Swiss Air Disaster 50th Anniversary Garden

Aim

We wish to commemorate the lives of our family members and friends that died 50 years ago in the swiss air disaster.

On the 10th April 1973 twenty villagers set off from Bristol’s Lulsgate airport on an exciting trip to Basle in Switzerland. In heavy snow the Vickers Vanguard aircraft, operated by Invicta International Airlines, hit the hillside 300 metres south of the Herrenmatt hamlet, Hochwald, Switzerland. Of the 145 people on board only 37 survived. All 20 passengers from Congresbury lost their lives including 5 members of my family with almost every local business affected.

On the 40th anniversary, a small memorial plaque and three wooden seats were placed within the church yard at St Andrew's church where our family and friends were laid to rest. Ten years on, only one of the benches is usable.

On the 50th anniversary of the disaster we wish to replace the plaque with a new larger one that includes the names of our loved ones and create a rose garden as a living lasting tribute to them.

We are looking for donations to support our aim of having a permanent memorial to the 20 villagers that lost their lives.  The local garden centre has donated 20 rose bushes, but we need help to fund the plaque and if possible to replace the three benches. 

This project successfully funded on 10th March 2023