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 PM backs air disaster campaign Brendan Montague Wednesday April 3, 2002 The Stockport Express PRIME Minister Tony Blair has resoundingly backed our campaign to officially recognise the bravery of Stockport's air crash rescuers. In an unsolicited letter to the Stockport Express, the premier gives the first official recognition for the selfless bravery of people who helped after a passenger plane smashed down in Stockport almost 35 years ago. Mr Blair said: "You can only marvel at the courage of the police, fire officers and local residents who risked their lives to save passengers trapped in a burning aircraft. "Without their efforts the dreadful death toll would have been even higher. They did so without thought for their own safety and, of course, without any thought of recognition. "By their courage and humanity they demonstrated - then as now - that the real strength of this country is in its people. And they were, of course, just part of a massive rescue effort involving so many in the town. "I would like to join the Express in paying tribute to the local people, police and fire officers, NHS staff and Salvation Army whose individual heroism and brilliant team-work saved twelve lives on this black day in Stockport's history." Tony Blair's comments came after Stockport MP Ann Coffey told him of the Express campaign to get belated recognition for the heroes of Hopes Carr. He also read reports in the newspaper. Now it is expected that Stockport Council will act to pay a lasting tribute to the heroes of the town in time for the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations - which fall on the same weekend as the 35th anniversary of the Stockport air crash. Families applying to the Honours Unit at the Cabinet Office for gallantry medals will also use the letter in support of their bids. Tony Blair spoke out after being touched by a series of articles in the Express re-telling the amazing and sometimes harrowing stories of the people who entered the smoking wreck of the British Midland Argonaut and pulled out desperate men, women and children. The four-engine plane crashed in the early morning of Sunday, June 4, 1967 because of a minor fault with the fuel system, leaving 72 passengers and crew dead and 12 badly injured. The plane was approaching Ringway Airport at the end of its journey from Palma in Majorca when pilot Captain Harry Marlow was forced to bring it down. |
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My grandad saved girl from plane Brendan Montague Wednesday March 20, 2002 The Stockport Express HEROIC grandad Brian Donohoe is still hoping for a medal - 35 years after he pulled a teenage girl from the blazing wreck of a crashed plane. So 14-year-old Tim Donohoe-Birch from Stockport has called on the Queen to give his grandad a gong to mark his brave efforts to save victims of Stockport's air disaster. Tim said: "I feel very proud of my grandad. I didn't know about it until five years ago but so many people have told me that while other witnesses stood back he went in and risked his life. "I've now met some of the people who survived and they're eternally grateful to him. He doesn't like to go on about it but I know he's very proud of what he did, it's always stayed with him. "Grandad has never wanted to ask for a medal but he definitely deserves it. He wished he had got more people out." The memory of helping a 15-year-old Fiona Childs from the crashed British Midland DC4 Argonaut returning from Majorca is still clear in Brian Donohoe's mind. He has never forgotten the holiday makers who died in the Stockport tragedy and worked tirelessly to get the memorial to the accident victims. Still working as a baker yards from the crash scene on Hopes Carr Mr Donohoe doesn't want fame and fortune but would be thrilled to receive recognition from the Queen during her Golden Jubilee year - and 35th anniversary of the accident. Tears still well in the hero's eyes as he looks back on that fateful day, and he still feels guilty about the tourists they couldn't save. Just after 9am on Sunday, June 4, 1967 Mr Donohoe was one of the first to run to the blazing plane wreckage. Mr Donohoe was among the police officers and residents who pulled screaming victims away from the flames. Because of such heroics 12 people survived. Only when a police officer punched him on his nose and lay him on the floor did he retreat from the exploding wreck. "There were these little explosions coming along and there was a big gap in the side of the plane. Some of the bobbies were going in so I followed. There was a 15-year-old. She was strapped in and she had two broken legs so I carried her out. "I went back in and there was a terribly large lady and her ankles were embedded in the seat in front. I got her out and tugged her to a hole in side. One of the policemen said: 'you've got to come out.' The plane was blowing up with all the little explosions. "I just kept tugging her and tugging her. The policeman pulled me away. I wanted to go back in but the policeman gave me a thump on the nose and put me on the floor." Exactly six months after the New York terrorist attack he spoke about his sympathy for the bereaved families. "I just couldn't believe it could happen. I wonder what will happen to the families. I think I can understand how they feel." The family has also made contact with the Honours Unit at the Cabinet Office in London this week, and have been given a form to apply for a gong. |
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Air disaster heroes THE campaign to get recognition for the heroes of Hopes Carr has reawakened painful memories of Britain's first urban air disaster. Some of the eyewitnesses and helpers from the day have spoken out for the first time about the injuries they suffered - both mental and physical. Here we tell report how Ernie Taylor risked his life to save others: When the plane went down in Hopes Carr Ernie Taylor did not think twice before racing from his comfortable home to pull survivors from the clutches of tragedy. His pregnant wife was left waiting and prayed on the doorstep for his return. Ernie, who is now 57, works for his own cleaning business and lives at Bancroft Close in Bredbury. He was just yards away from the crash scene. This is a dramatic first hand account of the day he answered the prayers of the crash victims. "We had a little terraced house after we first got married and lived on Upper Brook Street. That was the first house we bought. My wife was six-months pregnant when that plane came down. "I was doing some toast and some coffee on the Sunday and I heard a tremendous roar as though it was coming through the house. The building rocked. I had no idea what it was. "I only had my slippers, jeans and a t-shirt on. I was overlooking Hopes Carr and all I could see was black smoke. It was only when I crossed the road I saw the tail piece poking up out of the smoke. "As I rounded the corner there was just nobody about and the plane was broken up into three pieces. The main body was squashed into the bracken. "I was just about to go into the aircraft because it was all open and Bill Oliver (a police officer at the time) came up into the back, so we went in planning to get people out. We actually got four people out between us. "I had no protection and it was getting terribly hot. There were gas jets coming up between the bodies we had to walk on to get to people. We only went for people who were moving. "The first girl we got out - we had to get the seat belt off. Her foot was severed and I was holding her legs while Bill was holding on to her arms. "I could feel all this wet coming down the side of my body - it was blood pumping out. "By the time we put her down she had gone, she had died. We did that four times but the last person, I just couldn't get him out because there was fire in the aircraft. "It burned the hair off the side of my face it was so hot. It was almost blistering and the hair on my arms was burned off which was quite painful. I must have stood on a jagged bit of steel because my foot was gashed open. "There was fuel in the vehicles under the plane. The aircraft bounced up and I can only think that it was a fuel tank in one of the vehicles exploding. I thought it was time for me to go. "I do not know what was going through my mind. Looking back I wouldn't have done it but we just went straight in and started helping people out. "I was covered in blood when I walked away and someone thought I was one of the survivors. "When I got back home my wife was praying on the door step. She knew I'd gone to the aircraft and she could hear all the bangs. I was covered in blood. My slippers must have gone up with the plane because I never saw them again. "It still upsets me when I look back because I can still remember the last person we tried to get out, he was screaming with the fire coming round him - someone else did manage to get him out." For more personal tales of heroic bravery, see the Stockport Express newspaper. |
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Time to honour air crash heroes FROM THE EDITOR Stewart Rigby THEIR bravery was without question. But the heroes who pulled survivors from the burning wreck of an aircraft that crashed on Stockport town centre went without recognition. No honours, no awards, no medals. Now, almost 35 years after the Stockport Air Disaster that claimed 72 lives, the Stockport Express believes it is time to change all that. We believe that those selfless acts of bravery should be recognised. There can be no more fitting occasion for this than the 35th anniversary of the crash - Sunday, June 4, 1967 - which this year signals the beginning of the Queen's Golden Jubilee week. We ask that Her Majesty, or one of her offices, gives timely credit to those amazing people who pulled 12 survivors from the smouldering wreckage that dreadful morning. It was one of the nation's worst air disasters. A British Midland Aviation DC4, returning from Majorca to Ringway, plunged from the sky into an electricity sub-station by open land at Hopes Carr on the edge of the town centre. The pilot averted even greater disaster by steering the plane away from housing and high buildings. The Stockport Express believes it is an appropriate and fitting opportunity to thank, honour and acclaim those who put their own lives at risk that fateful day. We know from our extensive archives that at least three were pre-eminent in hauling people from the wreckage and were directly responsible for saving lives. They were Brian Donohoe, Derek Oultram and Bill Oliver. But the honours we believe they are long overdue simply reflect the enormity of the rescue effort staged by scores of other police, fire and civilian volunteers, including the Salvation Army, who fought to help. No other single incident has touched the people of Stockport more so than this appalling air crash and the dedication of those who gave so much of themselves in acts of bravery and humanity. A permanent memorial to the disaster and those who died exists at Hopes Carr. But, to date, no official recognition in the form of honours has been paid to the heroes of the Stockport Air Disaster. Now, in Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee year - the year of the disaster's 35th anniversary - we appeal for their bravery to be suitably and permanently rewarded. Tell us what You think. Write to The Editor, Stockport Express, Wood Street, Stockport, SK3 0AB. You can fax us on 0161 475 4868 or email us at stockportexpress@gmwn.co.uk In the coming weeks we shall feature the rescuers' efforts with photographs taken at the site. |
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Grandad saved girl from planeCuttings Unlimited © GMWN 2002