WHERE on earth does M Peart get his distorted view of history from? Bevin Boys were not all “conscientious objectors”.

Most were conscripted with no choice about working in the mines, rather than being drafted into fighting units, due to the extreme shortage of mineworkers caused by the war call-up.

It was not the idea of Aneurin Bevan the creator of the NHS either, it was the then Minister of Labour of the wartime coalition government, Ernest Bevin, who made a speech to parliament, “We need 720,000 men continuously employed in this industry. This is where you boys come in. Our fighting men will not be able to achieve their purpose unless we get an adequate supply of coal.”

They asked for volunteers from those enlisting, but very few wanted to, so in 1943 until the end of the war, every tenth recruit was enforced to go down the mines. The process was made completelyat random by the selection of numbers from a hat.

There might well have been a number of conscientious objectors who chose to work in the mines, but the majority were conscripted and deserve as much recognition for their contribution to the war effort justas those who fought in the armed services, as did his father and mine.

Tony Bond, Tramway Close, Cwmbran