FIFTY years ago this month a father was killed in Haverfordwest’s Swan Square, when the walls of a deep trench he was working in – with two other men - collapsed.

Edward Berrigan, 29, hailed from Milford Haven. He was living with his wife and 19-month-old daughter in Keyston when the accident occurred on November 10, 1964.

Edward and his colleagues were carrying out the excavation for a Swansea-based engineering company, in connection with a sewerage scheme.

When the trench collapsed, Edward was completely buried. Kenneth Watts, of Merlins Bridge, was buried up to the waist and dislocated his shoulder. The third man, Terence Allen of Haverfordwest, escaped without injury. He tried, but failed, to free his friends before running for help.

Men dug with spades and bare hands to try to get to Edward.

It was a busy Mart day, and hundreds of people watched the rescue efforts.

Edward was eventually freed, but was pronounced dead at the County Hospital.

At an inquest, the Coroner ruled safety precautions “could have been taken”, and Edward’s employer was fined £50.

Edward’s daughter, Josephine Thomas, doesn’t remember her dad. But she grew up tending his City Road Cemetery grave, and commemorates the anniversary of his death, a day after his birthday.

“I remember seeing all the newspaper cuttings about the accident,” said Josephine. “I’m told I look like him. Quite often, I’ll talk to locals and they remember being there that day.”

Josephine’s mum died when she was 16, but her auntie took her in and raised her as her own.

“I haven’t had a bad life. I can’t complain,” said the stoic mum of three boys. “I’ve always had a great family around me. I’d be interested to know if the other men in the trench are still alive. They would be in their eighties now.”