The key facts

  • On 21 October 1966, a coal tip landslide buried a school in Aberfan: 144 people died, including 116 children
  • Nancy Williams, 44, shielded five children and died; all five survived
  • For the 60th anniversary of the tragedy she will receive a purple plaque; the royal family will visit Aberfan next week

Saving Five Children at the Cost of Her Life

On 21 October 1966, on the last school day before the autumn half-term holidays, a coal tip collapse engulfed Pantglas Junior School and neighbouring houses in Aberfan (Merthyr Tydfil county). Within minutes, 144 people were killed, including 116 children. Dinner lady Nancy Williams was at that moment collecting dinner money from the pupils. According to survivor Paul Harris, who was then six years old, she tried to shelter the children under a table and shield them with her own body. Rescuers found five children alive beneath her body. Harris gave his first media interview: 'If it hadn't been for Nancy Williams, not 116 children would have died that morning, but 121. That would have been us, one hundred percent.'

Memories of the Survivors

Harris, now 66, was walking from the junior school to the Pantglas school hall to pay a shilling for his dinner — the junior school, he said, was not hit by the landslide, and the children ended up in the stricken building only by chance. He does not remember the moment of the collapse, but remembers being dug out and taken to hospital along with four other children. He learned of Williams's heroism later from his parents. Another pupil, Janet Beakley, remembers Williams as a kind and popular figure: 'She tried to protect the children. She died — and they survived.' Williams's godson Dai Powell led a campaign for recognition of her deeds and calls her his 'main hero'.

Memorial Plaque and Royal Family Visit

For the 60th anniversary of the tragedy, Nancy Williams will be honoured with a purple plaque — an award recognising Welsh women for their contribution to community life or exceptional courage. Purple Plaque committee secretary Rhiannon Connick noted that Williams 'thought not at all of herself, only of the children'. The plaque will be placed near the cemetery in Aberfan. Next week the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales will visit Aberfan to mark the anniversary; previously the late Queen Elizabeth II visited Aberfan eight times. Harris says the plaque will preserve Williams's story for a long time: 'Now it is something permanent. People will be able to read about her story.'

A black and white photo of a woman smiling at the camera in front of bushes Image source, Family photo
Image caption,

Five children were found alive under the body of Nansi Williams following the disaster

A man in a blue and red check shirt looks at the camera
Image caption,

Paul Harries was giving his dinner money to Nansi Williams when the school was engulfed

A black and white photo of a digger working through the rubble, with people searching in the slurryImage source, Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Image caption,

When a colliery waste tip collapsed, slurry crashed into Pantglas Junior School, killing 116 children and 28 adults

Black and white photos of a woman stood up and a woman sat on a wall with a manImage source, Family Photo
Image caption,

Nansi Williams grew up in Aberfan and worked as a dinner lady and playground supervisor at Pantglas Junior School

A woman in a red and white dress
Image caption,

Janett Bickley recalled how all the children were very fond of Nansi Williams

A man in a white shirt next to a field of flowers
Image caption,

Dai Powell has led the campaign for Nansi's courage to be honoured with a purple plaque

The purple plaque that will be placed near the cemetery
Image caption,

The plaque will be placed near the cemetery in Aberfan

This image is a composite of two pictures of Caroline. In the picture on the left, she is smiling at the camera in a restaurant setting. She has long brunette hair and dark eyes. she is wearing a spotty blouse in various shades of pink, brown, orange and white. In the picture on the right, she is seen smiling in a selfie sat in a hospital bed. She is bald, with medical tubing and catheter lines behind her ear and going down her left shoulderRay Winstone has a big moustache, thick rimmed glasses and a blue blazer with military medals on the lapel, he is seen with Molly Ridge who is wearing a black dress made of fabric flowers and acts shocked to see the film starAerial shot of nine pupils sat at spaced desks in an exam hall