The Repair Shop customer tears up as she sees restored Davy lamp which her WW1 war hero grandfather used to prop up a mine roof and keep himself alive during a collapse
- The Repair Shop customer Rita brought in grandfather Hubert John’s Davy lamp
- Mr John became a miner after returning from serving in the First World War
- Used the lamp to prop up the roof and save his life during a mine collapse
- Rita teared up when she was shown the restored lamp and left viewers ‘blubbing’
The Repair Shop viewers were left ‘blubbing’ at the emotional story behind an antique Davy lamp that saved a man’s life during a mine collapse.
Customer Rita explained her miner grandfather, Hubert George John, used the lamp to prop up the roof of the Hook Colliery, in Pembrokeshire, giving himself enough room to breathe as he waited to be rescued.
Heroic Mr John had an extraordinary life and survived the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Mons and the Battle of Ypres, after lying about his age to sign up and fight in the First World War from the age of 16.
Presenting the lamp, which was dug out from the rubble of the collapsed mine, Rita said it was ‘precious’ to her family and that they wanted it to be restored to keep ‘history alive for future generations’.
Customer Rita explained her miner grandfather, Hubert George John, used the lamp to prop up the roof of the Hook Colliery, in Pembrokeshire, giving himself enough room to breathe as he waited to be rescued. She became emotional when she was shown the restored lamp, pictured
Heroic Mr John had an extraordinary life and survived the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Mons and the Battle of Ypres, after lying about his age to sign up and fight in the First World War from the age of 16. Pictured, Rita as a little girl with her grandfather
Rita became tearful when she came back to collect the lamp and saw it being lit for the first time since her childhood. Pictured, the restored lamp with the original wick lit
‘He was in the First World War,’ Rita said, sharing her grandfather’s story. ‘He was 16 years of age, having lied about his age, as they did. He was in some pretty serious actions. Mons, he was at the Somme, he was at Ypres… and he survived.
‘When he came back, his job at the railway was taken from him. He was a volunteer, so they wouldn’t give him back his job. So he went to go work in a local mine, the Pembrokeshire Colliery Mine.
‘While he was there, sometime later, he was involved in a roof fall. He used the lamp to stop the roof falling on himself. He was lying in the depths of the mine and they pulled him out, eventually.
‘He was lying in the gap between the top of the lamp and the floor. They took him home and when eventually they went back and cleared up the roof fall, they found his miner’s lamp.
Viewers were left emotional over the story – and Rita’s touching reaction to the lamp
‘So not only did he survive the First World War, he survived the mine collapse.’
The Repair Shop Team set to work and were able to bring the Davy lamp back to its former glory.
Rita became tearful when she came back to collect the lamp and saw it being lit for the first time since her childhood.
‘We’re just so thrilled with it,’ she said. ‘My heart is going like a drum. We are so excited. It’s lovely.’
Rita told how her grandfather served at Hook Colliery, in Pembrokeshire, pictured, after returning from the First World War to find his job on the trains had been taken
Rita was emotional as she laid eyes on the restored Davy lamp in the workshop, pictured
‘He was the last one to light that lamp. And now we’re lighting it for him, to remember him.’
The story struck a chord with viewers at home, with one tweeting: ‘Oh lord. Blubbing over a miner’s lamp. I was gone even when they lit it in the dark. So good. #TheRepairShop @TheRepairShop.’
Another posted: ‘#therepairshop the miner’s lamp…….’it reminds me of a guy who was a hero to me’. Served his country, survived a pit collapse. I think the word hero just about covers it.’
A third added: ‘Ffs now I’m bawling over a miners lamp Face with rolling eyes #therepairshop.’