Annual service of remembrance to mark anniversary of Gresford Mining Disaster

An annual service to remember those who tragically lost their lives in the Gresford Mining Disaster will take place this weekend.

The service will take place at the Gresford Disaster Memorial in Pandy at 11am on Saturday 22nd September. It will take place on the anniversary of a disaster that took the lives of 265 local men and boys.

253 men still remain entombed after a massive explosion ripped through the Dennis section of Gresford Colliery at 2am on 22nd September 1934.

Just six men escaped with their lives from the affected area. 261 men were killed in the immediate aftermath with three rescue team members adding to the number.

A few days later a further explosion caused part of the seal to blow off hitting a surface worker leaving the final death toll as 265.

No village in the Wrexham County Borough was left unscathed by the disaster which took so many lives.

Family and friends waited for 48 years before they had somewhere to lay their flowers and wreathes. Since the memorial was unveiled in 1982 a service has taken place at 11am on the anniversary date each year.

Some of the deceased were at the very beginning of their working lives, too young to have married and raised families. Many children never had the chance to know their fathers. Some mothers lost three or more sons.

Llay Miner’s Welfare Band will play their rendition of ‘Gresford,’ a hymn written by Robert Saint which is known as the miner’s hymn throughout the world.