Having noticed that the earlier reporting of the Lancastria campaign, and the eventual outcome of A Scottish MSP gaining publicity by persistently raising the matter until a special medal was raised, generated quite a bit of controversy, I thought the report of a similar campaign by another Scottish MP might be similarly interesting...

A special service honouring the efforts of Scottish men who were conscripted or volunteered to work in coal mines during World War II has been held. Ochil and South Perthshire MP Gordon Banks handed out dozens of the medals to the Bevin Boys at the ceremony at Newtongrange Mining Museum.

Earlier this year the Prime Minister Gordon Brown ended years of campaigning by former Bevin Boys and presented badges to 27 men in Downing Street.

More than 48,000 men helped ease the UK's coal shortage during the war. The boys, aged between 18 and 25 and chosen by lottery, had no experience of mining when they were conscripted. They were named after wartime minister Ernest Bevin. Until recently their efforts had gone unrecognised.

After the war, their efforts were largely ignored and they were banned from marching with ex-servicemen at Remembrance parades.

Mr Banks has campaigned for more than two years to have the men honoured. He said: "I became involved with the Bevin Boys thanks to one of my constituents. He spoke of the work of the Bevin Boys and my family are of mining stock, so it gave me an interest in them and what their contribution to the war effort had been. I know what this recognition means to the Bevin Boys. This is something that gives them pride, that their efforts are finally being recognised, even if it is 60 years too late."

I feel quite good about you having decided to write about our "Bevin Boys" Apollo. I myself had already made up my mind to write about this on another forum, and it makes me feel good to see that one is not alone in thoughts about these things. I intend to write a wee bit about it on this other forum, but not more than to say that I knew, quite well,  three Glawegians  who served as "Bevin Boys". They were all cyclists, and all racing cyclists, well known among the bicycle-racing fraternity in Glasgow. Digging coal underground back in the forties was every bit as dangerous as landing on the beach at Normandy, and I'm very pleased to hear that their contribution, and digging coal was no small contribution, has finally been recognized by the government. A good thing to bring to our attention Apolla!