Spoonbill
An interesting post. Would you care to elaborate on the story about the old Liverpool terminal complex? I don't know that part of the world too well.
Another story sprang to mind having read some of the previous posts. I remember hearing it at some point in the dim and distant past from a former colleague.
A prop-liner crashed on a mud-bank (some distance from shore) in the North Sea, shortly after the Second World War. The mud bank was only accessible at low tide and as soon as possible a rescue attempt was mounted. When the rescuers arrived on the scene they discovered that all on board had lost their lives in the crash, but a set of footprints in the mud led from the door of the aircraft, right around it and back to the door again.
Perhaps one final check that the aircraft was secure before the crew left it for the last time?
As an aside - has anyone read "the Shepherd" by Frederick Forsyth? It is a cracking story and, I believe, based on a true story.