Vickers Viking G-AJBO

[tarrant]

During the evening of 1st May 1957 an Eagle Aviation Vickers Viking aircraft crashed on landing at Blackbushe Airport after a port engine failure. The Eagle Group of Companies archives are trying to trace any relatives of the passengers. This flight was a trooping charter.This is in relation to erecting a permanent memorial to the victims. Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks. contact [email protected]

[Archimedes]

Also posted over on Arrse (but put here in case you don't venture back there)

The casualties are listed on Page 7 of the Times, Friday 3 May 1957.

The names given in the 3 May edition are as follows (some do not have the initials in the article) All details are as given in the Times, so can't say if there are any errors. I've cross-referenced with the veteran's UK site roll of honour, looking for those who died on 1 or 2 May 1957. In the brackets are the names given by the veterans' site, plus any additional info which might be of use in seeking out the NOK in association with the memorial). This info consists of their names, along with other info that may be of assistance)

Capt P G Routledge, RAOC, of Purley, Surrey (Peter Gerald, buried Aldershot military cemetary)
Lt Col J Mahoney. Regiment not given (recorded as Major Mahoney, General List. OBE, MC. Buried Aldershot military cemetary)
Maj H L Lacey, RAPC, of Barton Stacey, Hants (not on roll of honour)
Maj ROJ Fry, RAMC, of Gillingham, Kent (Richard Oswald James. Buried Aldershot military cemetary)
Mr L Ricketts, a teacher, from Porchester, Hants
Signalman Drew, Royal Corps of Signals from Hulme, Manchester(first name Brian)
Pte I S Mayson, REME, from Luton (Veterans site gives his names as Stanley Ian Geoffrey)
Craftsman EE James, REME, from Trimsaran, nr Kidwelly, Carmarthanshire (Evan Esmond)
Craftsman King, REME, from Grimsby (Norman)
Pte Meadows, REME, from Melling, Lancs (James William. Buried Aldershot military cemetary)
Craftsman Nickels, REME, of Honiton, Devon (Victor Glyn)
Signalman DA Rees, Royal Corps of Signals, from Dunvant, Swansea (David Alan)
Signalman Hemken, Royal Corps of Signals, from Earley, Berkshire (Michael Charles Mortimer)
Signalman Fatherly, Royal Corps of Signals, from Salisbury, Wilts (Gilbert Cyril William)
Signalman Connier, Royal Corps of Signals, from London (Arthur Herbert)
Trooper Tetley, RAC, from County Durham (Leonard James - Royal Scots Greys)
Trooper James, Queen's Bays, from West Drayton (Alan - Veteran's site says he was Royal Scots Greys)
Sgt Block, REME, from Skegness, Lincs (George Edward. Buried Aldershot military cemetary)
Craftsman Judges, REME, from London (Terence Richard. Buried Bermandsy [sic])
Sapper DC Hayward, RE, from Golcar, Huddersfield (David Colin)
Cpl Luxon, RE, from Wolverhampton (Albert Derek)
Sapper Mulligan, RE, from Sheffield (Peter)
Sapper Hemsley, RE, from Brighton (Roy James)
Sapper Sykes, RE, from Coventry (Alan Herbert)

Also killed were Mr and Mrs SD Bartlett from Plymouth, along with their daughter, Patricia (age 10) and son Graham (age 3); Mr Bartlett was an Army civilian teacher.

The crew who died were Capt EDM Jones, First Officer L Tunnington, Radio Officer Robertson, Air Stewardess Miss LM Lahey, Mr H Booth, route facilities officer. Tunnington was a Kiwi, and Miss Lahey was from New South Wales.

Lt Robert Wilson Andrews, RA, of Cambridge, survived the crash, but died the following day, his death being reported in the Monday 6 May 1957 edition of the Times.

[tarrant]

Hello Archimedes
Just to say thank you very much. We have been able to contact three families as the result of your posting.
Regards Eric

[allanbooth]

well now youve found a fourth
my granfather was Harry Booth and im sure my dad would be delighted to know a memorial is being put up
thanks
allan
please feel free to contact me on
[email protected]

[clairewilson]

Hi

My grandfather was Major Lacey, I have finally managed to give my dad the news he has waited for sor so long....he now knows where to go and remember his dad. He wa also given the location of his fathers grave, he never knew where it was, and we plan to visit that very very soon.

I can only thank you, you have given my dad closure and he can now go and visit the grave for the first time, he was only 9 years old when his father died and his mum was destroyed by this so it was never really an option before. We have tried and failed for many years to trace his grave and see whether there was any memorial, it was only by chance he was watching the news that we saw the memorial, sadly too late for us to come along, but now we have a place to go pay our respects.

Thank you so much once again

Claire x

[Warmtoast]

Only two days ago a plaque was unveiled at Blackbushe to commemorate the victims of this crash.

BBC Video here: BBC News - Tribute to 1957 air crash victims (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15378563)

[troylee]

The casualties are listed on Page 7 of the Times, Friday 3 May 1957.

http://www.cuinsurance.org/xiaozhu1.jpg
http://www.cuinsurance.org/male2.jpg
http://www.cuinsurance.org/male3.jpg

[tarrant]

Dedication of a Memorial to the victims of a Viking accident 1st May 1957
at Blackbushe Airport.

It was a very moving event with some 150 people present. Eight families attended along with a good number of ex Eagle staff including their Chairman and Founder of the Eagle Group Mr Harold Bamberg OBE. Various members of local councils were also present. We are grateful to members of the Royal Engineers from the Gibraltar Barracks along with their padre for supporting us, also to the RAF association and the Royal British Legion.

We would like to put on record our special thanks to the managment at Blackbushe Airport for allowing us to place the memorial plaque on the control tower.
The plaque was unveiled by Harold Bamberg and Mrs Marjorie Fatherly, mother of one of the men that was killed. She now in her nineties.

I would like to thank the previous messages that helped in our early research. We have now located nine famlies and will continue the search for others.