Night 23 killed on a Welsh hillside

Ray Cleere
Published 08/01/2012

Aer Lingus plane, the St Kevin, crashed during a gale 60 years ago with the loss of all on board,

On a lonely hillside in Snowdonia, Wales, a simple stone commemorates the victims of Ireland's first air disaster, the crash of the Aer Lingus plane, the St Kevin.

Tragically the only item to survive intact was a child's doll, belonging to a four-year-old passenger.

Sixty years ago, shortly after 7pm on Thursday night January 10, 1952, in a blinding rainstorm the Dakota aircraft crashed into Moel Siabod, a mountain 2,860ft high and burned out with the loss of all 20 passengers, and a crew of three.

It was Aer Lingus's first fatal crash in 15 years of service.

When the first rescue party had struggled 1,000ft up the steep slope of the mountain they found the smouldering debris embedded in the earth. Most of the passengers had been buried in the bog by the impact.

The plane was flying en route from London Northolt to Dublin leaving at 5.25pm and was due to land at Collinstown at 8.10pm. The last message received was a report to the Nevin Radio Station, south of Anglesey which said that the St Kevin was flying normally.

The crash was believed to have occurred within the next half-hour during a gale. The first news of the disaster came from two people who telephoned Caernarvon police at 7.10pm and said that they had heard the sound of an aircraft overhead, then the sound of a crash and saw a big glow in the sky near the mountains. Police, and scores of RAF men and soldiers were involved in the tortuous rescue mission in torrential rain.

Among them were two Irishmen -- Senior Aircraftsman Willie Redmond of Cabra, Dublin and Senior Aircraftsman Christopher McCrann, of Sligo, who were both in the RAF.

By midnight about 100 helpers were directed to the desolate mountain top and they worked by torch light to extricate the bodies from the wreckage and the bog.

The plane was piloted by Captain JR Keohane, from Whitehall, Dublin, with WA Newman, from Dundrum, also Dublin, as First Officer and Deirdre Sutton as air hostess.

Aged 23, Miss Sutton had worked for Aer Lingus for two years and lived in Ranelagh, Dublin, where her family ran a grocery business.

Also among the victims were Captain Michael Laker, aged 29, an Aer Lingus pilot, his wife and daughter, Melody, 4, who were returning from London to their home in Ballymun, Dublin.

A short distance from the wreckage police found a child's shoe and beside it a doll belonging to Melody. The doll was the only item which remained intact after the crash.

The cause of the crash was never established, although it was believed that atrocious weather conditions may have led to mechanical failure.

The remaining crash victims were: William M Good, 36, of Mount Henry, Torca Hill, Dalkey, Co Dublin, who was managing director of Messrs Lincoln and Nolan Ltd, Motor Engineers.

Mr and Mrs Neville Aston, of Ramleh Villas, Milltown, Co Dublin, who were a prominent and popular young couple at Milltown Golf Club.

Dr James Gaffney 38, of Tolka Lodge, Finglas, Co Dublin, who was a well- known Dublin pathologist.

Lily Wenman, 16, who was a German girl going to live with her grandmother Elizabeth Wenman at Mountjoy Street, Dublin.

Arthur Whiteside, 44, of Thwaite, Castle Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin, who was a partner in a firm of chartered accountants.

Henry Richardson, 39, of The Close, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin, who was area manager for Messrs Cavendish Furniture Company.

ED Stone, 22, who was a South African medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons. Gerald Towney Fitzgerald 42, of Clonbeg, Orwell Road, Rathgar, who was an ex-army officer and a Dublin businessman.

Thomas J Carroll, 48, originally from Cork and living in Long Island, New York, who was visiting his mother.

John Francis Stockpool, 33, Kildorrery, Co Cork, who was a taxi driver, farmer and a well-known greyhound breeder. Joan Kiely, 24, of Merton Road, Rathmines, Dublin who was a dietician at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London.

Phyllis Noakes, 32, who was an English civil servant.

John Benson, 24, a music student at the Royal Irish Academy, who lived at Upper Drumcondra Road in Dublin.

William Arthur Lynch, 31, who was an engineer from New York. Dr Daniel J O'Donovan, 56, a retired doctor who lived at Kimmage Road, Terenure, Dublin.

Evelyn Belton, 26, of Summerhill Parade, Dublin, who was a sister of publican Luke Belton and first cousin of Alderman J Belton, TD, a former Lord Mayor of Dublin.

26 Jan 2012
Updated 00:44, 19 Apr 2013
By North Wales Daily Post

60th anniversary of Aer Lingus disaster

A plane crash 60 years ago this month claimed the lives of 23 people, and remains the worst incident of its kind to take place in North Wales.

The Aer Lingus C47 Dakota had been travelling from Northolt Aerodrome in London to Dublin on the night of January 10, 1952 when it crashed into Cwm Edno on the slopes of Moel Siabod.

The aircraft, named St Kevin, was caught in heavy turbulence as it flew through Snowdonia, with the crash later being explained at an enquiry as having been caused by "a powerful downcurrent of air", which led to the aircraft losing a significant amount of altitude in a very short space of time, and striking the mountainside near Llyn Gwynant.

The first rescuers on site were presented with a devastating scene of destruction.

The Herald reported: "Rescuers found the blazing wreckage strewn over a bog formed by the Edno River, and it was apparent from the start there could be no survivors.

"Men of the Caernarvonshire Fire Service, who were who were the first on the scene of the disaster, waded thigh deep through the bog to render what assistance they could."

The search for the bodies of the 23 victims was eventually called off after five days of toiling in shocking circumstances.

Captain Scott, the chief engineer for Aer Lingus, shook hands with every member of the recovery party, telling them: "You have done a splendid job under terrible conditions."

The recovered bodies were later taken from Caernarfon's Ysbyty Eryri to Dublin via RAF Valley.

Mr J Dargan of Aer Lingus praised locals for their efforts: "The people of the area have been wonderful. We were amazed by the cooperation received from everyone, and the helpfulness and hard work of the police, fire service, and RAF personnel."

Dr E Gerald Evans, the pathologist to the Welsh Regional Hospital Board and Home Office, stated at the opening of the inquest that death had been instantaneous for the three crew members and 20 passengers, adding that the bodies were mutilated by the impact of the crash.

Four bodies were never accounted for, while others could not be clearly identified.

Twelve of the victims were interred at Caernarfon's Llanbeblig Cemetery, marked with a large tomb and headstone commemorating the devastating accident which shook the county.