The Douglas Rotary Club has held an event to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the 1958 Winter Hill plane crash, in which 35 Manx residents died.

It was organised by the club’s Howard Callow, who was four years old when his father died in the air disaster.

More than 50 people gathered for the informal ceremony at a partially flooded Cooil y Ree Park in St John’s on Saturday. A wreath was laid at the memorial erected by the club in 2008, bagpipers played and the poem ’In the shadow of Slieau Whallian’ was read out.

Also in attendance was Norman Ennett, the last remaining of the seven crash survivors.

Douglas Rotary is twinned with the club of Horwich, Lancashire, whose members were involved in the rescue efforts at the nearby crash site - with the St John’s service being filmed and shared with them, instead of the usual visit from Manx members which was cancelled because of the pandemic.

The flight took off from Ronaldsway bound for Manchester Airport, before navigational errors resulted in its crashing into the snowy terrain of the 465m high Winter Hill in what remains the worst high-ground aviation accident in UK history.

Its passengers consisted of a party of local motor traders who had been invited on an industry day trip.