A Welsh genealogist’s research journey that uncovered a heartbreaking World War II story hidden in a Monmouthshire churchyard.
In the southeast corner of Undy Churchyard sits a small grave with a profound story to tell. It marks the accidental deaths of two World War II evacuees from Dover—sisters who died just six weeks after their parents made the heartbreaking decision to send them to safety in rural Wales.
This is the story of how genealogical research led me down an unexpected path, uncovering a wartime tragedy that happened just six weeks after two parents made an impossible decision to keep their children safe.
How I Fell Down the Research Rabbit Hole
Every genealogist and family history researcher will recognise the trap I fell into—the dreaded “research rabbit hole.” What starts as focused research on one topic suddenly branches into fascinating tangents that can consume hours of our time. Sometimes it’s merely a distraction, but occasionally it leads to something truly rewarding.
Researching the medieval manor of Undy, I stumbled across a recent newspaper article about a surprising World War II connection. Local historian Peter Strong had rediscovered a library book mentioning Marie Green, an evacuee from Dover. She had a stayed with an Undy family whose history I had previously researched for a client.
Then I found a BBC ‘WW2 People’s War’ article by Audrey Bowman, another Dover evacuee sent to Undy, who recalled a tragic accident in the village. The hunt was on—down the rabbit hole I went.
The Historical Context: Dover Under Threat
By May 1940, the German advance had defeated the British Army’s expeditionary force on the continent, and Hitler was planning to invade Britain. On May 26, 1940, the Minister of Health wrote to Dover’s Town Clerk informing him that the port was now an evacuation area, advising that all school children should be sent away from the town. On the same day, Britain began Operation Dynamo—the heroic rescue of British troops stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk.
As soldiers flooded into Dover, the children left.
On June 1, 1940, the first train carried 707 children to South Wales, accompanied by 235 helpers and teachers. In the days and weeks that followed, the evacuation continued, including adults who had no essential reason to stay. Over 3,000 people were sent to South Wales, and Dover’s population plummeted from 40,000 to 15,000.
Some parents couldn’t bring themselves to send their children away—600 infants and 624 children between the ages of 4 and 14 remained in the town. Those who did evacuate their children must have felt relieved by their decision. From July 6th, Dover faced intense bombing by the German Luftwaffe and shelling from long-range guns on the French coast, earning it the nickname “Hellfire Corner.”
The Thomas Family's Difficult Decision
Alfred Thomas, a Dover labourer, and his wife Hannah faced an impossible choice. With eight children to consider, they decided to send their four youngest to safety.
On June 2, 1940, Julia Charity (12), Georgina May (11), Joan Eileen (8), and Leonard Arthur (7) left their family home at Buckland House Farm, Dover, and headed for Priory railway station. Alfred had likely already left for the harbour where he worked as a labourer.
The children joined hundreds of others with name tags pinned to their clothes, carrying small bags and lunchboxes. These bags contained their gas masks, identity cards, a stamped postcard ready to send home, ration books, a toothbrush, and a change of clothing. They wore their warmest coats and boots, as advised.
Despite parents’ parting instructions to “stick together” or “look after each other,” the children were grouped by school class. Accompanied by their teachers, some were anxious, some excited. Many had never travelled further than Folkestone or Margate or perhaps had never been on a train journey at all.
The Journey to Wales
Four trains left Dover that day, bound for Monmouthshire. The children kept windows open even through the Severn Tunnel, often leaving their faces darkened by sooty smoke. Kind strangers handed them food or coins through the windows as they passed through stations on their long journey.
That evening they arrived at Severn Tunnel Junction. The three Thomas sisters, along with others from Buckland Girls School, boarded coaches to Rogiet School. Leonard, however, didn’t disembark there—siblings who attended different schools were sent to different towns and villages throughout Monmouthshire, and separated from his sisters he continued further into the county.
At Rogiet School, the girls were given cups of Horlicks. Some, like Margaret Green, stayed with Rogiet families, while others, including Margaret’s sister Marie and the Thomas girls, were bused onward to Undy. At the Village Hall, they waited in line to be chosen by local families.
Ten-year-old Audrey Bowman was picked by the Bowkett family of Brook House. Marie Green went to live with the Beard family at St Martin’s Farm. The three Thomas sisters were chosen by Percy and Margery Phyllis Smith of Arch Farm.
Life in Undy: A Brief Period of Happiness
Julia, Georgina, and Joan settled well into family life in Undy. They wrote letters home saying they were well and happy with their adoptive families. They continued their education at Undy Council School, attending lessons in the mornings one week and afternoons the next. The Smiths’ six-year-old son Mostyn went to Magor School, but the four children walked part of the way to school together.
For six weeks, it seemed the Thomas parents’ difficult decision had been the right one. Their daughters were safe, happy, and thriving in the Welsh countryside, far from the dangers of “Hellfire Corner.”
The Tragedy Unfolds
On the morning of July 9, 1940, Hannah Thomas and her remaining children left Dover for the safety of Yorkshire. She could not have known about the cruel twist of fate that unfurled in Undy as she travelled.
That same morning Julia, Georgina, and Joan, accompanied by Mostyn and another evacuee, set out for school as usual, happy and cheerful as ever. The day before, the sisters had been told about a beehive in a nearby garden. None of the Thomas girls had ever seen bees in a hive, so they decided to take a brief detour to find them.
After their visit, their journey to school took them across the railway lines near Undy Halt. Despite their foster mother Margery’s warnings to use the bridge, they decided to cross via the railway crossing instead.
The girls were careful. They held hands and watched as a goods train passed as they arrived at the gate. Mostyn ran across the line as soon as the goods train rumbled away. As the girls followed, they didn’t hear the express train approaching them at 50 mph on the second line.
At about 9:30 AM, Mrs. Beatrice Lily Attwell was in her back kitchen at West End Cottage, about 50 yards from the crossing, when she heard screams. She rushed to the halt to see the eldest girl Julia stagger to her feet and run frantically up and down the line. Then she saw the two sisters lying motionless on the embankments.
Other people gathered quickly and passing railway workers went for PC Trevor Vaughan. Mostyn ran home and, through his sobbing, told his mother that the girls had been hit by a train. Georgina and Joan had been killed instantly. Remarkably, Julia escaped with just a scratch to her face.
The story made national news, appearing in newspapers across England and Wales.
The Inquest: A Father's Grief
Alfred Thomas travelled from Dover to attend the inquest held two days later, where 12-year-old Julia bravely recounted what had happened. The coroner, D.J. Treasure, heard from train driver Edward John Hyde of Bristol, who confirmed that the girls had stepped into the path of his train. Beatrice Attwell, PC Vaughan, and Marjorie Smith also appeared as witnesses. Mrs. Daisy Harris of Ash Cottage, who was at her bedroom window, saw two trains but not the accident itself.
The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, confirming that the driver could have done nothing to prevent the tragedy. He thanked the people of Undy for their helpfulness, especially Margery Smith and Mrs. Lloyd of Whitehall. Representatives of Great Western Railway, the police, and the local council expressed their deepest sympathies to the family.
The coroner closed with remarks that captured the cruel irony of the situation: “It is an irony of fate that the parents of these children should have sent them away from home to greater safety and they should have met their death in this untimely manner.“
A Community's Farewell
The village of Undy turned out to say an emotional farewell to Georgina and Joan. Villagers carried their coffins, which had rested at Whitehall, in relay to St Mary’s Church. Older children from Undy School walked behind, carrying bunches of flowers gathered from their gardens.
Miss Evans, teacher at Undy School, was accompanied by nine teachers who had travelled with the Dover evacuees to Wales. The church was packed. Reverend Brown from Buckland performed the ceremony, assisted by Reverend Leyshon (Vicar of Undy) and Reverend Morris (Rector of Rogiet). Villagers, assisted by Kenneth Buxon and Harold Naylor—two evacuees themselves—lowered the small coffins into their final resting place.
A Brother's Memorial
The inscription on their small gravestone includes a poignant message from their brother Leonard:
“Two evacuees from Dover who did not go home. Died accidentally 9th July 1940. Remembered by their brother, Len. May they rest in peace.”
Reflections on a Genealogist's Discovery
The small grave in Undy Churchyard stands as a testament to the kindness of strangers who welcomed evacuees into their homes, the resilience of children during wartime, and the enduring pain of a family’s loss. Sometimes our genealogical rabbit holes lead us to stories that need to be told—and this is one of them.
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Genealogical Sources
- 1939 Register. England. Dover, Kent. 1939. THOMAS, Alfred [head]. RD Dover MB. Schedule 324. ED dhmz; online images. Findmypast. (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 26 Jul 2025); citing National Archives (UK), RG101/1714K.
- 1939 Register. Wales. Undy, Monmouthshire. 1939. ATTEWELL, William [head]. RD Chepstow. Schedule 2. ED xpee; online images. Findmypast. (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 26 Jul 2025); citing National Archives (UK), RG101/7473G.
- 1939 Register. Wales. Undy, Monmouthshire. 1939. LEWIS, Percy [head]. RD Chepstow. Schedule 2. ED xpee; online images. Findmypast. (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 26 Jul 2025); citing National Archives (UK), RG101/7473G.
- BBC Southern Counties Radio. (2005) My two years in Undy. ID: A5958002; online article. BBC collection: WW2 People’s War. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/02/a5958002.shtml : accessed 26 Jul 2025).
- Birth index (CR) Wales. Newport, Monmouthshire. Q4 1934. SMITH, Mostyn, L. Vol 11a. p. 245; online index. Ancestry collection: England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007. (www.ancestry.co.uk : accessed 25 Jul 2025).
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- Death announcement. Dover Express. 19 Jul 1940. THOMAS, Georgina and Joan. p.1; online images. Findmypast collection: England, Newspaper Death Notices. (www.findmypast.co.uk : accessed 24 Jul 2025).
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- South Wales Argus. (1940) Burial at Undy of Dover sisters. South Wales Argus. 13 Jul. p. 3e; online image. (https://www.newspapers.com/image/1058618320/ : accessed 26 Jul 2025).
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