Ian Mackintosh

Lieutenant Commander Hamish Ian Mackintosh MBE (26 July 1940 — disappeared 7 July 1979) was a Scottish Royal Navy officer, a writer of thriller novels, and a screenwriter for British television. Mackintosh's first novel, A Slaying in September, was published in 1967. He wrote four other original novels between 1967 and 1970; his later books were either based on his television series or were novelisations of episodes of his television series. Whilst serving as a Royal Navy officer, Mackintosh co-created the popular and acclaimed BBC television drama series Warship (1973–1977) and wrote several of its episodes. It was set on board the fictional HMS Hero (F42), which was portrayed by the real Leander-class frigate HMS Phoebe. Mackintosh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1976 Birthday Honours on his retirement from the navy. Following the end of Warship, he switched to Yorkshire Television, creating and writing most episodes of Wilde Alliance, Thundercloud, and The Sandbaggers. On the evening of 7 July 1979, Mackintosh was flying with two others (his girlfriend, Susan Insole, and British Airways captain Graham Barber, who was the pilot) over the Gulf of Alaska in a light aircraft. The plane sent out a distress signal, picked up by the United States Coast Guard. The plane's last-known position was searched, but no wreckage was ever found and its passengers have not been heard from since.