While in its later years it flew for a large number of small operators, it was the mainstay of BEA for several years before the arrival of the Ambassador/Elizabethan and the Viscount. BEA had little alternative , although they had a large number of surplus RAF C47/DC 3s as well, as they were forced by the UK Government to buy British to conserve post war foreign currency. Vikings also flew the long distance Colonial Coach services for Airwork, Hunting Clan and Central African Airways in the early/mid 50s until replaced by the Viscount. In this role they few both the West African coastal route to Lagos and the East and Central African routes to Nairobi, Entebbe and Salisbury, the latter nightstopping twice en route. So far as I know there were no serious accidents on the Colonial Coach services, although circa 1953 a CAA aircraft suffered an inevitably fatal wing spar failure near Tanga between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi on a regional service originating in Salisbury.