| The
tragedy that occurred that morning could have and damn well should
have been avoided at all costs. Now a four line highway carries
the A470 trunk road right through where the tip once stood. A
comforting thought to the villagers, don't you think?
As Men, Machines and help poured into the village from all across
the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the National Coal Board (NCB)
Lord Robens of Woldingham, PC, having been told what happened,
did not go immediately to the disaster, he choose instead to proceed
with his installation as Chancellor of the University of Surrey.
NCB officials, when questioned by the Secretary of State for Wales
as to the whereabouts of Robens, said that Lord Robens was personally
directing the relief work. ( Now I wonder what would you call
them?).
When
Robens eventually condescended to honour Aberfan with his presence
he concluded, on inspecting the slide, that the sole cause of
its movement was due to “natural unknown
springs” beneath the tip. A complete
and utter fabrication, for people who were grandparents at the
time could remember playing in the stream upon which Merthyr Vale
Colliery Tip had been built when they were children.
The
Labour government, under the Premiership of the Rt. Hon Harold
Wilson MP, immediately appointed a Tribunal of Inquiry. It immediately
set to work and quickly came to understand the deep feeling of
hatred for the N.C.B. and the members of the board. Nevertheless,
it was unsparing in its condemnation and I have picked out just
a few of its conclusions:-
1/.
That the blame for the disaster lay firmly
upon the N.C.B
2/. That
it (The Tribunal) was appalled by the behaviour of the National
Coal Board and some of its employees, before and after the disaster
3/. That
the disaster was a terrifying tale of bungling ineptitude by many
men charged with tasks for which they were totally unfitted.
4/. That
many men failed to heed clear warnings and that they suffered
from a total lack of direction from above.
5/. That
colliery engineers concentrated solely on conditions underground
and described them as "moles being asked about the habits of birds”.
6/. That
coal board witnesses gave the impression that “the board (coal)
had no more blameworthy connection to the disaster than
say, the Gas Board.
On
and on the report goes dear surfer with more and more condemning
words on every page. But what was its use? to do what ? In my
opinion just to cause those poor souls who had lost loved ones
in the village of Aberfan more pain.
No-one was prosecuted despite the damming report and only a paltry
£500 was paid in compensation for each child, In concluding my
few words on this terrible event I just hope that when the time
comes/came for Robens and anyone else that had even the slightest
responsibility for the disaster to approach the Pearly gates,
I hope St.
Peter said/ or will say GO TO HELL,
for they certainly earned that right.
Please
visit the URL to HERE
to read the documentary of the disaster collated by
Ian McLean and Martin Johnes |
