Of Mills and Mines
Major Laurence John Mills CBE BSc (Hons) C.Eng F.I.Min.E C.I.M.E.M.M.E C.I.Mgt Royal Engineers
The Man Laurence John Mills (John) was born on 1st October 1920 in Portsmouth; son of Archibald John Mills, Headteacher of The Beneficial School in Portsmouth and a Freemason, and Annie Ellen ‘Nellie’ nee Oates. John had one younger Sister Sylvia Joy Mills who was born in in 1925 but sadly died in 1927 aged only 15 months and is buried in Highland Road Cemetery. The family lived at 51 and later 54 Lawrence Road, Southsea.
John was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School, and during their speech day in 1939, aged 19, was highlighted as having been awarded a scholarship award of £60.00 per year to take a degree course in coal-mining at Birmingham University, from which he later graduated with a First Class Honours BSc in Mining Engineering. He entered the mining industry as a scholarship student in 1942 at Houghton Main Colliery in Yorkshire.
During World War II he enlisted as an Officer Cadet in the Royal Engineers, being commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 2nd May 1943 and during the last quarter of 1944 married Barbara May Warner, a nurse in Spilsbury, Lincolnshire and they had two sons, David John and Peter Richard. Little detail is known of his war time service except that he was promoted to Temporary Captain on 28th October 1944, War Substantive Captain and Temporary Major on 18th August 1946 and awarded the Defence and War Medal 1939-45 and was living with Barbara at 21 Ash Grove, South Elmshall, Pontefract in Yorkshire.
Following the war he returned to Houghton Main Colliery, which became a part of the National Coal Board (NCB) following its nationalisation on 15th July 1946. In 1949 he was promoted to manager of Hemsworth Colliery, and two years later in 1951 became Agent to Frickley and South Emshall Collieries. During 1954 he left Yorkshire on being appointed as Deputy Area Production Manager (Reconstruction and Development) of the Edwinstone Area of the East Midlands Division.
John was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School, and during their speech day in 1939, aged 19, was highlighted as having been awarded a scholarship award of £60.00 per year to take a degree course in coal-mining at Birmingham University, from which he later graduated with a First Class Honours BSc in Mining Engineering. He entered the mining industry as a scholarship student in 1942 at Houghton Main Colliery in Yorkshire.
During World War II he enlisted as an Officer Cadet in the Royal Engineers, being commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 2nd May 1943 and during the last quarter of 1944 married Barbara May Warner, a nurse in Spilsbury, Lincolnshire and they had two sons, David John and Peter Richard. Little detail is known of his war time service except that he was promoted to Temporary Captain on 28th October 1944, War Substantive Captain and Temporary Major on 18th August 1946 and awarded the Defence and War Medal 1939-45 and was living with Barbara at 21 Ash Grove, South Elmshall, Pontefract in Yorkshire.
Following the war he returned to Houghton Main Colliery, which became a part of the National Coal Board (NCB) following its nationalisation on 15th July 1946. In 1949 he was promoted to manager of Hemsworth Colliery, and two years later in 1951 became Agent to Frickley and South Emshall Collieries. During 1954 he left Yorkshire on being appointed as Deputy Area Production Manager (Reconstruction and Development) of the Edwinstone Area of the East Midlands Division.
By 1963 John and Barbara were living at Lake View, Measham Road, Ashby de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire and in 1964 he was appointed Assistant Area General Manager for North Staffordshire in the West Midlands Division and upon NCB re-organisation made Deputy Director (Operations) to the South Durham area. He moved to the London Headquarters of NCB as Chief Mining Engineer in April 1968, appointed Director of the Board’s North Yorkshire area in July 1970 and Doncaster area in January 1973. He was made a full time member of the NCB in January 1974 by the Department of Trade and Industry, his appointment appearing in the London Gazette of 27th December 1973. He was made Deputy Chairman in 1982 under Sir Norman Siddall and later Sir Ian McGregor.
John was also a member and of the Institution of Mining Engineers (I.Min.E) having been elected as a student member of the Midland Branch in 1942, and full member in 1945. He also became a member of the North Staffordshire, North of England and Southern Counties branches, being appointed a Fellow of the Institute in 1955.
He was President of the Midland Counties Institution of Engineers in 1958-9 and again in 1962-3, member of the Council and President of the South Midland Branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers in 1961-2 and President of the Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire Branch of I.Min.E for 1962-3 and was twice awarded their silver medal in 1959 and 1962. He was elected President of the Institute during 1975-6 at its 81st Annual General Meeting in London, January 1975.
In the London Gazette of 31st December 1977, John was appointed as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as a member of the NCB.
John was also a member and of the Institution of Mining Engineers (I.Min.E) having been elected as a student member of the Midland Branch in 1942, and full member in 1945. He also became a member of the North Staffordshire, North of England and Southern Counties branches, being appointed a Fellow of the Institute in 1955.
He was President of the Midland Counties Institution of Engineers in 1958-9 and again in 1962-3, member of the Council and President of the South Midland Branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers in 1961-2 and President of the Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire Branch of I.Min.E for 1962-3 and was twice awarded their silver medal in 1959 and 1962. He was elected President of the Institute during 1975-6 at its 81st Annual General Meeting in London, January 1975.
In the London Gazette of 31st December 1977, John was appointed as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as a member of the NCB.
He was also a Companion of the Institute of Mining Electrical and Mining Mechanical Engineers, and of the Institute of Management. Chairman of Osprey Belt Company Ltd, British Mining Consultants Ltd and Specialist Training & Technical Services ltd. He was Director of Coal Develts (Queensland) Ltd, Capricorn Coal Management Pty Ltd, Coal Develts (German Creek) Pty Ltd, German Creek Pty Ltd, Burnet & Hallamshire Holdings plc and a member of the Mining Qualifications Board, Safety in Mining Res Advisory Board.
During the 1970s John appeared in a documentary on television called North by Northwest in which he flew by helicopter over the coalfields of Durham. (See below or CLICK HERE to watch.
He was also awarded the Douglas Hay Medal, Clerk Maxwell Medal, and following his retirement in 1981 was invited to deliver the annual Robens Coal Science Lecture for the British Coal Utilisation Research Association with Peter G Tregelles, the subject was titled Control Technology in the Coal Mines for which he was awarded their Gold Medal. He also received the IMinE Medal in 1982.
Little detail is known about John's later life except that he lived at Unit 4, Bowers Parade, Harpenden and Silver Birches, 33 Dove Park, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and his recreation was coastal and inland waterway cruising. He died on 27th January 1994 aged 73 leaving £170,175.00.
During the 1970s John appeared in a documentary on television called North by Northwest in which he flew by helicopter over the coalfields of Durham. (See below or CLICK HERE to watch.
He was also awarded the Douglas Hay Medal, Clerk Maxwell Medal, and following his retirement in 1981 was invited to deliver the annual Robens Coal Science Lecture for the British Coal Utilisation Research Association with Peter G Tregelles, the subject was titled Control Technology in the Coal Mines for which he was awarded their Gold Medal. He also received the IMinE Medal in 1982.
Little detail is known about John's later life except that he lived at Unit 4, Bowers Parade, Harpenden and Silver Birches, 33 Dove Park, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and his recreation was coastal and inland waterway cruising. He died on 27th January 1994 aged 73 leaving £170,175.00.
The Story These medals and related ephemera were seen in Norman W Collett's catalogue during early 2013. They were of interest due to the amount of additional material, especially the various Presidential Coal Mining medallions. Laurence would also have been involved at an interesting time for the mining industry and the various industrial disputes during the 1970s and early 80s. However they were not acquired until November 2013.
Some extra biographical information was gathered from Ancestry.com and Laurence’s will abstracted. Additionally a web site set up by a distant relative of Laurence’s was discovered on the internet and following an exchange of e mails further useful detail was added to his biography.
Some extra biographical information was gathered from Ancestry.com and Laurence’s will abstracted. Additionally a web site set up by a distant relative of Laurence’s was discovered on the internet and following an exchange of e mails further useful detail was added to his biography.
World War II Medal award Certificate for Defence and War Medal 1939-45
Laurence Mills' Presidential Badges from the Mining Industry
Click here to see a family biography of Laurence Mills
Click here to see a family biography of Laurence Mills - word format
Medal Details:
- Commander of the British Empire (Civil): Unnamed as awarded
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded
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