The heartbreaking story of a 3 year old little girl by Peter Drew

Playing in her garden of the Sheepwash Cottage, a railway crossing on the Thorpeness Line three year old ‘Downs Syndrome’ sufferer Gillian Brown heard the passenger trainapproaching, having just left Aldeburgh station and innocently unaware of any danger opened the garden gate and ran onto the line to wave and greet the oncoming train which to a three year old must have been an exciting adventure. Heartbreakingly the moment of joy turned to tragedy as the train hit her and she was killed instantly. Her heartbroken parents Jim and Audrey laid Gillian to rest in Aldringham graveyard on the 9th of October 1953.

The following was the press report following the inquest:

EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES Tues 9th October 1953.

SUFFOLK CHILD WHO STRAYED KILLED BY TRAIN AT CROSSING

A verdict of ‘Death by misadventure’ was returned at the inquest at Leiston yesterday on Gillian Brown a three year old Thorpeness child. Who was knocked down and killed by a passenger train at a level crossing beside their home on Saturday morning. The fatality occurred between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness as the train was pulling up to stop at Thorpeness Halt.
James Brown a railway lengths man father of the child said he was in charge of the Sheepwash level crossing on Saturday morning. The kissing gate by which the child gained entry to the line had a strap on it as a extra precaution and he thought the child must have undone this. Dr P. M. Acheson of Aldeburgh said the child’s injuries were consistent with having been run over.
And death must have been instantaneous. The Child was mentally retarded.

Cecil Graham Webster. The Aldringham postman, who was approaching the level crossing gates and heard the train coming, said “I just turned my head and saw her the same the minute as the train went by I was helpless; she was standing in the middle of the track about five yards away, looking towards me.” He added that on a previous occasion he had seen the child on the line, and that he had put her back in the garden. Herbert Charles Runnacles of 127 Saxmundham Road Aldeburgh, driver of the train. Said the engine was travelling tender first. As they went over the crossing he was looking out of his left side and saw nothing on the line, just after the train passed the gates he saw the child’s father coming round the back of the bungalow, he did not hear the train strike anything. Maurice Holman of Knodishall the fireman who was looking out the other side of the engine also said he saw nothing.

PC Thomas Nunn (Aldringham) said the catch on the gate leading to the bungalow was not in good working order, if the gate was opened it stayed open and did not swing back into its proper position. There was a leather strap as an additional fastener, but this was undone. Summing up the Coroner Mrs. T Symes said the child was normal physically, and it was quite
possible she slipped out of the house. The gate was apparently in a dangerous condition for a child of her sort, but her father had done all he could to make it safe. It would only take a matter
of seconds for the child to get through the gate onto the line and it would have been impossible
for her to be seen.
The Jury added to their verdict exonerating the driver and the fireman from any blame,
It was not until I found these details of the inquest of this tragedy that I realised my uncle Maurice
Holman was the fireman on the footplate. Maurice married my auntie Pam nee Vincent the only
daughter of Bert and Rose Vincent, who lived in Mill Hill Aldringham they named their house after
their two grandchildren Mandy and Richard that made up Maurice and Pam’s family, hence
MANDRICK.
When the railway cuts came about courtesy of Mr Beechman. Maurice along with his family moved
to Barnet so he could work as a train driver at Finsbury Park on the new Diesel trains. But it was
here that tragedy struck again in 1971, Maurice lost his life in a train accident aged 47.
Ironically Maurice was buried in Aldringham graveyard close to the grave of young Gillian.