I had a little detour before starting work this morning, I went to the tiny hamlet of Sigginston in the vale of glamorgan to view the memorial plaque dedicated to the 80 people who lost their lives in in March 1950 in what was for a long time Britain's worst airline disaster. See article on the crash:
http://www.south-wales.police.uk/fe/master.asp?n1=8&n2=253&n3=689
With all the fuss about the Munich crash over recent weeks I had been pondering why this awful accident is mostly forgotten, even by people in South Wales.
The passengers were rugby fans returning from watching Wales beat Ireland to clinch the triple crown.
I talked to some villagers this morning and they gave me an insight into why the plane had been overloaded. Apparently, in an attempt to beat the rationing, the passengers had filled the plane with hard-to-get supplies. A local remembers that all you could find all over the field were huge ham joints and bags of sugar.
I then went up to the farmhouse next to the crash site. It is owned now by a young couple, but they could point out the crash site and they said that I was only the second person to ask them about the crash. Needless to say the spot now is one of tranquil rural beauty. As good a resting place as you could ask for.
I didn't go for any ghoulish reasons, but to tie together an event and place. It was an interesting experience.
GC
