and Heritage Centre
THE BEVIN BOYS
BARRY WAR MUSEUM are pleased to announce that they have their very own Bevin Boy mannequin and original artefacts on display (unlike the Imperial War Museum in London which has nothing on show)
During WW2 48, 000 young conscripts were sent down the coal mines. 28,000 volunteered in lieu of going into the armed services, but 20,000 were ballotted. They had no choice, and to refuse was to go to jail or receive a heavy fine, or both.
The Bevin Boys often referred to themselves as the forgotten conscripts as they were not recognised for what they did as part of Great Britain's war effort.
Many Bevin Boys were not released until 3 years after the war ended in 1948! Their jobs were not held open on demob, they received no demob suit and no medal.
It took 50 years of campaigning for them to gain the right to march on Remembrance Sunday in London, and another ten years before the Government issued all surviving Bevin Boys with a veteran badge.
Visit our museum for more information on the Bevin Boys, the forgotten conscripts of World War 2.
Find out more at this website
about the Bevin Boys.
Two local Bevin Boys attended a recent presentation on the Bevin Boys given my Jacqueline (Jaye) Swift at Barry War Museum