Army based in colliery

[douglas]

In 1921 census I have an address of Northrigg Colliery, Bathgate. The people are all army personnel, and the "Relationship to Head" is their army rank. It also shows their occupations and employer. Would the army have been based here. Would they all ahve been long term soldiers or would they still not have been demobbed after WW1? Seems a long time after the war ended.

[Falkyrn]

I wonder if it had anything to do with the Miners Strike and their attempts to stop the return of the mines to private ownership.(these private owners in some places cut wages by 49%)
1921 saw a potential national strike by the Miners, the Railwaymen and Transport Workers although the latter two backed out of a strike at the last minute and left the miners on their own. In many mines the miners were locked out for refusing the employers terms.

Added https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cab ... uildup.htm

[douglas]

Good shout. I never thought of that. Looking further, it seems that they may have been reservists deployed to the mines during the strike.

https://blog.nrscotland.gov.uk/2022/12/ ... itary-men/

[WilmaM]

Now that is very interesting.
Something else to bear in mind if the 'Head' of a household isn't with the family, especially if he was ex-military.