Memorial unveiled for Maltby miners

A FORMER pit village has commemorated its Black Saturday — the day a huge methane blast killed 27 miners — with a new memorial stone.

The tribute to honour the miners who died in a gas explosion at Maltby Colliery in 1923 was unveiled by Lord Scarbrough on Tuesday — 92 years to the day the disaster happened.

Just before 9am on July 28 that year, dozens of people in the tightly-knit pit community lost a husband, father, brother, boyfriend or pal, in just a few terrifying seconds.

The memorial stone, with the names of all those who died carved upon it, was placed on a roadside in Lime Kiln Lane exactly above the underground spot where the explosion took place.

Roads were closed for the event and a service was conducted by the Rev Margaret Caunt.

Wreaths were laid by relatives of the victims, Lord Scarbrough, Rother Valley MP Sir Kevin Barron, the Mayors of Rotherham and Doncaster and organisations including Maltby and Stainton Parish Councils, Maltby Parish Church, schools and youth groups.

See Friday’s Advertiser for a full report and pictures.