Scottish Mining Website

Index to deaths in Scotland 1944
These names are sourced from a variety of records including newspapers, lists of fatal accident inquiries, memorials and death certificates. 
We welcome information on deaths not listed on this page - please complete a submission form 
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

Year MonthDayCollieryDistrictFirst NameSurnameAgeOccupationCause Information on site or Source
1944 January 18Bothwell Castle CollieryLanarkshire JosephTaggart 34Coal pit brusher Struck by fall of stone from roof  
1944 January26ThankertonLanarkshireJosephGreen  colliery oncost workerQuantity of material fell from the roof upon him NAS FAI "Joseph Green, colliery on-cost worker, 6 Sunnyside Avenue, Holytown, Lanarkshire, died on 26 January 1944 at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, from injuries sustained on 25 January 1944 in No. 6 Pit of Thankerton Colliery, Holytown, when a quantity of material fell from the roof upon him"
1944 February4No 7 CowdenbeathFifeJames MaxwellMcFarlane  colliery lamp cabin attendantBurning injuries to right hand and arm NAS FAI
1944 February16Valleyfield CollieryFifeJamesWilliamson  coal minerSuffocated by fall of coal Newspaper report - Fife pages
1944 March3WhitriggLothianPatrick DownsGraham  pithead workerStruck by revolving shaft  
1944 March4CalderheadLanarkshireWilliamDuffy49Coal miner (stripper)Fall of coal from the roof. Midlothian Advertiser 10 March 1944
1944 March6AitkenFifeJohnMcDonough  coal miner Natural causes Newspaper report - Beath pages
1944 March 12Kames Colliery AyrshireWilliam Connal Muncie59 colliery firemanFractured spine Muirkirk memorial & death cert
1944 March 16Bedlay Colliery LanarkshireRhoderick Preston60 Brusher  Newspaper report - Lanarkshire pages
1944 April 12Blantyre Colliery LanarkshireAlexander Paterson58 colliery machinemanBuried by a fall of stone and dirt from roof  
1944 April13ThankertonLanarkshireJohnGallacher  minerFall of stone NAS FAI "John Gallacher, miner, 109 Main Street, Holytown, Lanarkshire, died on 13 April 1944 at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, from injuries sustained on the same day in Docherty Mine Section of the Virgin Coal Seam of No. 1 Pit, Tankerton Colliery, Holytown, Lanarkshire, when a stone fell from the roof upon him "
1944 April13Harburn Limestone PitLothianWilliamDavidson  MinerFall of roof  
ThomasFerrier  Miner
1944 April15Bowhill CollieryFifeThomas MurdochTaylor59Oncost workerCrushed by hutches NAS FAI & headstone
1944 April18No 3 BurghleeLothianJohnKnox22Coal minerFall of coal  
1944 April24Roslin CollieryLothianAlexander LaurieHope23Coal minerFall of stone from roof  
1944 April25MuircockhallFifeJames MeiklejohnAnderson  coal minerFell down shaft NAS FAI
1944 May 1Cowdenbeath Colliery FifeWilliam Archibald70 minernatural causes Newspaper report - Beath pages
1944 May5Westwood Shale pitLothianJohnMurdoch  Shale minerFall of blaes from roof NAS: Fatal Accident Inquiry: John Murdoch shale miner, 59 Oakbank, Mid Calder, died on 5 May 1944 in Westwood Shale Pit, Blackburn, when blaes fell from the roof on him
1944 May 11Cadzow LanarkshireJohn Percy49 Coal pit brusherStruck by fall of stone from roof  
1944 May 13Woodhall Colliery LanarkshireSamuel Wilson67 General labourerNatural causes NAS FAI & death cert.
1944 May15LoganleaLothianJohn PatrickMcCairn64Coal minerCrushed between derailed hutch and side of road  
1944 May16Unknown (Douglas Water)  JohnNelson54colliery machinemanFall from roof FAI record – NAS
1944 May17Burghlee CollieryLothianWilliamCook33Coal cutting machinemanCrushed by fall of coal  
1944 May19Bedlay Colliery  Henry TurnbullDunn39coal stripperFall of stone  
1944 May21Roslin CollieryLothianJohn LamontMcDonald45Underground firemanDied of burns sustained c20 May  
1944 May 23Kinglassie Colliery FifeAlexander Doig41 coal minerNatural causes NAS FAI & death cert.
1944 May25Roslin CollieryLothianWilliam JohnLang56Coal minerDied of burns sustained c20 May  
1944 June12Mid BreichLothianJohnBrogan  Shale minerFiredamp explosion NAS: Fatal Accident Inquiry: John Brogan, shale miner, 44 New Breich, Blackburn, West Lothian, died on 12 June 1944 at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, from injuries sustained on the same day in Mid Breich Shale Pit, Blackburn, when fire-damp ignited in his working place
1944 June 14Wellesley Colliery FifeJohn Walton MacKenzie61 Bricklayer's labourerNatural causes Newspaper report - Fife pages
1944 July2Nellie CollieryFifeRobert KingMackie 61coal minerRoof fall Newspaper report - Auchterderran pages
1944 July 4Ross CollieryLanarkshire CharlesFraser 42colliery repairer Struck by fall of stone from side of road  
1944 July10Bishop No 3 Mine CoatbridgeLanarkshireJamesLaw  coal miner(brusher)Fall of stone from roof NAS FAI
1944 July 26Southfield Colliery LanarkshireWilliam W. Muir 55  Accidentally killed Headstone
1944 July27GreenriggLothianJohn LivingstoneMcCallum  Loader shifterElectrocution  
1944 August8Benhar CollieryLanarkshireJohn WatsonRobertson  coalminer (stripper)Natural causes - heart disease NAS FAI "John Watson Robertson, coalminer (stripper), 5 Minthill Place, Eastfield, Harthill, Lanarkshire, died on 8 August 1944 from heart disease in Benhar Colliery, Harthill, Lanarkshire"
1944 August17GreenriggLothianJamesPollock  Surface workerStruck by a bogey  
1944 September5PolkemmetLothianDavid HoodCrichton  MinerFall of roof  
1944 September14EastonLothianHughMcKechnie  Coal minerHit by piece of coal  
1944 October13Frances CollieryFifeWilliam R.Grieve18TraineeFell down shaft Newspaper report - Fife pages
1944
October
15
NK (Shotts area)
Lanarkshire
John
Connelly
49
coal miner
Fall of stone
With thanks to Victoria Mulholland for this information
1944
October
20 Bessie Glen Colliery Clackmannan RobertCrawford 40   Result of accident Headstone
1944 October 25 NK (Roslin area) Lothian JamesHutchison 46 coal miner Injury to chest and fractured pelvis  
1944 October29CarridenLothianJamesHammond  Coal minerHit by material after shot firing  
1944 October31EasthousesLothianGeorge WalkerBlyth53Pithead workerCrushed by hutches  
1944 November6PolkemmetLothianAndrew McDonaldSimpson  Coal minerFall of stone from roof  
1944 November7EastonLothianJohn SlaterMaxwell  Coal minerStruck by steel prop  
1944 November23EasthousesLothianJohnFairgrieve31Coal crusher attendantCaught in coalcutting machine  
1944 November25EasthousesLothianJamesGalloway58Colliery enginemanHeart failure after being injured by being struck by carriage  
1944 December2WoometLothianGeorge ThomsonSmith38BrusherFall of stone from roof (died of fractured spine 11 months after accident)  
1944 December 4NK - Buckhaven area FifeDavid Watters49 Coal minerTetanus after pit accidentNAS FAI & death cert.
1944 December29FoulshielsLothianJoseph DavidsonGreig  Coal minerFall of roof  

Last Updated 1st January 2014