canterburytimes.co.uk CAN-EO1-S3 Times, We d n e s d a y,July 30,2014 19

Sponsored by Suspicions rife over German links to a coal company Anglo-Westphalian Colliery changed name at start of conflict and director quit

THERE may have that they should be so used.” been carnage at the It seems the local director, Willi Peritz, might have became a front, but the “guest of the nation”at Alexandra essentials of life were Palace, where internees were held during the First World War when still required. considered to be enemies of the RICHARD WEST, c o u n t r y. founder The Chaucer The German involvement with the Kent Coalfield during the war Education Project also resulted in questions being (vle.tcep.org.uk), asked in the House of Commons. On August 17, 1916, Ronald looks at the McNeill, Unionist MP for the St importance of coal- Augustine constituency in Kent, mining in east Kent... asked the president of the Board of Trade “If he is aware that a ONE-HUNDRED years ago, in German named Kearton, man- May 1914, construction of ager of a colliery at Chislet, Kent, Colliery commenced. Coal min- is constantly to be seen driving ing was to become East Kent’s about in a motor car, especially only heavy industry. when any movement of troops The honour of discovering the takes place in the district; wheth- Kent Coalfield went to Francis er this man has a licence to use a Brady, chief engineer of the South motor car, and, if so, for what Eastern Railway, in February reason the licence was granted; 1890, when he was seconded to the and if he will say what allowance Channel Tunnel Company estab- of petrol has been allotted to him lished by the railway company. under the recent restriction Between 1896 and 1919, 40 bore o rd e r s ? ” holes were sunk to locate coal in Mr Harcourt replied “The Chis- Kent. Twenty-nine of those bore let Colliery Company have been holes showed the existence of licensed to be supplied with 10 coal. gallons of petrol a month for a Fourteen collieries in Kent sub- HARD BUT VITAL WORK: Miners working at a Kent colliery coalface in the 1920s Photo: Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery motor car. I understand that no sequently progressed beyond the licence for petrol for a motor car planning stage; most were located being established: Shakespeare, Coalfield’s potential. Test bores way. The mouth of the River Stour into their heads that this was a has been issued to Mr Kearton within a triangle bounded by Can- 1896 to 1915; ; Cobham, were drilled at: Hoades Wood, and the togeth- German company, whereas they personally. The remainder of the terbury, Dover and Deal, in an 1947 to 1953; Guilford, 1906 to 1920; near ; , near Herne er separated the had only one German sharehold- Hon Gentleman’s question relates area which became established as Woodnesborough; Maydensole; Bay; and Chitty and Chislet Park, from the rest of Kent. Coal pro- er, Mr Peritz. to matters with which the Home the Kent Coalfield. Stonehall, 1913 to 1921; Wingham, near . specting then moved to the parish “A certain amount of difficulty Office appear to be concerned, 1910 to 1914; Goodnestone; and The Anglo-Westphalian Coal of , between the Canter- had arisen because that gentle- and I will draw their attention to Vi a bl e Fredville. Coal was found during Syndicate Limited leased land bury to Margate road to south of man was on the board, and he it.” test bores at a further three sites from the Ecclesiastical Commis- the Canterbury to Minster rail- lived at Canterbury. Only four of those collieries Shafts were to prove viable in the longer but no additional work was car- sioners at Chislet Park, commen- way line, to which a branch line “The local people and the term: Tilmanstone, begun 1906, ried out: Barham; Nonington; and cing January 1, 1912. The leases for the colliery was constructed. authorities generally began to get Construction of the colliery raising first coal to the surface in Wa l d e r s h a re. for the land were of various The report by EM Hann, gen- suspicious, and the company’s was stopped by the Government 1912; Snowdown, begun 1908, rais- Each of the proposed Kent col- lengths, with the shortest being 60 eral manager of the Powell Duffyn telephone was removed because it during the First World War. Sink- ing first coal in 1912; Chislet, lieries was situated in a rural ye a r s. Steam Coal Company Limited, was thought that it was being ing of the two 16 feet diameter begun 1914, raising first coal in area. The problem from the outset Permission to transport coal dated September 19, 1913, con- used for purposes other than shafts resumed in early 1915. 1918 and Betteshanger, begun in was how to transport coal from along the and out to firmed the coal to be of good qual- those of the company. This had North shaft was completed in July 1924, raising first coal in 1927. the mines to the customers and sea via the Wantsum Channel was ity and suitable for gas making, hampered the company a good 1918 and reached 1,470 feet deep. Ten collieries either failed to where to house the miners and refused because of the damage coke manufacture and steam gen- deal in carrying on its business.” South shaft was completed in open or closed within a few years their families. German industri- which would be caused to the eration. The Anglo-Westphalian That difficulty was resolved by August 1919 and reached 1,480 feet of the fledgeling Kent Coalfield alists took an interest in the Kent natural habitat along the water- (Chislet, Kent) Colliery Limited Mr Peritz offering his resigna- but still awaited essential equip- company was incorporated on tion, which the board promptly ment. November 6, 1913. accepted. It was hoped the tele- The estimated quantity of Construction of Chislet Colli- phone would be reinstated almost workable coal was 75 million tons. Jim the Dog a rock in our defence ery’s first shaft began in May 1914. d i re c t ly. The low percentage content of Work on sinking both shafts There was also difficulty with ash, sulphur and phosphorus ALL the evidence of Jim the stopped at 30 feet depth, due to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners placed Chislet coal on a par with Do g’s talent has vanished water bearing sand. A German because of the German connec- some of the best coking coals in except for a photo from the contractor was employed to bore tion with the company. the country. archives of the Imperial War 11 holes around each shaft, into The chairman stated at the In 1920, 2,300 tons of coal were Museums, which captures him which cement was then forced at a meeting: “It was absolutely raised to the surface at Chislet standing alert and proud on a pressure of 600 pounds per square absurd to suggest that the board, C o l l i e r y. clifftop at Epple Bay on the inch to harden the sand layer. which was composed of gentle- But strikes and lack of money coast of Birchington. This was an established proven men of high reputation, would be for repairs are held responsible It is here that men based at a method used in Germany to keep in the pay of, and directed by, a lot for parts of the mine collapsing series of coastguard stations, water out of shafts but was rel- of Germans for the benefit of Ger- during its early years, causing spaced three miles apart and in atively new in Britain. mans, and would put up platforms subsidence of the ground above. view of each other, were given Three months later, Great Bri- for smashing Canterbury Cathed- In 1929, the colliery was re- the role of being the eyes and tain declared war with Germany. ral.” organised and relations between ears of the Kent coastline. Re s o l u t i o n Regarding concreting work to the company and staff were It was only once the likes of build foundations, the chairman improved, resulting in increased Jim had proved themselves At an extraordinary annual stated: “They could not put up output and profits, together with unofficially that Col Edwin STALWART: Jim the Dog at on the clifftop at Epple Bay general meeting held in London boilers and heavy winding better social lives for the miners. Richardson, a soldier, breeder on October 29, 1914, The Anglo- engines without putting in con- As the local community had no With the ability to fly higher appeared to be the ultimate and dog-lover, fought to create Westphalian (Chislet, Kent) Col- crete foundations, but the people experience of mining, the work- than the first planes of their terror weapon. the very first War Dog School. liery Limited changed its name to in Kent might rest assured that force derived from traditional time and to cut their engines to And so a more formal watch As the number of German The Chislet Colliery Limited. the board were not going to allow mining areas, especially South a tick-over before dropping was created along the coast Zeppelins increased, Jim and In moving the resolution, the these to be used by the Germans Wales where coal companies held their bombs and then floating from Thanet to safeguard our his coastguard masters could no chairman, Joseph Shaw K.C., for gun emplacements; they shares in the company developing off into the sky, the Zeppelin valuable harbours. longer stop the attacks alone. stated “the press had got an idea would rather blow them up than Chislet Colliery.