Weeping with those who weep

In an interview with Steven Spencer in 2010, Major Dorothy Graham recalled the Army’s response to the Aberfan disaster

IN 1966, three weeks of heavy autumn rains saturated a colliery spoil tip on a mountain slope above the village of Aberfan in south Wales. It collapsed on 21 October, sliding downhill as a slurry and engulfing Pantglas Junior School, where lessons had just begun; 116 children and 28 adults were killed.

Among those who responded to the disaster was Captain Dorothy Graham, who was serving as a corps officer at Pentre in the Rhondda Valley at the time. She was the first Salvation Army officer to arrive on the scene.

In 2010, 44 years after the tragedy, Steven Spencer, the director of the International Heritage Centre, interviewed Major Dorothy about the Army’s emergency support work at the disaster. This interview has not been published before.

YOU WERE TRAVELLING BACK FROM OFFICERS COUNCILS AT SWANWICK WHEN THE DISASTER TOOK PLACE. TELL US WHAT HAPPENED.

We had called in for petrol. My friend, the driver of the car, came out and she was broken-hearted. ‘Whatever is the matter?’ we asked. She said there had been a terrible disaster at Aberfan. The mountain had moved and engulfed the school and the area around it, and they needed as many people to help as possible.

We went home, changed out of our best uniforms into older ones and went immediately to Aberfan. We heard the news at about 5pm and we were probably there by 6.45pm.

The disaster happened at about 9.30am, but at 7am they knew the mountain was moving, so really the children need not have been in school. However, they didn’t take any notice and the disaster was the outcome.

Aberfan looked like a war zone. It was dreadful. Instead of being level with the road, we were high up above it because of all the slurry that had come from the mountain. It was quite unbelievable that we were walking so high up from the ground.

I was given the job of standing in a long line with lots of other people. There were all sorts of different people, including Teddy boys and those you could see were well educated. Buckets were being filled with sludge and passed down the line. They couldn’t bring in dredges for fear they would injure the children and that was the only way we could get the slurry out. So, for a couple of hours, we were in line taking away buckets of sludge until we were stopped and new people took over.

After that I went around the various places where they were bringing out bodies and sympathised with the people that were there. One lady was broken-hearted because she was waiting for her niece and nephew. She said that if they came out, they would be coming that way, but they didn’t. She just couldn’t believe it. She was really upset. I offered her a cup of coffee or tea. That was the type of work we did.

My friend visited the home of one couple whose child was lost. Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret’s husband, had been to visit them and had said, ‘I could not understand, I would never understand, what you are feeling. If it were my child, I would be mortified.’

HOW LONG DID YOU HELP THE BEREAVED?

I went home at about 10.30pm. We went back the next day but they said there was no need for us all to be there. They then selected people who lived nearer than we did. I think they were using people who were stationed at Treharris and other corps in the area – and divisional officers were there, as well as social work officers. I was probably only helping for a couple of days, no more than that.

TELL US ABOUT THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE SALVATION ARMY AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS AT THE DISASTER.

The Red Cross and United Bible Societies were serving cups of tea while we dealt with the bereaved or worked in the mortuary.

The bodies were laid out in the church hall. Many of the parents could only recognise their children by the clothes they were wearing. It was rather sad, but it was the Army’s role at that time. Major Freda Eveleigh and Major Derrik Tribble were there. Major Derrik worked at the House of the Trees, The Salvation Army’s home for boys on probation near Penygraig. When the disaster happened he was on the scene straight away. I think he organised for the mortuary to be in the church and he worked there all the time.

Major Freda, who worked at divisional headquarters, helped him. Together they did a tremendous job serving the parents, counselling them and helping them as best they could.

YOU WERE PHOTOGRAPHED BY A NEWSPAPER, IS THAT CORRECT?

Yes, the lady who was looking for her nephew and niece was really upset. I was offering her a hot drink and I put my arm around her to give her a bit of consolation. The Sun snapped the photograph and it appeared in the newspaper that weekend. The photo has been used by the Army many times since then.

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR FEW DAYS AT ABERFAN HAVE AFFECTED YOU?

Well, it had a terrific effect. You wept with the families, felt as though you were involved, that you had lost relatives yourself. But to weep with those who were weeping was a good thing because at least they knew you were human.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE SALVATION ARMY’S RESPONSE TO DISASTERS AS A CHRISTIAN ORGANISATION?

When there have been disasters the Army has been there and has done a tremendous job. I think secular organisations appreciate The Salvation Army because we can do something that they can’t. Because of our Christian faith we’re able to counsel, console and talk to people. As one Methodist minister whose son was lost in the Aberfan disaster said: ‘I’m glad it happened to me in a way because I am able to share more with the people than otherwise.’

* Editor’s note Major Dorothy was promoted to Glory in December 2020. A tribute to her life was published in the 27 March Salvationist.

Captain Dorothy Graham, photographed by ‘The Sun’