THREE Gwent miners awarded medals for gallantry are to receive another honour - more than 80 years after their act of heroism.

George Coleman, who worked as a St Johns ambulance man and as a miner, John Cordey and Graham Samuel were key figures in a rescue at North Celynen Colliery, Newbridge, on March 8, 1926, when the roof collapsed.

The men managed to get the two trapped colliers out alive, although one later died of his injuries.

They were awarded the King Edward medal at an investiture at Buckingham Palace on July 13 that year.

Now, Flavio Azambuja, the minister of Tabernacle Church, in Newbridge, will conduct a service to commemorate the event and mark the men's courage, at 2.30pm on April 21. The Celynen Colliery Band will perform and a plaque will be dedicated to them and the Miners of Wales.

The plaque will be placed at the Newbridge Memo on July 13, the centenary of the inauguration of the Edward Medal which recognised acts of bravery of miners and quarrymen in endangering their lives to rescue their fellow workers.

Osmond Thomas, 74, of Woodland Drive, Newport, whose great-great-uncle was John Cordey, organised the event as a member of the Tabernacle Church.

"There's no permanent memorial to these miners and it's right that there is," said Mr Thomas, a former Newport policeman.

"There were so many disasters over the years and so many people were real heroes. We are delighted that this plaque will mark their efforts."

George Coleman's niece is Marjorie Davies, who was born in 1926, the year of the rescue.

Mrs Davies, 80, of New Bryngwyn Road, Newbridge, said: "The rescue is quite a story. They were very brave men to do what they did and fully deserved their medals.

"But understandably people forget, and it's important things like this happen so people know what they did."

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"...the rescuer risked his own life for over six hours" The London Gazette's report of the accident said some 20 tons fell in the first collapse, burying two colliers.

There was then a second fall of five tons while George Coleman was fixing a timber to help protect the buried men. He was pinned down for 10 minutes, only for another fall, of 10 tons, to occur.

But Mr Coleman continued the rescue until he was hit by another heap of earth, and was so badly bruised that he had to stop.

Both buried men were extricated alive although one later died of his injuries.

The report added: "Coleman's persistent courage certainly saved the life of one and contributed largely to the rescue of the other.

"He risked his own life for over six hours and displayed exceptional skill and bravery. Graham and Cordey both exhibited courage of a very high order. Their lives were in constant danger from the continuous falls and they gave a remarkable exhibition of coolness and determination."