The continuing dearth of new photographic images of aeroplanes at Bovingdon leads me to fall back on press cuttings and their flimsy links to Bovingdon and beyond.
News Chronicle 28 March 1949 (BNA)
These Players unlike the Footballers were apparently unmoved by the aeroplane overhead...............
Photo: R.A. Scholefield with thanks.
On the occasion of its passengers attending The Grand National on March 26th 1949. The offending Article photographed at Liverpool the day before its tanks ran dry.
On March 27th the Dragon Rapide was on an empty positioning flight from Bovingdon to Croydon presumably having dropped its passengers off at Bovingdon the evening before. I'm not sure whether it sustained light damage on arrival at Rosehill but it remained there for several days before it was disassembled and taken the short distance to Croydon.
Image Credit Croydon Airport Website.
G-AGLE was one of three Dragon Rapides in the service of this company. Thomas Barclay also had an office in Bournemouth and Christopher Burton in whose name the Rapides were registered gives his address as The Sandacres Hotel (Built 1930s) Sandbanks, Poole. This incident led to an exchange of correspondence in 'The Aeroplane' (Vol 76). Unfortunately I've not been able to access it fully but it appears that the company certainly wanted to distance itself from what it called '
An Involuntary Landing' whilst continuing '
We would first wish to explain that the aircraft on this particular flight was on full hire to another charter company and we were not the responsible operating company.'
South Wales Echo 8 February 1950 (BNA)
Interestingly enough one pilot who enjoyed a short period of employment with Barclay's International Airways is Bernard Gardiner now aged a 101 years old and much feted these days as a World War 11 Typhoon Pilot. He retains his reputation as one of the pioneers of post-war Channel Islands Civil Aviation.
Jersey Airlines
The Birmingham Gazette 18 July 1952 (BNA)
The aeroplane concerned was an Airspeed Oxford G-AIRZ. The flight originated from Elstree and presumably called at Bovingdon for outbound Customs clearance. It was flying to Strasbourg with the final destination of Klagenfurt where it was due to undertake a contract with the Austrian Authorities.
Photo: Barry Friend with thanks
Well, as usual I can't find an image of the subject aircraft but this picture of an Air Service Training Airspeed Oxford is rather fine.
A Memorial was dedicated on 30 June 1957. The pilot was Leslie Sharling and the Photographer was D.G. Darvell.
The accident occurred in southern Luxembourg a few kilometres west of the small town of Kayl. The land here is generally 300-400M amsl elevation. These hills are forested. The causes of the accident are unclear but the Oxford appears to have hit a hill. Contemporary reports mention the aeroplane falling almost vertically from the sky, hitting an oak tree and disintegrating. Estate workers nearby came quickly to the scene but unfortunately the crew were found to be dead. Another report has the Oxford diving into a field. It is reported that the wreckage was taken to a scrap yard which makes one wonder whether there had been a post impact fire or not ?
The memorial is by the N33. It is good to see in this recent image that it is tended.
On a more jolly note Hunting Aerosurveys were first based at Luton before moving to Elstree. Here is rather a splendid (leisurely for some) snap from Elstree.
Photo Tony Hancke with thanks. DC3 G-AMVB Elstree 1958.
Bucks Examiner 11 June 1954 (BNA)
Avro Athena T2 VR574 of the Gunnery School, RAF Flying College, Manby Lincs. Written off at Bovingdon 9th June 1954.
Photo avionslegendaires.net
Prototype Athena T1 VM125 powered by Armstrong Siddeley Mamba. First flew 12 June 1948. Written off August 30 1949.
Photo avionslegendaires.net
Prototype Athena T2 VW890 powered by Rolls Royce Merlin. First flew 1 August 1948 and pictured here at Farnborough SBAC Show that year. Unfortunately the Athena was eclipsed by the Boulton Paul Balliol when it came to The Royal Air Force ordering an advanced piston training aircraft with just 22 Athenas T2s seeing service, all with the RAF Flying College at Manby.