I am trying to find some information on a miner who got killed at Eccles Pit. He had filled my Fathers shift as my Father was returning to Ireland and he didn't return. My late Father told the story of how the miner that replaced him got killed on the shift my Father should have been on and he understood that it was a cage incident. I am unsure of the year, but it had to be late 50's early 60's. My purpose for enquiring about Michael Smith is that I think I recall him saying the miner was young and he seems to be the only young miner killed in this timeframe, however I could be mistaking about him being young. I am writing a body of mining songs for release and would like to consider a tribute to the miner in question.

John you are right, Michael was standing in for someone who was off work, Michael is buried at Preston cemetery in North Shields

my brother worked at eccles and was killed by a rock fall finnishing someones shift billy bennett i have all information about this accident