William Pit Exploded in 1947 — 20 Hours Later, Three Men Were Found Alive

Coal mining documentary: William Pit disaster, Whitehaven, Cumberland. 1947 explosion — 20 hours later, three miners were found alive underground. Pit Village Britain explores the true story of William Pit, the Whitehaven colliery whose tunnels ran out beneath the Irish Sea. On 15 August 1947, just months after the National Coal Board took over Britain's mines, an explosion changed the town forever, and one of the worst mining disasters in West Cumberland's history began. We follow the long rescue effort, the families waiting at the pithead, the three men found alive, and how Whitehaven's mining community remembered the day. We also look at what remains of the coalfield today, from the closure of William Pit in 1954 to the Haig Pit heritage site. Subscribe for untold British history from the coalfields. #CoalMiningHistory #BritishHistory #PitVillageBritain