Was this a mountaineering accident on Ben Nevis?

[elliot]

Was this a mountaineering accident on Ben Nevis?

David Henry Monro
1928–1953
BIRTH AUG 1928 • south africa ?
DEATH 1 APR 1953 • Ben Nevis, Fort Williams, Scotland

[rosie99]

Yes.  2 bodies were found - Peter Drummond Smith age 26 of High Hurstwood Sussex and David Monro of Lennox Gardens, Chelsea.  They disappeared on April 1st - bodies were found on April 19th.

There are a few mentions of this in online newspapers

[JenB]

You'll find quite a lot of information via 'Google' 

[ShaunJ]

He was a research scientist and a PhD student at Imperial College in London. Mother (Mrs Noel Munro) lived in Chelsea per newspaper reports.

[ShaunJ]

There's a long article on Facebook about a memorial hut. I'll quote a bit of it:

Coruisk Memorial Hut.

A little bit of history.
Many of you are no doubt familiar with the Coruisk Memorial Hut, whether or not you have actually visited it but you may not be familiar with how the hut came into existence. So, here follows a wee article I originally wrote for a different forum.
The Coruisk Memorial Hut came about following the deaths on Ben Nevis on 1 April 1953 of two climbers - Peter Drummond Smith and David Monro. Over the years contact with the Monro family has been lost but Peter’s Great Niece visited the hut in April 2019 and is a follower of the hut’s facebook page.
Both Peter and David were members of the Climbers Club, Cambridge University Mountaineering Club and students; Peter Drummond Smith who had recently joined the London Section of the JMCS at Cambridge University studying Architecture and David Monro, Nuffield Research Scholar at Imperial College.
During the Easter break of 1953 both were staying at the CIC Hut on Ben Nevis and despite the poor conditions decided to attempt a climb in the South Castle Gully area where they were avalanched and killed during their descent.
Both had left a small sum of money and their families decided a suitable memorial would be a climbers hut.

https://www.facebook.com/CoruiskMemorialHut/posts/2589011968041904/?paipv=0&eav=AfYQGUu0vILG3Jr2z13_KLk3OxnpL0fW1wfODYwl-sLzpwYS2pkvfr0UZnO2q_U9ubg&_rdr

[tonepad]

The Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut :

"The Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut was built in 1959 in memory of two young climbers who lost their lives whilst climbing on Ben Nevis on April 1st 1953. During the opening day of the Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut there was a ceremony dedicating the hut to the memory of Peter Drummond Smith and David Monro."

https://mistyisleboattrips.co.uk/about/our-boat-trips/the-loch-coruisk-memorial-hut/


Tony

[Pheno]

I wonder why this is on the South Africa board?

Pheno

[rosie99]

I wonder why this is on the South Africa board?

Pheno

Maybe because his father was out there prior to this 

[elliot]

Many thanks to you all for this full picture of this early death.
I have valued reading your articles and viewing all the photos on Facebook.

In a separate posting, I am now looking for birth and death details for his half-sister:

Pamela Dorothea Monro
1913–
BIRTH 13 AUG 1913 • Rooiberg, Transvaal, South Africa