
I am a retired Senior Lecturer in Nursing Studies, living near Newcastle upon Tyne.
I was fortunate to hear a trail during the Today programme for the Life Changing programme made by Harriet Ware Austin. It took me back to a period when I played a small part in the aftermath of the air crash, but it had been unresolved for me....
In early April 1972, I returned to Addis Ababa to take up my post as a locally recruited Nurse in Charge of Operating Theatres and Surgical Clinics with The All Africa Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre (ALERT). Having completed a two years placement at the hospital, as a volunteer nurse with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
The ALERT hospital is located on the south western fringe of Addis Ababa.
On the 18th April, 1972 during my lunch break, I became aware of a large pall of black smoke rising into the sky in the direction of the airport. At first, I wondered about the cause. I soon learned that an aircraft had crashed during take-off and that all casualties had been taken to the Empress Zauditu, Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, for treatment. This was a recently opened newly built hospital, based on American type wards and training. As a VSO Nurse, I had a prior connection with the hospital having assisted with an operation there and worked closely with staff in their operating theatres.
My shift finished at around 3:00 pm, so decided to go to the ‘Zauditu’ Hospital, realising that the hospital facilities would probably be overwhelmed by the number of injured patients. The main gates were locked and guards were keeping crowds away. After a wait, I was able to speak to an administrator. After explaining my previous connection to the hospital, I offered to help in the operating theatre or in whatever way was needed. I was told they were coping and didn’t need help. Instead, I was asked to donate a unit of blood. After doing this, I returned to my flat in the ALERT hospital compound. Around 1:00 a.m. I was awakened by a phone call from the Medical Director of ALERT. He was speaking from the Zauditu Hospital and had spoken to Morag Ross the British Embassy Doctor. She was working on the trauma ward and asking for help to care for two severely burned patients. He asked if I could go to the hospital immediately and help out.
On arrival, I found the ward was something akin to a war zone, with 6 patients in one room. I was delegated responsibility for two patients in adjacent beds. ’Caroline’, a British Girl aged 14 years, and an elderly Asian woman aged 60 +, I never learned her name. Each had suffered very severe burns to their whole body. I realised my responsibility was to maintain their intravenous drips to prevent shock and ensure sufficient hydration to prevent kidney failure, monitoring blood pressure and urinary output whilst keeping pain under control.
Fortunately, before I volunteered with VSO, I had gained some experience of caring for people with severe burns at the Burns Unit of Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield. This experience proved invaluable and enabled me to provide the necessary level of support to my patients.
Leaving the ward around 9:00 a.m. I returned to my flat to sleep. Waking around 5:00 p.m. I found a note had been slipped under my door, asking me not to return to the 'burns ward' but to contact Dr Ernest Fritschi, the surgeon at ALERT.

He advised me that the British Embassy was arranging for an evacuation flight, using a BOAC plane. They wanted the Embassy Doctor, Morag Ross, Doctor Fritschi and myself to accompany the casualties on the flight. He said we should plan for an eight hours flight and identify the essential equipment needed to safely support patients during the flight. Following this discussion, I spent the evening at the operating theatre, packing and sterilising equipment we had agreed we would need. After completing this exercise, I returned to my flat and received a message that there was a change of plan and we would not be escorting the casualties.
The British Embassy had secured the use of a RAF Medivac airplane. This would be arriving early the next morning. Could I help with the transfer of the burned patients to the airport? ALERT had a small ambulance. Mr Peter Hill, manager of the specialist shoe workshop, drove this to the Zauditu Hospital. On arrival we were asked to transfer two patients, these were the same patients I had supported during my night shift. The RAF Medical Officer and Senior Nurse had visited the Zauditu hospital to assess the needs, after consulting with the senior pilot they agreed they should take off before 9:00 a.m. local time, any delays would keep them grounded as the crew would be required to complete a mandatory rest period.
Arriving at Bole International Airport, we were ushered alongside the RAF VC10 hospital plane. After helping our patients onto the platform hoist and into the body of the plane, I joined others at the boundary, waiting to see the plane take off. Watching the take-off was an amazing experience, I was so proud to be British.
I later learned the flight had been diverted to Cyprus where some casualties had been transferred to flights to other European countries. A new crew took over the fight onwards to Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
Unfortunately, there was no debriefing for me and I received no feedback from the British Embassy regarding the outcome of the flight or the recovery of the patients I cared for. Living at the ALERT Compound, we had little contact with others in the British Community and had no access to newspapers, TV, depending on RVOG for an English Newscast in the evening, I was therefore unaware of outcomes until I listened to Harriet’s account on the radio. Subsequently, we have exchanged emails and had a long telephone conversation.
Posted on behalf of David Burgess. All images taken by Peter Hill