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A glimpse of impending disaster
MEMORY LANE readers may recall our feature a couple of years ago on the fated R101 airship which left Cardington Hangars for British India on its maiden voyage only to crash in France in the early hours of October 5, 1930 killing almost everyone on board. She had left the Royal Airship Works on the evening of October 4 with 55 passengers and crew. Forty-eight died.
Peter Broadhurst of Shefford was a month away from his first birthday at the time of the crash and wrote to Memory Lane with some family recollections.
“It was terrible weather – heavy rain and gusty wind. My father looked out and said ‘She’s low. She’s very low’. He could see her yellow lights swaying in the wind.
“The air minister, Lord Thomson, director of civil aviation was one of the passengers. He stopped in Shefford at the White Hart for a meal on October 4, 1930 I believe.
“The R101’s sister airship the R100 was very successful but sadly she was broken up and the metal sold for a mere £600.”
The building of the airships provided work for many local people.
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Weather for Biggleswade
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
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trevorcardington
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 05:01 PMthe R101 is still to this day the largest aircraft the UK has ever produced. interesting little story. my site on cardington, contains pictures poetry on Cardingtons airships and the sheds. http:cardington.weebly.comindex.html there is also a news page on the latest news and info on the Cardington sheds. from Batman to Hybrid Air Vehicles. Balloons to humungus airship sheds.
James Bond
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 04:17 PMIf you like airships try my new Gasbags site: www.hybridblimp.net which is the worlds only lighter than air comedy web site.
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