March 1958 to February 1962
United Iranian Airlines
EP-AHA - c/n 297 - a V.782D series Viscount
Iran registered
19 March 1956
An order was placed by the Iranian Government for three Type 782D aircraft. Two for airline use and the third for use by the Shah of Persia.
4 March 1958
First flight from Brooklands Airfield, Weybridge, Surrey, England.
It landed at Wisley Airfield, Surrey, England for fitting out and test flying.
25 March 1958
Delivered to the Iranian Government for use by United Iranian Airlines.
5 May 1959
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England with the Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
11 May 1959
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England with the Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
12 February 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England on a freight flight.
28 March 1960
Noted at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
April 1961
Noted in a third livery with 'United Iranian Airlines' titles.
17 September 1961
Arrived at Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
19 September 1961
Departed from Gatwick Airport, Surrey, England.
24 February 1962
Transferred to Iran National Airlines Corporation (Iranair).
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January 1968 to September 1978
Air Rhodesia
VP-WAS - c/n 297 - a V.782D series Viscount
Rhodesia registered
1 January 1968
Transferred from Central African Airways Corporation (CAA) due to a corporate name change still named as 'Hunyani'.
28 September 1969
Seen at Bulawayo Airport, Rhodesia flying low with the two starboard Rolls-Royce Dart engines feathered during an airshow. It was being flown by Captain John Heap.
1 December 1969
Total time 16,319:41 hours.
23 March 1970
Total time 16,878:45 hours.
1974
Repainted in a later livery (copying the Boeing 720 aircraft acquired from Calair) and now named as 'Hunyani', which is a river in Rhodesia.
3 September 1978
Crashed during an emergency forced-landing 16 KM from the southern shores of Lake Kariba.
The aircraft took off from Kariba Airport, Rhodesia on scheduled flight RH825 to Salisbury International Airport, Kentucky, Rhodesia at 17:10. Shortly after takeoff, the starboard wing was hit by a heat-seeking SAM-7 (Soviet 9K32 Cтрела (Arrow) Strela-2) surface-to air-missile. An emergency descent was carried out and the crew tried to make a landing in a large clearing in the bush in the Whamira Hills, near Karoi, 16 KM from the southern shores of Lake Kariba. During the landing the undercarriage struck an irrigation ditch, which cart-wheeled the aircraft and it broke up and caught fire. All 4 crew and 34 of the 52 passengers died in the crash.
Fighters from Joshua Nkomo's Zimbabwe People's Revolution Army (ZIPRA) were held responsible for shooting down the aircraft and later killed 10 of the 18 survivors. The remaining survivors were rescued the next day.
Total time 30,074 hours.
11 November 1978
Captain John Eric Courtenay Hood (36), First Officer Garth George Beaumont (31), cabin crew Miss Dulcie Esterhuizen (21) and Miss Brenda-Ann Louise Pearson (23) were all posthumously awarded the Pat Judson Trophy and the Meritorious Conduct Medal as part of the Independence Day anniversary award ceremony.
Parents Eric and Ina Hood, Edgar and Joyce Beaumont, Louw and Ann Esterhuizen, Podge and Jacqui Pearson, along with widow Di Hood, all attended the event.
2 September 2012
A memorial dedicated to all those killed in this aircraft and also those who were killed during the second attack to VP-YND (C/N 101) was unveiled in the gardens of the South African Voortrekker Monument at Pretoria, South Africa and then consecrated. A number of family members laid wreaths around the base of the two granite plaques which has rolls of honour listing all the names of those who sadly lost their lives.
The passengers who died were: -
Mr Frederick J Barkuizen (47), South Africa, Mrs Anns Barkuizen (48), South Africa, Mr Walter Brown (50), Fife, Scotland, Mrs Elizabeth Brown (45), Fife, Scotland,
Mr Jeremy Bull (22), Gwelo, Mrs Karen Bull (23), Nurse, Bulawayo, Master Gary Callow (12), Salisbury, Mr Walter Ferrier (57), Salisbury, Mrs Margaret Ferrier (54), Salisbury,
Mr Malcolm Gillespie (22), BSAP, Salisbury, Mr Ramesh Gulabh (34), Centrust Travel, Bulawayo, Mrs Shakuntala Gulabh (28), Miss Veena Gulabh (8), Miss Leena Gulabh (4),
Mrs Dahiben Gulabh (58), Mr Aubrey Hewitt (64), Attorney, Bulawayo, Mrs Jennete Hewitt (53), Teacher, Bulawayo, Miss Audrey Hewitt (23),
Mrs Prabhaben Lalloo (38), Milton Park, Salisbury, Miss Neela Lalloo (20), Miss Romala Lalloo (14), Mr Douglas Loder (58), Builder, Bulawayo,
Mrs Margaret Loder (51), Headmistress, Carmel School, Bulawayo, Master Keith Loder (11), Mr Paul Nicholls (30), Salesman, Goodyear Tyres, Bulawayo, Mrs Francis Nicholls (26),
Mrs Joan Nicholls (55), Master Mark Nicholls (9), Miss Michelle Nicholls (7), Mrs Ruth Rainey (33), Salisbury, Mr Roger Seaton (42), Salisbury, Miss Cheryl Tilley (20), Rhobank, Salisbury.
Mrs Vina Elizabeth "Betty" Trinder (63), TTC, Bulawayo, Miss Lida van Beuningen (24), Marandellas, Mr Peter Vermeulen (51), Mrs Mary Vermeulen (49),
Mr Ronald Vermeulen (26), Aircraft Engineer, Salisbury, Mrs Allison Vermeulen (27), Barclays Bank, Salisbury, Master Matthew Wilger (8), Bulawayo, Miss Leanne Wilger (4), Bulawayo,
Mrs Margaret Wray (55), Bindura, Miss Marianne Wray (7), Bindura, Master John Wray (9), Bindura, Miss Dawn Young (19), BSAP, Salisbury.
The passengers who survived were: -
Dr Cecil McLaren, Mrs Sharon Cole, Miss Tracey Cole (4), Mr Robert Hargreaves (28), Mrs Shannon Hargreaves (18), Mr Tony Hill (39)
Mr Hans Hanson (35), Mrs Diane Hanson (31)
There are still strong feelings amongst the Rhodesian communities relating to these atrocities and a general consensus of opinion that the then free-world did little to acknowledge or condemn the actions taken by the rebels. At long last there is a fitting tribute to the innocent victims of these events that occurred over thirty years ago. Long may we remember them.
Here is a poem written by Alf Hutchison after the unveiling ceremony: -
THE VISCOUNTS MEMORIAL
Piper’s mournful lament drifts on heat and rising haze,
‘Amazing Grace’, ‘Abide with me’; unto God we gave the praise,
The ‘Green and White’ flew at half mast; host Angels bid it blow,
Their gentle breath on our dear flag, caused many tears to flow.
Today the Highveld lay silent, a vacuum void of sound,
Monument Hill so quiet; baked red parched barren ground,
African Camel-thorn Acacia, indigenous to this land,
Stand as silent witnesses to Viscounts Memorial grand.
Two Granite stones bear the names of loved ones now passed on,
We have promised to remember them in the morn and setting sun,
Those who survived Hunyani; troubled families seeking rest,
Come to honour the dead; civilians, and Rhodesia’s fighting best.
It stands now to remind the world of the depths that men can sink,
Showing man’s inhumanity to man; and just how the evil think.
This memorial stands not only to recall Rhodesia’s hurt, or pain,
But to remind a once proud nation …we would do it all again.
FURTHER READING
 'Viscount Down' - The Complete Story of the Rhodesian Viscount Disasters - by Keith Nell
'Deafening Silence' - An original Michael Short painting of VP-WAS
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