Gatwick Crash 17th February 1959
Within the plot is this memorial to 15 members of a Turkish Government delegation who died when a Turkish Airlines Vickers Viscount crashed 3 miles from Gatwick Airport in thick fog. The Turkish Prime Minister was among 10 survivors.
Gatwick Crash
The BBC reported as follows: "Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes has survived an air crash near London that killed 12 people. Mr Menderes was on his way to the British capital for talks on Cyprus with the British, Greek and Cypriot premiers when his Viscount jet crashed in Jordan's Wood, near Newdigate in Surrey. Only 10 of the 22 passengers and crew on board the Turkish Government aircraft survived and two were critically injured. The plane - from Istanbul - was diverted from Gatwick Airport because of fog and was due to arrive at London Airport at 1600 GMT when it went missing off the radar." Full Text.