H

Helen Thomas

Died
August 5, 1989
Age
22 years
Cause
struck by police vehicle

About Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas, 22, Welsh peace activist (Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp), struck by police vehicle.

Explore other notable deaths in 1989 or deaths in August 1989.

The Deaths Archive presents

How well do you know Helen Thomas?

Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.

10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?

Challenge your friends

Play together in real-time.

Advertisement

Full Biography

|

Helen Wyn Thomas (16 August 1966 – 5 August 1989) was a Welsh peace activist from Newcastle Emlyn. Hers was the only death incurred in the course of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp campaign.

Early life and education

Helen Wyn Thomas was born at Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire. Her parents were John and Janet Thomas; they ran an electrical business in the town. She earned a history degree at St David's University College.

Activism and death

After college Helen Thomas lived in Cardiff and worked for Cardiff Women's Aid, before becoming interested in the protest at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. She had been at the camp only two months when she died in August 1989, from head injuries sustained when she was struck by a West Midlands Police vehicle, while waiting to cross a road near the airbase's main "Yellow Gate". She was 22 years old. The death was ruled an accident at inquest, though her family and some fellow campaigners disputed that ruling. The family's request to reopen the investigation was denied.

In 2010, a memorial was held at Greenham Common, led by her mother. In 2011, a memorial bench was dedicated to Helen Thomas in her hometown, Newcastle Emlyn. At both memorial events, politician and musician Dafydd Iwan attended, and performed his song "Cân i Helen" in tribute. She was the only individual participant named in the Greenham Common Peace Garden memorial, with standing stones, an eternal flame feature, and a fountain at the centre of an inscribed spiral.

Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Interactive

Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge

How well do you know this person's life and legacy?

No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.

Articles & News

Reported coverage of Helen Thomas; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.

Books & Media

Find books, audiobooks and films about Helen Thomas on Amazon.

Available at Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Sources

People who died on August 5

Spotted an error?

Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.

Report an error for Helen Thomas →

Advertisement

We use cookies for analytics (Google Analytics 4 and PostHog) and advertising (Google AdSense) to understand site usage and improve your experience. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of these cookies. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy for details.