A bond forged from a tragedy​ in Harris

So, when, on the 30th April 1990, a crew from 8 Squadron RAF Lossiemouth, on board a Shackleton aircraft, callsign Gambia Zero Eight, headed to the Hebrides for a training exercise – flying without radar to avoid detection – there was no reason for great alarm.

However, conditions to the west were, to coin a phrase, challenging. Cloud cover was very low, hardly what you want when flying at low altitude with no navigation aids. The danger, unlike the surrounding hills, was clear to see, the crew’s skills tested to the limit… and, ultimately, as it was to prove, beyond it.

Approaching Benbecula, the pilot radioed ahead to ask for an approach and was cleared, with permission to land from the west. They never made it.

At the time eyewitnesses in Harris said they saw the Shackleton circle twice before crashing into the top of Maodal, a mountain summit at 251 metres which overlooks the village of Northton. All ten crew on board died.

Back at ground level the magnitude of what had just happened was jarring. A local rescue team was quickly put together and scrambled up the hill to try and assist any survivors. They didn’t know it at the time, of course, but their efforts were in vain.

At the time the local police officer, who was first on the scene, was quoted as saying: “We came across debris and then some bodies and we knew it was really bad. Helicopters arrived from Lossiemouth and it was a very, very busy scene.

“We could only account for nine from the plane and some of us were sent to the back of the hill to see if someone had survived and had walked off in a daze. We were later told there was nobody alive."

An official enquiry was conducted, but it didn’t really shed too much light on what actually happened, other than what was already known. The official conclusion was that “the accident was caused because the aircraft was flown below a safe altitude in unsuitable weather conditions; the investigating board were unable to determine the reasons for this”. Whether more is known and simply subject to the secrecy of military sensitivities will always be open to speculation. It was just after Lockerbie, so conspiracy theories were rife.

The investigators did report that the crew got their calculations badly wrong. They were 12 miles from Benbecula, instead of the 20 as they had reported to air traffic control. At 11.34am, on a timeline that would coincide with them circling round twice in Harris, they radioed ahead to say the weather was too rough and they were turning right and climbing to try again. It was to be their last transmission.

Thirty-five years down the line the incident is still fresh in the memory and, tragic as it was, it has forged an unlikely bond between the community of South Harris and a special RAF unit.

On the Wednesday of last week, on the 35th anniversary of the crash, a delegation of 20 from 8 Squadron, as well as some family members of those who lost their lives, travelled over for a commemoration event.

It was jointly organised with the South Harris Community Council, with a service held at Leverburgh Free Church and a wreath-laying at the Shackleton air crash monument in the car park of the Seallam Centre, at the entrance to Northton village and in the shadow of Maodal.

Reverend Mark Macleod, who conducted the service, said: “Originally the plan was to do something on the 30th anniversary but that was 2020 and everything had stopped because of Covid, so it never happened. A couple of years later they tried again but the weather was too bad so they settled on the 35th as that was the next big milestone.

“We had family members over from those connected to the accident and after the service we had lunch and then a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial at the bottom of Maodal, at the Seallam car park.

“Some of the more able-bodied then walked up to the top of Maodal, where the aircraft actually struck. It was at the very summit of the hill and there’s another smaller memorial right at the top.”

Rev Macleod said that the incident remained fresh in the memory of many living locally and was reflected in the “good turnout on the day from the local community”.

“It was great that you had so many in the community and the families of the bereaved coming together,” he said. “There’s a bond there between the community and the relatives and families of those who tragically lost their lives.”

Eight Squadron

The unit is one of the most important in the RAF, acting as the eyes and ears for the entire military, flying close to and beyond enemy lines to detect ships, troop movements, other aircraft and missiles – acting as a sophisticated sentry of the skies; a first line of defence communication.

Wherever and whenever the UK is involved in conflict, you can be sure 8 Squadron will be somewhere not too far away.

The Shackleton aircraft that they operated until 1991 – the year after the Maodal crash – never had the best reputation, despite a long service.

Named after polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and first developed during the Second World War, they were commonly known as “The Growlers”, due to their loud engine noise, or “The Old Grey Lady”.

They were replaced with the more sophisticated Boeing Sentry series and this year, 8 Squadron, who also operate out of Lincoln, will take delivery of the new Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, a next generation twin-engine early warning and control aircraft.

The current commanding officer is Wing Commander Sarah McDonnell, who was part of the delegation last week that travelled over to Harris.

“It is with deep sadness that we remember those from 8 Squadron who lost their lives in this tragic incident 35 years ago,” she said.

“On behalf of all past and present members of the squadron, I was both honoured and humbled to lay a wreath in remembrance of their bravery and sacrifice. Being part of 8 Squadron's history and carrying on the legacy of those that went before us evokes a deep sense of pride and honour.”

Giving an address at the church service was Nick Byatt, former 8 Squadron Association Secretary and retired wing commander who helped co-ordinate last week’s events.

He said: “For so many people to mark this event 35 years later clearly shows the enormous impact the crash had on families, friends and colleagues, but also those of you around here who were involved in that fateful day by being thrown into horrific action or helping to support the emergency effort.

“I have read many personal memories from that day and know that such scars run deep and will remain with you forever. Being here with you today, sharing your thoughts and tears demonstrates how enduring friendships, stoicism and strong community spirit can be borne from such awful tragedy.”

Speaking of the incident itself, Nick Byatt said it was “a training sorte that was little different to the hundreds of missions the crew had planned, been briefed on and flown over their RAF careers”.

He said: “On behalf of RAF 8 Squadron I would like to thank the people of Harris for their enormous help in the aftermath of this awful tragedy and for continuing to honour the memory of our fallen comrades year after year. It means a lot to us.”

He urged those gathered in the church to take a moment to remember those who had died, their friends and families. Before leading a minute’s silence, he named all the fallen crew: wing commander Steve Roncoroni; wing commander Chas Righton; flying officer Colin Burns; squad leader Jerry Lane; flight lieutenant Alan Campbell; flight lieutenant Keith Forbes; master AE-OP Roger Scutt; flight sergeant Ciaran Ricketts; sergeant Graeme Miller; corporal Stuart Bolton.

Donnie MacDonald, chair of the South Harris Community Council, wanted to highlight two members of the community council who in particular played a central role, along with those in the RAF, in organising last week’s events: Marion Morrison and Effie Macleod.

“From the time of the tragic accident, a bond was created between the community and 8 Squadron which has endured even to this day and that bond was exemplified by the great turnout at the Free Church service," he said. “It’s heartening to see such a bond still lasting all these years down the line.”

Before the dust settled on the day, there was to be one more note of commemoration. As the RAF delegation flew out of Stornoway, they branched off south for a slow fly-past of Maodal, a fitting aerial salute as they bade farewell to South Harris – at least for the time being. “It was a very appropriate way of marking the memory of the ones lost in that tragic event,” said Donnie.