South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 18 September 1943
False Alarms
For some time the district was thick with rumours and various local collieries, including Denaby Main, were garrisoned with soldiers from time to time in anticipation of attacks which fortunately did not materialise.
Local colliers also prepared themselves to defend their own pits if necessary, for paradoxically enough the mob does not seem to have contained a very large proportion of local mineworkers, though it is recorded in our contemporary description of the Wath Main riot that several of the rioters were obviously pitmen by their knowledge of where damage could be done.
Many, however, were boys, there were some women, and the bulk of the mob was comprised of wandering roughs of the type which is always ready for mischief of this sort. It was, at all events deemed necessary to retain the soldiery in the district for some time, though I do not think a shot was ever fired.