A fundraising campaign has been launched to renew a memorial for the men who lost their lives in one of Scotland's worst mining accidents almost a century ago. Forty men were killed when water flooded No 23 Pit, in the Braes village of Redding, near Falkirk, on Tuesday, September 25, 1923.
Some drowned in the initial rush of water but 11 of those who perished survived for up to 14 days, waiting in vain for rescue. It was one of the worst disasters in Scottish mining history but for the small mining communities in the Braes villages it was devastating and its impact has never been forgotten.
Within days of the disaster a fund had been established by the Provost of Falkirk - within a year it had raised over £60,000, the equivalent of well over £1 million today. A memorial plaque was installed at Redding Cross 22 years after the disaster and every year the Sir William Wallace Grand Lodge of Scotland Free Colliers commemorate the tragedy when their annual parade stops there to pay their respects.
