Lepton Colliery Explosions – Huddersfield – 1940

LEPTON Huddersfield, Yorkshire. 4th. June 1940

An explosion of firedamp occurred at the intake end of a fully manned longwall face 360 yards in length. Eleven colliers were working in the first 35 yards of the face and three haulage hands were injured. Two were killed outright and eight others have died since. it has not been possible to examine the face since the explosion owing to the frequent number of explosions but it is possible that the firedamp was ignited by spontaneous heating in a divided airway at the intake end of the face. The district was subsequently sealed by substantial stoppings.

Those who died were:-

• J. Turner 46 Collier
• C. Cartwright 36 Collier
• L. Rich 30 Collier Died 5th June
• J.J. Hughes 36 Collier Died 5th June.
• A. England 22 Haulage hand Died 5th June.
• J. Stevens 49 Collier Died 5th June.
• N. Overton 30 Haulage hand Died 5th June.
• T. Coleman 42 Collier Died 5th June.
• J.W. Daykin 40 Collier Died 6th June.
• J.H. Foster 36 Collier Died 18th June.

• E. Rich (injured) 56 haulage hand.
• A. Baistop (injured) 25 Collier.
• T.H. Walker (injured) 31 Haulage hand.
• R. Milward (injured) 16 Haulage hand.

Information supplied by Ian Winstanley and the Coal Mining History Resource Centre.

*  It has been suggested that this information refers to Upton Colliery, Wakefield