Jock Purdon

Who was Jock Purdon?

George "Jock" Purdon was a British poet and songwriter

Born in the village of Nitshill near Glasgow, a former coal mining village whose mine had closed before Purdon grew up. It was a strange twist of fate that saw him spend most of his life as a coal miner in a pit in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. It was that occupation that shaped his poems and songs and gave him the soubriquet "the miners' poet".

Purdon was 14 years old when World War II began and he saw his older brother, Robert, enlist in the Royal Scots regiment and serve as a Commando for several years. Robert Purdon was killed in France after the Normandy Landings in 1944. When it was his turn to be drafted, Purdon's conscription number ended in 0, which meant that he would not be joining his brother in the army. He was bound for the pits. Because of the labour shortage in 1943, 1 man in 10 was conscripted to make up the manpower needs of the coal mining industry and Purdon was one of the very first contingent designated for the mines on 14 December 1943, becoming a so-called "Bevin Boy". Ernest Bevin was the Minister for Labour and National Service in the war time cabinet.