AN 82-YEAR-OLD north-east Fife man who served his country during the second world war as a Bevin Boy has had his contribution to the war effort recognised after a delay of over six decades.

Bob Simpson, of Main Street, Springfield, had wanted to join up but was selected instead to be a Bevin Boy, and in 1944 he trained for a month before being assigned to the coalface at Lampton B Colliery in County Durham, returning to Scotland in 1947 when he was 21.

Mr Simpson was presented with his Bevin Boy’s Veteran’s Badge, and Armed Forces Veteran’s Badge, at a ceremony at the Scottish Mining Museum at Newton Grange.

Yesterday he said that the badge is a great honour and is very welcome, even though it is over 60 years late.

“I didn’t want to go down the mine, I wanted to join the navy, but when your number came out, you had to go down the mine, you had no choice.

“I would never have heard of the Bevin Boys Association if it wasn’t for a neighbour who has a computer, and one of the officials of the association in Arbroath, so I’d like to thank both of them.”

A former farm worker, Mr Simpson has a son Hamish, who lives in Glenrothes, and daughter, Hazel, who resides in Tayport. His wife Mary died five years ago.

As Britain was unable to import coal during the war, the production of coal from mines in Britain had to be increased.

To meet this need it was decided by the Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin, that a percentage of young men called up to serve in the forces should work in the mines.

From 1943 to the end of the war this applied to one in 10 of the young men called up, and these conscript miners were given the nick name ‘Bevin Boys’.

Many suffered taunts as they wore no uniform and were wrongly assumed to be avoiding serving in the armed forces or even thought to be conscientious objectors.

It was not until long after the war, that a handful of Bevin Boys decided to form the Bevin Boys Association in 1989.

In 1998 the association was granted the honour of parading in the Remembrance Day Parade at the Cenotaph in London, representing the only civilians apart from London Transport allowed to participate.

Further recognition followed in 2000 when the Queen unveiled The Home Front Memorial in Coventry to commemorate the role of all civilians including Bevin Boys who served the nation during the second world war.

The application form for the badge is now available and can be obtained by calling the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency helpline on 0800 169 2277 or by visiting www.veterans-uk.info.