There have been major conflicts in the nineteenth and twentieth century, which impacted on the villages of Kiveton Park and Wales in different ways. Many men paid the ultimate price and lost their lives, particularly during the two world wars. Other survived and came back to work at the pits, but their experiences were to stay with them for the rest of their lives, as many of the accounts here demonstrate. What we hope to do with this website is to remember all these men and to bring their experiences together in one place for future generations to learn from. What also shines through from this material is the effects which the wars had here in Kiveton. On the following pages you can learn what rationing meant for the villages, how German airships and bombers flew over on their way to Sheffield and how the pits worked at full capacity to turn out the coal needed for the country’s war effort.
The Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902, between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic). A number of men connected with Kiveton served during that war.
At the very end of the nineteenth century, British forces went to war against the Boers in South Africa. Several years of bitter fighting followed. A number of men connected with Kiveton served during that war. A proud portrait of a soldier who later moved to Kiveton sits above a mantelpiece on Wales Road.
Worthy Wigmore, who was later a winder at Kiveton Pit, served during both the Boer War and the First World War. These photos show him in a proud stance while in South Africa and a few years later with his family on Colliery Road. The medals shown here are those he was awarded with after serving in the Boer War and while serving in World War One.
The First World War had a decisive impact on the history of the 20th century. Many Kiveton men served during the First World War, in many theatres, from the Western Front and Gallipoli to the lesser known conflicts in the Middle East and the Baltic. The First World War section of our site includes:
Clarence Elliot | Those Who Fell
On 3 September 1939 Britain and France found themselves at war with Germany. What were the reasons for this new war with Germany? As far as we are concerned, it was the invasion of Poland by Germany. Hitler having already invaded smaller European countries, now looked towards Poland, despite having signed a non-aggression pact with Poland some years earlier. On 1 September, Hitler's huge army moved eastwards across the Polish border. What this section explores is what happened next, as millions of servicemen and civilians were mobilized to fight the biggest war the world has ever seen. This section provides insights into what the war meant in Kiveton and Wales, for both those who went to fight and the men and women who fought on the 'home front'.