| Granddad married my grandmother, Bella, and raised a | | | | citizens. There are many stories about how the |
| family of 4. Their children names were, Jack, Tom, (my | | | | workers suffered, before, and after the first World |
| Father), Hilda and Betty. They were a very happy | | | | War of 1914 to 1918. |
| family, and I'm given to understand they were never | | | | When Grandfather reached the age of 27, war was |
| rich, and at times did not have enough to eat due to | | | | declared. Germany had decided they wanted to rule |
| the small wages earned at the pits. My Uncle and | | | | more of Europe and proceeded to invade adjoining |
| Aunts were very close to each other, and they loved | | | | countries. History will tell of other reasons for the war. |
| each and every one of us kids, they were nice people. | | | | It still boiled down to the fact they wanted more of |
| My Uncle Jack went down the pit the same time as | | | | Europe. England and France would have none of this, |
| my Father. My Aunt Hilda married and became a | | | | and declared war on Germany. Like many other |
| Spiritualist. She became quite involved in the | | | | young men in England and France, volunteering was |
| community, My Aunt Betty went to London and got | | | | the only honorable thing to do. Grandfather, with very |
| small parts acting on the stage. | | | | little training, left home for the trenches in France. |
| I am getting ahead of myself. When Granddad was | | | | He had to leave his children and go to the front |
| young and working down the pits, the miners were not | | | | knowing very little of what war was all about. |
| paid at all well. In those days there were no unions to | | | | Germany had to be stopped as soon as possible. The |
| help out. It is now said the Unions today, cause too | | | | song the soldiers sang as they went to the front was... |
| much trouble with their strikes and what have you. | | | | I'm going to hang out my washing on the Siegfreid line |
| However, in Granddad's day, the only way the | | | | If the Seigfreid line is still there. |
| workers could get anything done to raise wages and | | | | The Tommies, as the English soldiers were called, |
| better their working conditions was, to collectively go to | | | | really believed that it was just a matter of them |
| management and put their grievances to them. | | | | showing up to fight, and the Germans would run. Little |
| Invariably the pit owners turned a deaf ear to their | | | | did they guess how hard the next 4 years would be. |
| requests, and told them to get back to work or be | | | | In those days, horses were used to pull the wagons |
| fired. Also in those days, there was no such thing as | | | | and cannons through the mud up to the front-line. They |
| safety precautions down the pits, the owners just did | | | | would be under gunfire whenever they did this work. |
| not care what happened down there, as long as the | | | | Granddad said the screams of injured soldiers and |
| coal came to the surface. Working down the pit at | | | | horses at the front still remained with him those many |
| that time, was very dangerous. In order to get | | | | years later. |
| changes, and make conditions better, the workers had | | | | Unlike, World War 2, the war was fought mostly in the |
| to protect themselves as well as they could. They | | | | trenches. One side would launch an attack and win a |
| would beg and plead with the owners to give them | | | | few yards, then the other would reverse the |
| better working conditions and wages, but they, the | | | | procedure and win the few yards back. In the |
| owners would refuse and continue to take their profits | | | | meantime, the soldiers were dying in that "no mans |
| and to hell with the workers. It wasn't just the owners | | | | land" between the two sets of trenches. Because of |
| of mines who badly treated their workers, factory | | | | snipers who would kill anyone venturing out to help the |
| workers and others were all treated the same way. | | | | wounded or to collect the bodies, many of the dead |
| Workers, back then, did not have a lot of benefits at all. | | | | were just left to rot. Granddad said the rats would |
| It is no wonder in later times the unions got a foothold, | | | | come out in droves to eat the bodies soldiers.. He said |
| and became the strength they are today, for in the | | | | it was terrible to see buddies of his, lie there, for he |
| 1920's all workers were treated as second rate | | | | could do nothing to help them. |