Fergus McCartney - photo of grave.

The Natal Mercury - 16 August 1939 - 'His Plane Became a Glider' - "The aeroplane was travelling along nicely at 4,000 feet; a split second later the engine whirled out of the aircraft and I was piloting a glider." This was how Major C.A. Hooper described the crash in which he and Mr W.C. Mitchell, both of Nairobi, had a miraculous escape from death on Saturday. Their plane dropped from 4,000 feet into the thick thorn bush of Maputaland. When they were over Lake Sibayi, 50 miles east of Gollel, the airscrew of their Miles Hawk Major broke at the boss. The terrific vibration of the unbalanced airscrew threw the engine out of the fuselage. Major Hooper managed to keep the aircraft in control. He spiralled to the ground and "pancaked." "There was no time to switch off," said Major Hooper. "One moment there was an engine and airscrew, the next the engine had gone overboard. It was as quick as that. I found my feet pointing through the end of the aircraft; I was in charge of a glider, but a very uncontrollable one without a rudder bar, which the engine had carried away. "I came down in wide spirals which became tighter as the aircraft lost altitude. It was fortunate there was thick bush to break the force of the impact."

Mr Mitchell, who was sitting behind, was not aware immediately the engine had gone overboard. When Major Hooper told him through the telephone that the engine had gone, Mr Mitchell thought the motor had cut out so he obediently switched off. The Natives who cut their way to the wreck were amazed that the two men had survived. They led them to the engine which had fallen three-quarters of a mile from the fuselage. Major Hooper and Mr Mitchell felt that the regulations for civil aviation in the Union were not as complete as they might be. It was the custom in Kenya and Tanganyika, they said, for one airport to notify the next airport of the departure of an aircraft. When they crashed, both airmen thought similar regulations applied in the Union.

Aero - President of the Aero Club of East Africa in 1939 and 1949

St. Mary's Church Kabete cemetery - William Charles Mitchell, died 13 Nov 1963

Nairobi City Park cemetery Inscription: Charlotte / Mitchell / a very dear wife / and / devoted mother / passed to rest 26-1-1955

Gazette 16 Nov 1936 Voters List 1936 - William Charles Mitchell, Business Manager, 2nd Avenue, Parklands and Barbara Mann Mitchell, Proprietrix, Crystal Springs Aerated Water Co., Nbi [but she was the wife of Alexander Milne Mitchel, though he had died in 1932]

S. African Biographical Index Flight Lieut. R.A.F. Directorships; East African Portland Cement Co., Ltd.; East African Standard, Ltd. Tanganyika Standard, Ltd,; Mombasa Times, Ltd.; General Investment Co., Ltd; East African Breweries, Ltd; South African Mutual Life Assurance Society;