Harry, this is just the sort of story we were hoping for! Thanks for the comments on the York, a machine which always interested me.
Chug's photo of the jeep-pregnant Hastings is a stunner. I knew the Hermes quite well because it staged through Khormaksar in the 50s and seemed popular with BOAC passengers. As well as the nosewheel, of course, it was pressurised too.
BOAC also used the Argonaut, a DC-4 with Merlin engines for an extra 40 mph. Unfortunately the mighty Merlin snarl drove the passengers scatty, for the Pratt & Whitney radials had (I think) turbochargers which dampened the exhaust noise.