Minnie Pit Explosion

The Minnie Pit Explosion happened on Saturday 12th January 1918. In total 156 men and boys from the Audley Parish were killed in the disaster just 10 months before the end of the Great War.  If a family member wasn’t killed in the trenches in Europe, they were killed in the coal seams below their village.

It took 18 months to retrieve all the bodies and the event was marked by a Memorial Service in Audley Churchyard on Sunday August 31st 1919 which was attended by over 3,000 people.

The events are full detailed in a small book written by Christine Lamb who began researching the disaster some years ago. She is now actively involved in the research project with the Audley Family History Society who are planning to publish a detailed book about the explosion with photos and family details in 2018 for the Centenary event.

There will be a series of Remembrance events around the 12th January 2015 at the Methodist Chapel in Halmer End (used as a temporary mortuary in 1918) to build up to a full Remembrance Event in 2018.