RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Dolls Have a Narrow Squeak !

The loss of Hunting Air Travel Vickers Viking G-AHPD at Bordeaux (Merignac Airport) May 8th 1951. War Office Trooping Contract routing Gibraltar-Bordeaux-Bovingdon.





Unfortunately I have been unable to source any images of G-AHPD. This is another Viking at a later date in a slightly different livery. Photo: as captioned.



Yorkshire Observer May 9th 1951.





Birmingham Gazette May 10th 1951.







Leicester Mercury May 10th 1951.




Daily Record October 18th 1952.




News Chronicle October 18th 1952.






Of the period at Merignac. Somewhere I've got the registration of the DC4 - I'll put it on when I find it (bits of scribbled paper everywhere). F-BBDK. Incidentally can anybody identify the carrier and registration of the Sud-Ouest Bretagne?

Slight drift here:


This is the same DC4 named 'Ciel de Normandie' .



Bordeaux 1954 A Viking in the old Hunting Livery, not yet repainted 'Hunting Clan' which the company became in October 1953. Incidentally note the two hour plus transit time for G-AHPD at Bordeaux for what we used to call a 'Tech Stop' (Fuel) but also an opportunity for passengers and crew to stretch their legs and have lunch in the Airport Restaurant - those were the days !
Photo as captioned.


Credit British Caledonian Tribute Website.

A scarce relic obviously from prior to May 8th 1951. I'm guessing this flight is out of Bovingdon en-route to East Africa on one of the British Government Contracts.

All newspaper extracts are from The British Newspaper Archive.


https://baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vi...ing-1-bordeaux