The efforts of World War Two's forgotten heroes – the Bevin Boys – will be recognised for the first time, Tony Blair has announced.
The Prime Minister has finally confirmed that the contribution of the men who were sent down the mines in West Yorkshire will be marked with a special honour.
Around 48,000 men aged between 18 and 25 were chosen to work in the mines to "keep the h
ome fires burning" during the war.
Mining memories for Sir Jimmy Savile.
They were picked for duty by a lottery which took place in war-time Minister for Labour and National Service Ernest Bevin's Whitehall office.
Yorkshire was one of the three main areas where the Bevin Boys worked.
The Prince of Wales Colliery served as one of the 13 Government training centre collieries, which trained the new and inexperienced miners before sending them to other Yorkshire pits.
Mr Blair yesterday used his weekly Commons Questions session to pay tribute to the "extraordinary" work of the Bevin Boys "without which our war effort would have been seriously hindered."
He added: "We are going to have a special commemorative badge for the Bevin Boys."
Announcing the new lapel badge in a Commons written statement, Energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, said: "The Bevin Boys badge is a survivors badge and I would encourage Bevin Boy veterans to wear it in public in order visibly to raise awareness of the important role they played during World War Two and in the post-war reconstruction of the UK."
Yvette Cooper, Labour MP for Pontefract and Castleford, and former miner Lord Lofthouse have long campaigned for recognition for the Bevin Boys.
The application process for the badge will be introduced towards the end of this year, with the first awards expected in March to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the de-mobbing of the last Bevin Boy.
Pontefract and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper, who has been campaigning to get recognition for the Bevin Boys said: "Those who kept the pits working during the war played a vital role in this country's victory. It is right that the Bevin Boys should finally get some recognition for their important work. And I'm delighted that this announcement has come in time for Veterans Day next week."
The Bevin Boy's programme ran until 1948, with those who served in the pits being known as "the forgotten men of the war."
Famous Bevin Boys include Sir Jimmy Savile and Eric Morecambe.
