Remembering Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery Disaster
- Submitted by: Brian Whittle, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
- Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
- Motion reference: S5M-22639
That the Parliament commemorates the 70th anniversary of the mining disaster at Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery near New Cumnock, which took place on 7 September 1950 and occurred when moss and peat collapsed into the mine following days of heavy rain, leaving 129 men trapped underground; understands that, following a nationwide appeal for suitable breathing equipment, 116 men were successfully rescued over the course of three days and 13 lost their lives; remembers the 13 who lost their lives in the disaster, John Dalziel, James Houston, Thomas Houston, William Howat, William Lee, James Love, William McFarlane, John McLatchie, John Murray, Samuel Rowan, John Smith, Daniel Strachan and John White, and recognises the lifesaving efforts of all the volunteers and rescuers and the continuing work of the local community to commemorate the disaster.
Supported by:
Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Michelle Ballantyne, Miles Briggs, Donald Cameron, Jackson Carlaw, Peter Chapman, Kenneth Gibson, Rachael Hamilton, Bill Kidd, Gordon Lindhurst, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, Margaret Mitchell, Edward Mountain, Alex Neil, John Scott, Colin Smyth, Alexander Stewart, David Torrance, Annie Wells