Address in 1945: 47 Upper Rathmines, Dublin He carried on as a ferry pilot after WWII; in July 1951 the 'Belfast Whig' reported: "Sydenham plane crash: Belfast pilot injured A naval aircraft, a Sturgeon target towing plane, manufactured by Short and Harland, Ltd., overshot the runway when It was coming In to land at Sydenham airport yesterday and crashed Into the sea. William Mockler (27). a ferry pilot. Holland Gardens, Belfast was the only person on board. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he was detained. He is stated to be seriously ill, suffering from head injurles. The plane, which was not seriously damaged, was a new one for delivery to the Naval authorities at Malta." ... and later a pilot for BEA. In 1968: "An airliner carrying 139 passengers made an emergency landing yesterday after an anonymous phone caller claimed that a bomb had been planted on board. Police received the call ten minutes after the plane, a BEA Vanguard, had taken off from Turnhouse Airport, Edinburgh, for London. The news was immediately radioed to the captain, 45-year-old William Mockler, and he returned to Turnhouse. Police, ambulancemen and the fire brigade stood by as passengers escaped by the plane's emergency chute. Army bomb disposal men, police and air line officials then began searching the plane and baggage. No bomb was found." Daily Mirror |
1945