ˈæftɚɹ ɐ ʃˈɔːɹt spˈɛl ɪn mˈɜːðɚ ɹˈeɪlweɪ ɡˈʊdz stˈeɪʃən hiː wʌz dɹˈɔːn ˌɪntʊ kˈoʊlmaɪnɪŋ ɛmplˈɔɪmənt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪftiːn dˈuː tə hɪz ɡɹˈoʊɪŋ ˈɪntɹɛst ɪnðə pəlˈɪɾɪkəl ɹˈædɪkəlˌɪzəm ʌv tɹˈeɪd jˈuːniən ˈæktɪvˌɪsts ɪnðə nˈɪɹbaɪ ɹˈɑːndə kˈoʊlfiːld.
After a short spell in Merthyr railway goods station he was drawn into coalmining employment in 1915 due to his growing interest in the political radicalism of trade union activists in the nearby Rhondda coalfield.