Arthur Barraclough

Arthur Barraclough from Leeds was conscripted as a Bevin Boy in 1943, sent to work at Fryston Colliery near Castleford instead of the armed forces. Named after Ernest Bevin, the scheme drafted one in ten conscripts into the coal mines to maintain fuel production. Arthur worked underground for three years in grueling conditions, often in seams barely three feet high. Bevin Boys received no campaign medals and no recognition until 2007, when the government finally issued them a veterans badge.