Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Royal Humane Society Medal in Silver awarded to David Thomas for his part in saving life at the Glanmwrwg Colliery, Llangennech, near Llanelly, 9 December 1899

Royal Humane Society, small silver medal (successful) (David Thomas. Dec. 9. 1899), complete with silver top riband buckle, this lacking retaining pin, in case of issue, extremely fine, scarce award to a miner £400-500

R.H.S. Case no. 30,484 (jointly listed with Thomas Francis, Miner): ‘At 8 am on the 9th December, 1899, the Glanmwrwg Pit, Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, was flooded, owing to the tapping of an old working. David Thomas, in whose headway the inrush took place, instead of seeking his own safety went into the lower part of the workings to warn the miners employed there, and on returning had to contend with a heavy rush of water. By this action four men were warned in time to escape with their lives. These men on reaching a place of safety went home, but returning later to the pit found that two men were missing. Hearing a moaning sound proceeding from the workings, Thomas Francis and William John Hunns volunteered to swim in an try to effect a rescue. At about 1 pm they made the attempt, but after going some ten yards were forced to return, as the water was nearly touching the roof. At 3.30 pm Francis made a second attempt alone, and the water being slightly lower he managed to get within ten feet of a miner named Lloyd, who was clinging to a beam in the roof. It was, however, impossible to reach Lloyd, owing to a cross beam which blocked the way. A third attempt was made, Francis and Hunns being joined by David Jones, and the three men taking a rope succeeded in reaching Lloyd and rescuing him, after hanging in the cold water for ten hours. The second man, named Williams, was drowned.

Extreme risk was incurred by all these men, the rescue of Lloyd being effected in ten feet of water and with no light.

Silvers Medals were voted to David Thomas and Thomas Francis, and Bronze Medals to William John Hunns and David Jones.’

The above incident received a lot of press coverage at the time, both local and national, and further details about David Thomas’s part are recorded in a piece which appeared in the Haverfordwest Telegraph, 13 December 1899:

‘The Glanmwrwg Colliery, Langennech, about four miles from Llanelly, was flooded on Saturday last. Most of the men working in the lower headings of the slant made a miraculous escape, but one of them drowned, while an old man of 60 was literally on the brink of death for ten long and weary hours, during which time he was hanging to a beam with his head only partially above water. The providential saving of life, the self-sacrifice, and the heroism which are so commonly associated with colliery disasters in South Wales were conspicuous at Glanmwrwg on Saturday...

The colliery is a slant, and the men of course walk down to it. There are five headings, each about 150 yards long. The men, about 50 in number, went down at 6 o’clock on Saturday morning. David Thomas, Bridgend-street, Llanennech, was working in the fourth heading, or the second from bottom. He had been at work about 30 yards inside of the first crossing, and then walked away. On returning in less than three minutes - it was about 8 o’clock in the morning - he saw a torrent of water rushing through, and instead of making for the top he heroically risked his life to give warning to the men working in the heading below. It was then a race for life. Thomas managed to ascend with some difficulty, together with those in the same heading. The ones down below naturally fared worse.’