Vickers Viking 1B - G-AIVE crash, Irish Law, nr Largs, April 1948
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Hi Jock
Thanks for your comments. Oddly enough, I'm now only a few miles away from Donibristle, which looks to be under an industrial estate now
Thanks for your comments. Oddly enough, I'm now only a few miles away from Donibristle, which looks to be under an industrial estate now
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November 2008 Progress Update
Firstly, our apologies for the lack of updates recently - this has basically been because we've been busy writing! Viking Down! is progressing nicely, and as we commit the fruits of our research to prose, we are still receiving new information more than two years after the project began.
During the summer, we have received further information on the subsequent career of Captain John Ramsden, however, there are still some pieces of additional information which may yet appear, not least, a photograph of the man in question.
In October, we were delighted to finally meet Enid Clifton, wife of Denis Clifton, co-pilot on Vestal during a weekend in Buckinghamshire and Surrey. We once again met with Shaun and Martin Moroney and with them, visited Brooklands Museum in Weybridge and together, we were welcomed aboard their static display Viking. A very rewarding weekend indeed, and a pleasure to see the Moroneys once again.
We thank you once again for your interest in our project and wish you the very best for the festive season.
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
Firstly, our apologies for the lack of updates recently - this has basically been because we've been busy writing! Viking Down! is progressing nicely, and as we commit the fruits of our research to prose, we are still receiving new information more than two years after the project began.
During the summer, we have received further information on the subsequent career of Captain John Ramsden, however, there are still some pieces of additional information which may yet appear, not least, a photograph of the man in question.
In October, we were delighted to finally meet Enid Clifton, wife of Denis Clifton, co-pilot on Vestal during a weekend in Buckinghamshire and Surrey. We once again met with Shaun and Martin Moroney and with them, visited Brooklands Museum in Weybridge and together, we were welcomed aboard their static display Viking. A very rewarding weekend indeed, and a pleasure to see the Moroneys once again.
We thank you once again for your interest in our project and wish you the very best for the festive season.
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
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Hi all
In this, the week of the sixty-first anniversary of the crash, we thought it was time to update you on how the project is progressing. Currently, we continue to busily write away with a number of sections nearing completion and some areas being redrafted. Some parts have proved an enjoyable challenge and we're happy with the way in which the writing is developing. We have also been working on some cover concepts, again, with pleasing results.
...and still, we are receiving new information! In the past couple of weeks, we have tracked down the son of Mr (Johannes) Sejersted and are in communication with him. You will remember that the Sejersteds were the Norwegian couple aboard the flight en route to a honeymoon in the US after business in Scotland.
Some photographs from our Brooklands Museum visit last October to see a surviving Viking can be found on Gordon Lyons' site at http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/brooklands_viking.htm and coverage of our project can be found at another page http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/vickers_viking2.htm .
Best wishes,
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
VikingCrash1948 : Vickers Viking G-AIVE
In this, the week of the sixty-first anniversary of the crash, we thought it was time to update you on how the project is progressing. Currently, we continue to busily write away with a number of sections nearing completion and some areas being redrafted. Some parts have proved an enjoyable challenge and we're happy with the way in which the writing is developing. We have also been working on some cover concepts, again, with pleasing results.
...and still, we are receiving new information! In the past couple of weeks, we have tracked down the son of Mr (Johannes) Sejersted and are in communication with him. You will remember that the Sejersteds were the Norwegian couple aboard the flight en route to a honeymoon in the US after business in Scotland.
Some photographs from our Brooklands Museum visit last October to see a surviving Viking can be found on Gordon Lyons' site at http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/brooklands_viking.htm and coverage of our project can be found at another page http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/vickers_viking2.htm .
Best wishes,
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
VikingCrash1948 : Vickers Viking G-AIVE
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Viking Down!
The Dramatic Night An Airliner Crashed In The Scottish Hills
by James T M Towill and Dougie Martindale
AMP Books
The book is a product of four years research and writing by Dougie and myself. It is a comprehensive account of the crash of an airliner in 1948, providing a detailed analysis of the crash as well as full coverage of the lives of the passengers and crew in the decades beyond.
On the evening of 21 April 1948, a Vickers Viking airliner carrying four crew and sixteen passengers crashes into a windswept Scottish hillside. The blazing aircraft bounces over the hillside before finally coming to rest. Remarkably all twenty occupants manage to scramble clear with only burned hands and other minor injuries. They then watch helplessly as a raging inferno consumes the fuselage of the aircraft.
Yet their ordeal has only just begun. Having braved the fire, they must next survive the elements. Dressed only in frocks and suits, they are forced to shelter from the winds that sweep mercilessly over the hillside. The Captain and one passenger leave the scene to alert the authorities. Several hours later the two men succeed in reaching civilisation. The Captain then leads the first of several search parties that scour the moorlands in search of the crashed airliner. But a complete lack of visibility and terrible conditions underfoot prevents any of the rescue parties from finding the survivors.
By dawn the remaining passengers and crew have spent the entire night huddling together for warmth in a shelter built from the wreckage. Fearing the rescuers will not find them before the elements take their toll, a decision is made by the crew. They must make their own move, trekking out over desolate moorland in a bid to survive.
Viking Down! tells the full story of events on that fateful night. Illustrated with numerous maps, drawings and period photos, the authors reveal how and why the airliner crashed into a Scottish hillside. The fascinating story of how the twenty men and women coped with such dreadful adversity is also covered. These personal, technical and historical elements knit together to form a remarkable tale of human survival.
Since this is a human drama story it is suitable for all readers and not just aviation enthusiasts. The book cover is attached.
Our research project has featured in a number of Scottish newspapers. These can be viewed at Air Crash Sites Scotland:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co...rish-law02.htm
Photos of the us studying a real Viking at Brooklands Museum in Surrey, England can he found at:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co...brooklands.htm
In total there are 144 pages (13 in colour), 55 images, 10 maps and 9 illustrations.
Ordering Information
The price is €16.50 & p&p and it can be ordered from AMP Books at:
AMP - Accurate Model Parts
Alternatively you can order by UK cheque to either Dougie or myself. The price for UK cheque is £16.50 (£14 & £2.50 p&p). Please private message for details.
Book Launch
On Saturday 26th March we are holding a book launch meet-and-greet at the RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire between 1pm and 3pm. If you live locally and are available, we would be happy to see you on the day. And of course, copies of Viking Down! will be available.
We would like to thank everyone for assisting us along the way. Dougie and I could not have completed the book project without the support of our many contributors. We hope you enjoy Viking Down! and finding out more about this remarkable episode in local history.
Best regards
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
The Dramatic Night An Airliner Crashed In The Scottish Hills
by James T M Towill and Dougie Martindale
AMP Books
The book is a product of four years research and writing by Dougie and myself. It is a comprehensive account of the crash of an airliner in 1948, providing a detailed analysis of the crash as well as full coverage of the lives of the passengers and crew in the decades beyond.
On the evening of 21 April 1948, a Vickers Viking airliner carrying four crew and sixteen passengers crashes into a windswept Scottish hillside. The blazing aircraft bounces over the hillside before finally coming to rest. Remarkably all twenty occupants manage to scramble clear with only burned hands and other minor injuries. They then watch helplessly as a raging inferno consumes the fuselage of the aircraft.
Yet their ordeal has only just begun. Having braved the fire, they must next survive the elements. Dressed only in frocks and suits, they are forced to shelter from the winds that sweep mercilessly over the hillside. The Captain and one passenger leave the scene to alert the authorities. Several hours later the two men succeed in reaching civilisation. The Captain then leads the first of several search parties that scour the moorlands in search of the crashed airliner. But a complete lack of visibility and terrible conditions underfoot prevents any of the rescue parties from finding the survivors.
By dawn the remaining passengers and crew have spent the entire night huddling together for warmth in a shelter built from the wreckage. Fearing the rescuers will not find them before the elements take their toll, a decision is made by the crew. They must make their own move, trekking out over desolate moorland in a bid to survive.
Viking Down! tells the full story of events on that fateful night. Illustrated with numerous maps, drawings and period photos, the authors reveal how and why the airliner crashed into a Scottish hillside. The fascinating story of how the twenty men and women coped with such dreadful adversity is also covered. These personal, technical and historical elements knit together to form a remarkable tale of human survival.
Since this is a human drama story it is suitable for all readers and not just aviation enthusiasts. The book cover is attached.
Our research project has featured in a number of Scottish newspapers. These can be viewed at Air Crash Sites Scotland:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co...rish-law02.htm
Photos of the us studying a real Viking at Brooklands Museum in Surrey, England can he found at:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co...brooklands.htm
In total there are 144 pages (13 in colour), 55 images, 10 maps and 9 illustrations.
Ordering Information
The price is €16.50 & p&p and it can be ordered from AMP Books at:
AMP - Accurate Model Parts
Alternatively you can order by UK cheque to either Dougie or myself. The price for UK cheque is £16.50 (£14 & £2.50 p&p). Please private message for details.
Book Launch
On Saturday 26th March we are holding a book launch meet-and-greet at the RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire between 1pm and 3pm. If you live locally and are available, we would be happy to see you on the day. And of course, copies of Viking Down! will be available.
We would like to thank everyone for assisting us along the way. Dougie and I could not have completed the book project without the support of our many contributors. We hope you enjoy Viking Down! and finding out more about this remarkable episode in local history.
Best regards
James Towill
Dougie Martindale
