ONE of the worst disasters in British civil aviation occurred on the slopes of Blackdown Ridge, Haslemere, on the night of November 4, 1967.

An Iberian Airlines jet from Malaga, due to land at Heathrow at 10.10pm, crashed and exploded near Blackdown House, killing all 37 people on board.

Fifty years on, Fernhurst Archives, the village parish council and St Margaret’s Church have joined forces to hold a memorial service and a commemorative exhibition to mark the major air disaster, in which the bodies and possessions of the passengers and pieces of wreckage were scattered across a square mile of countryside.

The memorial service will take place at St Margaret’s, on Saturday, November 4, and the exhibition will be on show in Fernhurst Village Hall, over the weekend.

Archives director Chrissie Maynard is appealing for anyone with any information about the events of that night to get in touch to ensure the exhibition is as comprehensive as possible.

She said: “Many Fernhurst people turned out to do what they could to support emergency services.

“If anyone was involved, or knew someone else who helped, we would like to hear their side of the story to feature in the exhibition.”

Reporting the crash, The Herald said it occurred in thick fog and drizzling rain. Residents said they had heard an aircraft flying, “very very low” and the engines being revved just before the plane came down.

Among those killed was film star June Thorburn, 36, who was due to give birth in four months’ time and was best known as Dickie Henderson’s screen wife in his hit half-hour TV comedy show.

The plane narrowly missed Blackdown House, and its owner Mrs Cannon said at the time: “There was a devastating explosion, which seemed to come down the chimney, accompanied by a bright orange flash”.

After calling emergency services, she was one of the first people at the scene. Haslemere’s fire crew were the first to arrive, swiftly followed by colleagues from Midhurst, Grayshott, Liphook and Guildford.

Emergency lighting was installed and soldiers from the Chichester Barracks also lent their support.

• To contact Fernhurst Archives email [email protected]