Fatal Accidents In Scottish Mines & Collieries 1938

Scottish Mining Website

Fatal Accidents 1938

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If the name of the pit is not stated in records, we have recorded this as NK with the miner's usual residence added as an approximate indicator of area

130 Fatal accidents occured in 1938
- information from the Report of the HM Inspector of Mines for 1938 - Scottish Division
[Scotsman 3 November 1939]

Currently this page lists 117 fatalities

Year	Month	Day	Colliery	District	First Name	Surname	Age	Occupation	Cause	Extra information/ Source
1938	January	2	Earnock	Lanarkshire	John	Lowe				see entry under 25 December 1937
1938	January	3	Nellie Colliery	Fife	James Hunter Erskine	Reid	39	coal miner	Fall from roof
1938	January	7	Polkemmet	Lothian	John Fowler Rolland	Strickland		Clipper	Struck by runaway hutch	NAS FAI "John Fowler Rolland Strickland, clipper, 17 Mayfield Drive, Armadale, died on 7 January 1938 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from injuries sustained on the same day in Polkemmet Colliery, Whitburn, West Lothian, when he was struck by a runaway tub"
1938	January	11	Branchal	Lanarkshire	Robert	Cameron	60	Roadsman	Struck by rake of runaway hutches	Newspaper report - Cambusnethan pages
1938	January	13	Prestongrange Colliery	Lothian	William	Cunningham	22		Overcome by fumes after shot backfired	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	January	13	Minto Colliery	Fife	John	Seath	43	coal cutting machineman	Injuries sustained 11 July 1927 by fall from roof	With thanks to Jim Seath for this information
1938	January	14	Polmaise	Stirlingshire	Frank	Cairns	43	Machineman	Fall of stone from roof	Newspaper report - Stirlingshire pages
1938	January	14	Kames Colliery	Ayrshire	Alexander	McKenzie	52	Pithead worker	Natural causes	Muirkirk memorial & death cert
1938	January	17	Foulshiels	Lothian	William Johnstone	McGillivray		Brusher	Block and tackle fell upon his head	NAS FAI - "William Johnstone McGillivary, brusher, Church Place, Longridge, died on 17 January 1938 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from injuries sustained on 14 January 1938 in Foulshiels Colliery, Stoneyburn, West Lothian, when a block and tackle fell upon his head"
1938	January	17	Roslin	Lothian	George	Bathgate	56	Coal miner	Crushed by cage	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	January	20	Minto	Fife	James	Fairley	40		Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages
1938	January	25	Westwood Shale pit	Lothian	John	Rossa		Shale miner	Gas explosion	NAS FAI "John Rossa, shale miner, 59 Front Street, Mossend, West Calder, Mid Lothian, died on 25 January 1938 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from burns sustained on 7 January 1938 in Westwood Shale Pit, Blackburn, West Lothian, following a gas explosion"
1938	January	25	Millhall	Stirlingshire	William	Weir	51	mechanical engineer	Fell down shaft	Newspaper report - Stirlingshire pages
1938	January	29	Rosie	Fife	Thomas	Waddell	35	Coal stripper	Fall of coal	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	January	30	Dumbreck Colliery	Stirlingshire	Peter	Byrne	58	Brusher	Underground fire	Dumbreck page
					Joseph	Campbell	59	Fireman
					Henry	Hagan	38	Brusher
					Joseph Mervin	Kelly	30	Brusher
					James	Martin	38	Brusher
					Joseph	Martin	26	Brusher
					Robert	Martin	35	Brusher
					Edward	O'Neill	23	Brusher
					Peter	Walker	36	Brusher
1938	February	4	Newtongrange	Lothian	George Hay	McIntosh	65	Railway platelayer	Knocked down by train of coal trucks	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	February	4	Bank No 1 Pit	Ayrshire	James	Lopez		miner	NK	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
1938	February	14	Viewpark	Lanarkshire	Stanley	Markavitch	44		Crushed by hutches	Newspaper report - Bothwell pages
1938	February	18	Auchengeich	Lanarkshire	Thomas	McKean		Coal cutting machineman	Struck by boulder	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	February	21	Bridgeness	Lothian	Charles	Smith		Oncost worker	Struck by a back balance bogey	NAS FAI "Charles Smith Senior, oncost worker, 12 Ann Terrace, Bridgeness, Bo'ness, west Lothian, died on 21 February 1938 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from injuries sustained on 30 December 1937 in No. 6 Pit, Bridgeness Colliery, Bridgeness, Bo'ness, when he was struck by a back balance bogey"
1938	February	21	Lochore Colliery	Fife	George Ramsay Hodge	Harrower	31	Coal miner	Roof fall	Headstone & death cert.
1938	February	25	Woodhall Colliery	Lanarkshire	James	Davidson	33		injuries received from becoming entangled in coal cutting machine	Newspaper report - Bothwell pages
1938	March	1	Castle Colliery, Douglas	Lanarkshire	David Tweedie	Moffat	23	mine worker	Fell down shaft	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	March	3	Woodhall	Lanarkshire	John	Waddell	33	oncostman	Crushed between wall and hutch	NAS FAI & death cert
1938	March	6	Earnock	Lanarkshire	Alexander Brown	Young				see entry under 25 December 1937
1938	March	11	Leadside, Wellwood	Fife	John Young	Downie	36	Labourer	Caught between rope and drum and mechanical haulage
1938	March	12	Newton	Lanarkshire	Richard	Jones		Stripper	Electrocution	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	March	12	Newton	Lanarkshire	Miles	McCue		Fireman	Electrocution	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	March	12	Wellwood	Fife	John	Downie	34	Waggon attendant	Caught in machinery	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	March	15	Roslin	Midlothian	William	Higgins	43	Coal miner	Crushed by a fall of roof in Moat Colliery	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	March	15	Roslin	Midlothian	Alexander	Bathgate			Crushed by a fall of roof in Moat Colliery	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	March	19	Lochore	Fife	James	Brennan		Miner	Explosion	Newspaper report - Ballingry pages
1938	March	19	Woodend	Lothian	William	Neilson		Coal miner	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	March	24	Loanhead	Lothian	Joseph	Logrie	25	Miner	Fell down dook	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	March	24	Michael	Fife	James Wallace	Millar	23	Miner	Asphyxia	NAS FAI & death cert
1938	March	25	Maxwell Pit, Dailly	Ayrshire	William	Smith	25	Miner	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
1938	March	29	Southrigg	Lothian	William John	McKelvie	59	Miner	Crushed by stone	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	March	31	Hamilton Palace	Lanarkshire	Anthony	Strain	17		Caught in machinery	Newspaper report - Bothwellhaugh pages
1938	April	5	Valleyfield Colliery	Fife	David	Morgan	52	labourer	Struck by mineral train	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	April	12	Michael	Fife	James	McLean	NK	surface worker	Crushed between trucks in colliery woodyard	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	April	14	Loanhead	Lothian	Andrew	Kirk	60	Miner	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	April	16	Dumbreck Colliery	Stirlingshire	James	Gilfillan	30	miner	Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Stirlingshire pages
1938	April	16	Dumbreck Colliery	Stirlingshire	John	Murphy	27	miner	Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Stirlingshire pages
1938	April	19	Prestongrange	Lothian	George	Ritchie	21	coal miner	Fall of stone
1938	April	20	Bank, New Cumnock	Ayrshire	Joseph	Crozier	32	Miner	Killed by runaway hutches	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
					John Hamilton	Mackie	19	Drawer
					Robert	Milligan	32	Miner
					Robert	Murray	36	Miner
					Joseph Watson	Walls	14	Mine switch boy
1938	April	22	Foulshiels	Lothian	James	Cummerford		Coal miner	Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	April	22	Aitken Colliery	Fife	William	Munro		labourer	Alleged suicide after injury	Newspaper report - Beath pages
1938	April	24	Minto	Fife	Robert	Holmes	32	Engineer	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages
1938	May	3	NK Methil area	Fife	Alexander	Coull		Miner	Crushed by hutches	NAS FAI & death cert
1938	May	4	Kingshill No. 2	Lanarkshire	James	Campbell	50	Contract Brusher		With thanks to Iain D. MacIver for this information
1938	May	17	Northfield	Lanarkshire	William	Blackley	60	Haulageman	Caught in machinery	Newspaper report - Shotts pages
1938	May	18	Tulligarth	Clackmannanshire	James	McLean				Newspaper report - Clackmannanshire pages
1938	May	18	Fauldhead	Dumfries	Charles	Wood	52	miner	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Dumfriesshire pages
1938	May	19	Westwood Shale pit	Lothian	Daniel	Carey		Shale miner	Fall of rock	Newspaper report - Lothians pages NAS: Fatal Accident Inquiry: Daniel Carey, shale miner, 3 Stable Rows, Starlaw, by Bathgate, died on 19 May 1938 in Westwood Pit, Livingston Parish, West Lothian, when material fell from the roof on him
1938	May	20	Minto Colliery	Fife	Walter Clark	McDonald	54	coal miner	Fall from the roof	Headstone & death cert.
1938	May	24	Glencraig	Fife	William	Whyte	27	coal miner	Natural causes - valvular heart disease
1938	June	3	Cadzow	Lanarkshire	John	Fraser			Collapsed	Newspaper report - Hamilton pages
1938	June	7	Broomside Colliery	Lanarkshire	Thomas	Hamilton			Tipper overbalanced on colliery bing	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	June	14	Valleyfield Colliery	Fife	James	Gillespie	68	pit repairer	Buried by fall	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	June	20	Lochhead Colliery	Fife	David Rodger	Hunter	22	electrician	Electrocuted	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	June	21	Cronberry Moor	Ayrshire	John	Fleming	43	shot firer	Spark from fuse set fire to clothing	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
1938	June	21	Michael	Fife	William	Knox	63	Oversman	Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Fife pages
1938	June	21	Glencraig	Fife	James	Connelly	51	Coal miner	Killed by runaway hutches	Newspaper report - Ballingry pages
1938	June	21	Foulshiels	Lothian	Walter	Black		Coal miner	Fall of roof	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	June	22	Barbauchlaw	Lothian	John Beaty	Bell		Coal miner	Fall of material from side of working place	NAS FAI "John Beaty Bell, Coal miner, 64 Easton Road, Bathgate, died on 22 June 1938 while being conveyed in an ambulance wagon in Edinburgh Road, Bathgate, from injuries sustained on the same day in Barbauchlaw Mine, Armadale, West Lothian, when material fell from the side of his working place on him"
1938	June	30	Rosehall	Lanarkshire	Thomas	Morton	38	foreman electrician	Struck on head by jib of crane	NAS FAI & death cert
1938	July	7	Kames, Muirkirk	Ayrshire	Benjamin	Hendry	37	Shot borer	Fall of coal	Newspaper Report - Muirkirk pages
1938	July	7	Haugh Colliery	Stirlingshire	Robert McPhee	Stevenson	18	labourer	Crushed by brick wall	Newspaper report - Stirlingshire pages
1938	July	8	Whitrigg	Lothian	William	Glen		Coal miner	Tetanus after struck by piece of coal	NAS FAI "William Glen, coal miner, 14 Armadale Road, Whitburn, died on 8 July 1938 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from tetanus following injuries sustained on 17 June 1938 in No. 5 Whitrigg Colliery, Whitburn, West Lothian, when he was struck by a piece of coal on the right elbow"
1938	July	18	Parkneuk	Lanarkshire	Alexander	Fisher	56	Coal cutting machineman	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	July	18	NK (Usual residence Harthill)	Lanarkshire	Alexander	Galbraith	55	Colliery surface foreman	Struck by piece of wire mesh	NAS FAI & death cert
1938	July	26	Bedlay	Lanarkshire	Archibald	Batchelor		Pithead worker	Caught in machinery	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	August	1	Randolph	Fife	Hugh	Martin	46	Oncost worker	Struck by hutch	Newspaper report - Fife pages NB NAS gives name as Hugh Martin Fleming
1938	August	4	Crow Colliery, Calderbank	Lanarkshire	William	Waddell	20	Repairer	Fall of stone and rock from roof	Newspaper report - Bothwell pages
1938	August	15	Burghlee	Lothian	Richard	McCutcheon	35	Pit sinker	Shock from blast of explosion	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	August	25	Littlemill Colliery	Ayrshire	William	Wallace	41		Fall	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
1938	August	30	Minto	Fife	James	Hunter		Miner	Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages
1938	September	3	Rosehall Colliery	Lanarkshire	James	Baird	16	surface worker	Legs caught in conveyor	Newspaper report - Bothwell pages
1938	September	14	Loganlea	Lothian	James Baxter	Johnstone	30	Coal miner	Fall of stone from roof	FAI list and death cert
1938	September	17	NK (Queenzieburn area)	Dunbartonshire	Andrew	Irvine	53	Colliery fireman	Fall of stone from roof	FAI list and death cert
1938	September	22	Whitehill	Ayrshire	John	Shirkie	44	Coal miner (roadman)	NK - blood poisoning following head injury in pit	With thanks to Robert Grierson for providing this information
1938	October	2	Blackrigg	Lothian	Matthew	Hailstones		Haulage roadsman	Struck by a rake of tubs	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	October	3	Afton	Ayrshire	Alexander	Ford		Oversman	NK	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
1938	October	7	Inchneuk Mine, Glenboig	Lanarkshire	Andrew	Paterson	63	Fireclay miner	Crushed by hutch	FAI list and death cert
1938	October	10	Blantyreferme Colliery Brickworks	Lanarkshire	Peter McGuire	McDermott	21		Suffocated in blaes hopper	Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1938	October	12	Holytown Colliery	Lanarkshire	Edward	Davis	14		Caught in conveyor of coal washing plant	Newspaper report - Bothwell pages
1938	October	12	Kames Colliery	Ayrshire	William	McCall	20	Clipper	Fractured skull	Muirkirk memorial & death cert
1938	October	19	Blackrigg	Lothian	Robert	Muir		Fireman	Struck on the head by material projected from a shot	NAS FAI "Robert Muir, fireman, 17 Harthill Road, Westcraigs, died on 19 October 1938 in No. 2 Blackrigg Colliery, Blackridge, West Lothian, when he was struck on the head by material projected from a shot"
1938	October	22	Brucefield	Clackmannan	William	Drummond	40	Miner	Struck by hutch	Newspaper report - Clackmannanshire pages
1938	November	7	NK(Usual residence Springboig)	Lanarkshire	Robert Paterson	Robertson	44	underground fireman	Erysipelas, 5 days, resulting from a scratch obtained as a result of his employment	Death certificate
1938	November	8	Carberry	Lothian	Andrew Watt	Wood	35	Coal miner	Crushing accident	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	November	9	Bowhill	Fife	Peter	Moyes	65	Coal miner - packer	Fall of stone from the roof
1938	November	10	Lochhead Colliery	Fife	George Syme	Grieve	55	pithead worker	Fracture of ribs and shock	FAI list and death cert
1938	November	12	Houldsworth Colliery	Ayrshire	William Dowdles	McClymont	50	coal miner	Fall of coal and dirt from face	With thanks to the anonymous contributor of this information
1938	November	16	Auchengeich	Lanarkshire	Alexander	Hargey			Injuries received while riding on hutch	death cert
1938	November	20	Newbattle	Lothian	John	Taylor	45	Oversman	Fall of stone	FAI list and death cert
1938	November	23	Woolmet	Lothian	Charles	Ramsay	30		Fall of stone	Newspaper report - Lothians pages
1938	November	28	Dixon's Colliery Blantyre	Lanarkshire	Alexander	McGaughie	59	coalpit motorman	Natural causes	death cert
1938	December	9	Littlemill	Ayrshire	Robert	Howatson	25	NK	Explosion	Newspaper report - Ayrshire pages
					John	Leslie	50	Coal miner
					William	Brown	29	Coal miner
					James	Graham	46	Coal miner
1938	December	13	Hamilton Palace	Lanarkshire	Alexander	Gilmour	18	scree waggon runner	Struck by wooden propr	With thanks to Edelweiss Winship for this information
1938	December	16	No 11 Colliery, Lumphinnans	Fife	Peter	McArthur	25	shunter	Run-over by waggon	Newspaper report - Beath pages
1938	December	17	Southhook Colliery	Ayrshire	Thomas John Wilson	McDowall	15	pony drier	Fractured skull	FAI list and death cert

Last Updated 1st January 2014