Click Pictures
to Enlarge
|
On Wednesday
August 9th
1961 a Cunard Eagle
Airways Vickers
Viking with
three crew
members, code
named Papa Mike,
carrying 34
teenage school
boys and two
masters from
Lanfranc
Secondary Modern
School in
Croydon, crashed
just below the
summit of Holtaheia,
a mountain, near
Stavanger in
Norway. All 38
men and one
woman were
killed
instantly. It
was the worst
accident of its
kind to have
occurred since
the war, and at
that time,
Norway’s worst
aviation
disaster.
Members of the
Norwegian Red
Cross brought
the bodies of
the victims down
from the
mountain top for
repatriation.
The whole of
Croydon was in
shock because
almost everyone
knew of someone
involved in the
tragedy. The
town went into
mourning. News
of the disaster
was syndicated
around the world
and was
important news
for quite a long
time –
especially, of
course, in
Croydon and
Stavanger.
Months later the
conclusion of
the Norwegian
Air Accident
Enquiry was that
no one thing was
to blame for the
crash. Nothing
could be learnt
from the
mysterious
accident, so
everyone had
died needlessly.
They were wasted
lives.
To commemorate
the 50th
Anniversary of
the Lanfranc-Holtaheia
disaster on
Tuesday 9th
of August 2011
the mayor of
Stavanger, Mr
Leif Johan
Sevland, has
decided that a
ceremony should
take place on
the mountain top
of Holtaheia in
Strand Kommune
near Stavanger,
and also that a
church service
will take place
in Stavanger
Cathedral.
Relatives and
friends of those
who died are
invited to
attend as well
as anyone
involved with
the rescue at
the time.
Transport will
be provided to
and from
Stavanger to Holta and thence
on foot to the
Memorial Cross
on the summit of
Holtaheia. A
lunch will be
hosted by the
Kommune.
Friends of The
Sola Aviation
Museum,
including
members who were
involved in the
search at the
time are
planning a
commemorative 50th
Anniversary
Exhibition of
the Holtaheia
Air Crash. This
will be another
venue to visit. |
