The Big Climb Down

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Where: Leinster, Fingal, Ireland

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When: Unknown

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A really different photo from the Monkey Morgan Collection today with the President of India, Jawaharlal Nehru and a colleague climbing down from an aircraft. The Krazy Kataloger has done it again and suggested that the colleague is none other than Eamonn DeValera but I've see the man in the flesh and he was not a person of colour so that is not right. The two were however very good friends and shared a mutual admiration. What can we find out about this image, where did it take place and what was the context?

Photographer: Alexander Campbell “Monkey” Morgan

Collection: Morgan Aerial Photographic Collection

Date: ca. 1956

NLI Ref: NPA MORX-2

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

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Owner: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 5224
morganaerialphotographiccollection nationallibraryofireland ireland bw alexandercampbellmorgan captainacmorgan monkeymorgan piperapache eiajl westonaerodrome phaseboxes mylar aerial panditjawaharlalnehru presidentofindia eamonndevalera dev nehru airplane antaoiseach primeministeroftherepublicofireland aviation aircraft dougalsdc3 douglasdc3 douglasc47 c47 douglasdakota dakota

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    Oretani Wildlife (Mike Grimes)

    • 15/Mar/2023 09:18:56

    I wonder if the second man is Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

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    Niall McAuley

    • 15/Mar/2023 09:20:37

    There is a picture of Dev and Nehru together in 1948 here, but it is Dev visiting India, not Nehru coming here.

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    Niall McAuley

    • 15/Mar/2023 09:22:58

    Per wikipedia: Bilateral visits From India Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru: 1949 & 1956

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    Niall McAuley

    • 15/Mar/2023 09:28:08

    Another wiki article has Nehru visiting West Germany, Ireland, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, Syria, Egypt and the Lebanon in June-July 1956,

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    Niall McAuley

    • 15/Mar/2023 09:33:35

    From the IT archive: Thursday 28 June 1956 Nehru planning to visit Dublin Saturday 30th Indian Prime Minister Coming to Ireland Saturday 7 July 1956 Nehru Arrives This Morning Same day: Odd Partners Stick Together

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    Irish251

    • 15/Mar/2023 10:00:28

    The aircraft is a Douglas C-47 "Dakota" (usually referred to as a DC-3 in civilian use) but the dark colour and built-in step strongly suggest that it is a military aircraft. The camouflage would suggest to me the early post-war period. It may be an RAF or USAF aircraft, as the VIPs would not have flown from India to Europe in a short-range aircraft. (There is footage on YouTube of Nehru arriving in London in 1949 on an Air India Constellation.) trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49692108

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    John Spooner

    • 15/Mar/2023 10:40:38

    Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 08 July 1956: "LONDON July 7th ... The Indian Prime Minister is flying to Dublin this morning in the Indian Air Force plane which brought him here a fortnight ago - Reuter"

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    John Spooner

    • 15/Mar/2023 11:04:03

    Shields Daily News - Saturday 07 July 1956 (and many other newspapers)

    Mr Nehru is off to Eire Mr Nehru, Prime Minister India, left London by air today for Dublin to begin a four-day courtesy visit to Eire. Mr Boland, Eire’s Ambassador in London; Mrs Pandit, High Commissioner for India; and Mr Krishna Menon, Indian Minister Without Portfolio, saw him off. , His departure was delayed 30 minute* because of bad weather conditions in Ireland.
    But no mention of who was with him on the flight. The visit to Ireland was largely for relaxation, after a hectic period of diplomacy and interrogation by the international press in London and elsewhere. Although he met Mr Costello briefly for talks, he stressed there was no agenda, and during his visit
    - he received an honorary degree at the National University (the ceremony presided over by Mr. De Valera), - presented prizes to winners of a children's' competition, - saw "Juno and the Paycock" at the Abbey Theatre, - spent some time (Sunday to Tuesday) resting at Aclare Hotel, Drumconrath (where he had time to read a book and altered his plans in order to finish it), - visited Newgrange and the site of the Battle of the Boyne.
    Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal - Saturday 14 July 1956:
    Mr. Nehru said he was very grateful to the Press of Ireland for their co-operation with him during his stay. He had come for a peaceful stay and the Press had given him great assistance.
    presumably by leaving him alone.

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    John Spooner

    • 15/Mar/2023 11:10:26

    There are several mentions of Nehru's sister Madam Pandit with him at Aclare Hotel, so presumably she was with him on the flight, but I think we can safely say that's not her disembarking. Edit: Mr Nehru's elder sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was India's ambassador to Ireland from 1955 to 1961 (during which time she was also the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijaya_Lakshmi_Pandit

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    Irish251

    • 15/Mar/2023 11:38:23

    I have researched further the two Nehru visits to Ireland from an aviation point of view. In 1956 the Indian Air Force had just acquired two Vickers Viscounts as VIP transports and it was one of these, serial IU-684, flic.kr/p/2eQnyH8 which transported Nehru to Ireland on 7 July of that year. So the image with the C-47 is not from that visit. Indeed, I wonder if the picture was taken in Ireland at all, as I have since read that in 1949 Nehru flew from Northolt to Dublin on a US Beech Expeditor, which was a small transport and not what is depicted in today's image.

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    suckindeesel

    • 15/Mar/2023 11:42:30

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/ https://flic.kr/p/arJTVD Like this one, awaiting some TLC via Rob Finch

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    Irish251

    • 15/Mar/2023 15:50:17

    [https://www.flickr.com/photos/184711311@N04] This shows the door and step arrangement on a restored military-configured C-47. The inset door could be used, or the full left-hand door as seen in the Nehru image. N150D C-47 (“315087” 9X-P)

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    John Spooner

    • 15/Mar/2023 17:57:57

    Mr Nehru Arrives At London Airport (1955) Pathe news says it's 1955. Did he visit in 1955 as well, or does Pathe News have its own Krazy Kataloger? Edit: Yes, in July 1955, a 2-day visit for talks with Sir Antony Eden at Chequers (and tea with the queen). PANDIT NEHRU ARRIVES IN LONDON (1949) Pathe news again

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    ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq

    • 15/Mar/2023 19:24:12

    The plane was a step up (or step down) from the traditional Indian Magic Carpet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_carpet

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    i-lenticularis (NO GRAPHICS)

    • 15/Mar/2023 19:35:09

    An interesting photo certainly. Tags on this photo include 'Piper Apache' and registration 'EI-AJL'. The aircraft in this photo is most certainly not that, however I suggest it's a Douglas DC-3, or as earlier commented the military C-47 version

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    O Mac

    • 16/Mar/2023 00:22:07

    The square corners on the opening side of the door (not the hinge side) would indicate that this was a military transport C47 with double cargo doors the other being closed in this instance. There's also the door panel within the door proper that was removed for paratroopers. It seems peculiar that the prime minister would travel in such an ear popping military transport when far more comfortable planes were in service even back then. flic.kr/p/p1sP6B