrance Sunday parades in recent years. So, at least the sacrifice during the war of these two civilian groups has belatedly been recognised by others. John’s comments about Bevin Boys, that some were suitable and some were not, were probably common among full-time miners who they worked with.

Although I have not read the actual citation for which John’s brother George was awarded the Military Medal, I did find the entry listing the award in the Supplement to the ‘London Gazette’. This appeared on 31 August 1944, (page 4050) listing ‘’No. 97002557, Private George Skelly, Royal Army Medical Corps (Whitehaven, Cumberland). John told me he thought George was the only Conscientious Objector to win a gallantry award on D-Day. Certainly, if there were others, there cannot have been many.

John Skelly was a real gentleman and fine scholar. John was prepared to register and be known as a Conscientious Objector because of his strong religious beliefs. Nevertheless, John played a full and important part in the community, working in a coal mine, doing ‘Fire Watching’ duties and especially with his religious work. I am pleased to submit this article in his memory.

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