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A special thanks must go to Roger Bunney who has been a tower of  strength and arranged  the dedication of the memorial and other aspects of the gathering in May 2003, together with all the associated correspondence and background work that you never think about, and never see.  My name has appeared in the press, if only as a contact, but Roger's hasn't.  However that in no way lessens his contribution - perhaps he is just rather more modest!

Thanks also to an 'email correspondent' who wishes to remain anonomous - she is a professional airline pilot and wrote a full technical analysis of the accident to help me sort fact from theory.  

Also to 'Wight Air Wrecks' for starting things off, - Andy could never have known what would follow from the page of information he emailed to me.

The Isle of Wight County Press for sending me all their archives and allowing me to reproduce some on the site, the National Trust for agreeing to the memorial and then digging the large pole needed to plant it,  to the AJ Jackson photographic collection for advice, help and the photographs, the staff at Ventnor Radar, John Tietjen for the superb colour photograph on the front page of the web site,   Becky Fawcett for the painting - 'Becky can you paint me a Dakota with these markings by Sunday' and Roger Carvell who provided the illustration for the memorial. Kevin Nice fellow Land Rover enthusiast and editor of Shortwave Magazine, members of Ventnor Historical Society, Propliner Magazine, Ventnor Council, the Isle of Wight Council, BALPA and everyone else who has given time and help.

Also to my cousin Julie Hill who came to the UK from Australia on a working holiday to Bristol and found herself making sarnies and serving teas in St Lawrence village hall.  

The goodwill, generosity and sheer hard work has been unbelievable.  Thank you - everyone.

I don't think I have infringed copyright or trodden on any toes, but if I have, please accept my apologies and I'll credit the item, remove or alter as necessary.

We must say thank you to the site sponsors - Farvis Boilers - for making this space available and for providing assistance with the construction of the memorial and a number of other incidental aspects of the project. Obviously there has to be some way to show appreciation and we have included a number of links, so if you are involved with airfield maintenance, road surfacing, roofing, - or runway jointing - than please have a look at the commercial part of the site.  Farvis also supply agricultural and specialist cookers and animal feed boilers,  so that may be of interest too. Click the link for their home page:

.....  and thanks also to Dave Brennan at A1 Blasting in Bristol for doing the surface preparation on the monument free of charge.

A big thank you to The late Dave Williams for the lovely line drawing of G-AGZB.  He was a highly talented commercial artist and had a number of aviation and vehicle prints available, including some classic Dakota liveries of lesser known airlines - he modified this original drawing specially so that it could be used on the site. My photography doesn't do it justice - it really is a beauty and now hangs on my office wall. Dave passed away just two days after this site first went 'on air' on 8-5-2002.

PROJECT SPONSORS

Passengers aboard G-AGZB and relatives of the Crew

Farvis Ltd

The National Trust

Bill Woolstencroft

A1 Blasting

Freshlook Engineering Ltd

Tuffnells Parcels Express

Red Funnel Ferries

Sponsors & Special Thanks

Site Sponsor

www.farvis.com

.... and finally thanks to Gill, my wife.  Thank you for putting up with endless theories, hill walking, photocopying, obscure books and late night Internet research on Dakotas, NDB's and Radar, - and for listening to me detailing every possible combination of circumstances.  She was made to suffer the indignity of a family holiday searching for the site of the crash on a bleak hillside rather than lying in the sun -   and just when it all seemed to be over, she got dragged back to the Down on New Years Eve - with snow on the ground  .... and again on a foggy May day - and again the following  August -  then back in May 2003 to make 400 sandwiches and cater for 80 people she had never met, in a village hall she had never seen, 150 miles from where she lived, taking all food and supplies with her.  And when it was all over her wedding anniversary present was one of the last flights from Bristol …. on Air Atlantique’s G-AMPY Dakota.  She never once complained!