A FORMER miner and gold prospector, who once played rugby against the notorious dictator Idi Amin in Africa, died after inhaling toxic coal dust.
An inquest heard that Thomas James Hole, 77, of Byrons Lane, Macclesfield, started down the pits as a teenager and went on to work in the gold and copper mines of Ghana and Uganda.
His wife Jill told the Express that Thomas’s work in Africa saw the feisty scrum half play on a Welsh miners’ rugby team where, at a mere 5ft 4ins, he was pitted against the sizeable Ugandan dictator.
A well loved member of the Plough pub’s bowling team on Prestbury Road, Mr Hole passed away at the East Cheshire Hospice on September 24, last year.
He had contracted pneumoconiosis, better known as ‘Coal Workers Disease’ (CWD), which is brought on by years spent at the rock face.
During an inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall last Thursday, the coroner, Dr Nicholas Rheinberg, said: "During his career, Mr Hole spent 33 years underground. As it turns out from the post-mortem, the period between 1946 and 1957 was principally to blame for his death very many years later.
"There is evidence ovewhelmingly of pulmonary fibrosis, which was due to coal dust inhalation over very many years of working underground.
"I have no difficulty determining that he died from the industrial disease of Coal Miners pneumoconiosis."
Dr Hiam Ali, who carried out the post-mortem, told the inquest that Mr Hole also had lung disease and lung and liver cancer.
Mr Hole’s widow told the coroner that her husband worked in coal mining between 1946 and 1957, then in the Ugandan copper mines, and Ghanian gold mines until 1979.
He did not wear any masks or breathing apparatus throughout his career, she told the inquest.
Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Hole paid tribute to her husband, saying: "I loved every minute of every day with him. I remember his sense of humour. He made me laugh, every day, even when he was as ill as he was.
"He was very well liked, and a popular bowler, and a great sportsman. He played against an army team in Jinja (Uganda) and Idi Amin played against him."
