Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 24 May 1941
Wood Shield Final
Wath Main take Second Place
In the final of the Wood Shield competition of the Yorkshire Collieries Ambulance League at Wombwell on Saturday, honours went to Pontefract Colliery, Wath Main (winners last year) being second, and Barnburgh Colliery third.
In the individual section the Osbert Peake Cup was won by S. Parker, of Maltby Main, with J. R. Grundy, of Frickley, as runner-up. The Watkin Shield, presented by the late Mr. Robert Watkin, of Dearne Valley Colliery for local teams, was won by Barnburgh Main. The final was staged at Wombwell Modern School and six teams competed.
Lord Bingley Present
The Rt. Hon. Lord Bingley, President of the league and brother-in-law of Lord Halifax, presented the trophies and medals, together with a certificate on vellum awarded by the League to ambulance men of Hatfield Main for conspicuously good work on the occasion of an over-winding accident at that colliery in December, 1939.
Mention was made of the interesting fact that Lord Halifax left his signature for this certificate before ‘ leaving for America.
Awards were:
Wood Shield competition:
1 Pontefract Colliery (R. Cunningham, J. Tolson, .1. Hancox and E. Jones) 2591 Points;
2, Wath Main (W. Free, D. Frost, C. Gosling, N. Dyer) 2521 points;
3, Barnburgh Main (R. M. Hargrave, E. Green, S. Myers, F. Parker), 2430 points
Osbert Peake Cup:
- Parker, Maltby Main, 66; J. R. Grundy, Frickley, 65; F. Tomlinson, Methley Junction, 64; R. M. Hargrave, Barnburgh Main, 62; W. Madeley, Water Haigh, 551. J. Bentcliffe, Cortonwood Colliery, 48.
Gold medals were presented to the winners and silver medals to the others.
Introducing Lord Bingley, Major H. J. Humphreys, Divisional Inspector of Mines, said they were grateful for his presence. The Wood Shield competition was inaugurated in 1908 and was the largest colliery competition in the country. No fewer than 122 teams competed in the first round. They would also ask Lord Bingley to present a certificate awarded by the league for extraordinary good ambulance work at Hatfield Main Colliery on the occasion of a cage accident on December 12th, 1939.
The league felt that this work deserved special recognition and had therefore presented the certificate not to any individuals but to the colliery. Before leaving for America Lord Halifax left his signature with authority to have it placed on the certificate. It also bore the signature of Lord Bingley. Lord Bingley said he realised the immense importance of ambulance work and the progress made, and therefore it was a real pleasure to be present at the final. He had been very much impressed by the large attendance and the obvious keenness of everyone. They all knew that mining was dangerous and no advance of science could get away from that, although things were better in many respects than they used to be. At any rate ambulance efficiency which they had shown that afternoon was very necessary. “It is a very fine thing,” he said, “that you make such an effort to serve your fellow workers and those around you and you deserve the credit for it.”
Mr S. Bunting (manager at Hatfield) thanked the league for the award of the certificate. He said it was difficult to say which of their men did the most meritorious work and therefore it was felt it would be better to award it to the men employed at the colliery. They received the certificate with the utmost pleasure.
The certificate was accepted by Chief Ambulance Assistant James T. Firth, Thorne Road, Stainforth, and Ambulance Secretary Ernest Kendall, Ling Croft, Epworth Road, Hatfield, formerly of Low Valley. Mr. Bunting said these two men dealt with most of the cases in the ambulance room.
A vote of thanks to Lord Bingley and the judges was proposed by Lt.-Col. H. Rhodes, T.D., M.1.C.E., F.S.L., vice-president of the League, and seconded by Mr. A. Blenkinsop, of Dalton Main. Col. Rhodes remarked that ” Mr. Lane Fox ” was present in the “disguise ” of Lord Bingley as ” Mr. Wood ” (Wood Shield) was in America disguised as “Lord Halifax.” Remembering their eminence and that they were brothers-in-law, they realised how much they were indebted to them (applause).
Messrs. J. Bell (Manvers), A. Fairhurst (Wath Main) and J. Worthington (Dearne Valley) were also thanked for their assistance.