Crash of Kinloss Shackleton XF702, of Squadron 206, Thursday 21st Dec 1967

Kinloss Shackleton Crash at Lochailort

Thursday 21 December 1967

I was in MRT garage at Kinloss with Don Scobbie when we were tannoyed to immediate readiness and the two of us went to Flight Planning. Winco Fountain gave us a map reference just north of Fort William to Mallaig road and told us to go there as quickly as possible without telling any of the men where we were going, as Sqn Ldr MacCallum’s aircraft had crashed. Everyone piled into vehicles and we went dashing off with light, bells and full treatment, only stopping in Nairn to tell last Landrover to phone ahead for Inverness police to clear the street for us. It was dark by the time we got to end of Great Glen – met by Civil Defence but we had no instructions for them and carried on. We met returning ambulances and fire engines round about Kinlocheil and were told that all the crew were dead, and this was confirmed by Sgt Banks of Mallaig Police whom we met at the crash (once we told him that no parachutes are carried in Shackletons).

I sent Gordon Ballantyne and Dave Ward with two others up to the crash, which was still burning, and we set up base in the ballroom of Inverailort Castle where we were very hospitably received by the lady of the castle, Mrs L P Cameron-Head. Don Scobbie, Tony Douglas, Swill and I relieved Gordon’s party before eleven and stayed on the hill till 0400. At 10 minutes past midnight I remembered that my fortieth birthday was just over by 10 minutes. The destruction was frightful, the whole aeroplane smashed into tiny pieces. There was a crater into which the aircraft seemed to have dived before it exploded and flung debris for half a mile. The disturbed earth, probably petrol soaked, was still burning and flickering in the darkness and rain though the crash had been at 1307. There was no radio signal sent out. A roadman, Angus Cameron of Glenfinnan, had been working on the road beside Mr Ross’s gate at Arieniskill when he had heard the crash above him and seen the flash of the explosion through the low mist.

Friday 22 December

We found a bank out of the wind but in the middle of the spread wreckage and rested in our bivouac gear with the rain beating on the outside of our polythene bags. There was a drier period about 2 am but it got colder, then it was really lashing down by three again. When we were relieved we caught two reporters trying to sneak up the rocky hillside. They were soaked and inadequately dressed but had been trying to come up to our searchlight (I had borrowed one, plus a yellow full length anorak from Hamish and Catherine MacInnes who had turned up at the Castle, but whose help we had had to decline together with that of all the other civilians – Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team etc). We persuaded the pressmen not to go to the crash by telling them there was nothing to photograph anyway, though we let them take a photo of us for a promise not to go to the crash, which photo was probably not printed anyway as their cameras were so wet.

Shortly after first light we went up to the crash again and started to search for outlying pieces of wreckage which might be important to the Accident Investigation Board. We found one largish piece, a propeller shaft and gearing from No. 4 engine, about 100 vertical feet above the crater and 280 yards east of it.

Soon we got clearance to collect the remains and take them to Belford Hospital, Fort William. A contractor in Mallaig provided a large quantity of polythene bags which were useful for engine and other aircraft parts which we started to collect in the afternoon. I went also with Flt Lt Will, Tony Bradshaw and Doug MacRae, I think, up the SSE ridge – after a cursory sweep of the S slopes – of Creag Bhan (1,675′) and to its summit, but found no shed pieces, then east down a broad ridge to a bealach and return by footpath to the crash area. The aircraft had broken one or two wires in a ‘phone line on poles along this path.

The scar caused by the crash can still clearly be seen (bottom third of the photograph)

Saturday 23 December

Again very wet weather. Digging at crater for parts of Nos. 1 and 2 engines. Conferences at the hotel with civilian AIB officials and 3 RAF officers forming the board. During this crash period there were many late drinking sessions for some at Glenshian Inn.

Sunday Christmas Eve

Salvaging engine and propeller parts from the spur 280 yards due east of the crater. Carried the shaft down after tying it to two poles. We marked the immediate crash area into 50 ft squares measured by tape and marked with red flags for listing of important pieces of wreckage found.

Cairn with RAF memorial cross

Tuesday Boxing Day

I had spent most of Xmas day working at Kinloss. Leuchars MRT went to Inverailort on Xmas Day, and we joined them today. Leuchars had already swept area to south of road (low-lying hills from Arieniskill to Glenshian Inn).

In the late afternoon we joined them, in mist and heavy rain, sweep searching to the west from the footpath through and above the crash area, our line covering summit of Creag Bhan (1,675′) and Leuchars searching Creag a’ Chaltuinn. I was on extreme right of line finishing below mist after Creag Bhan at Lochan Iasgair, and then down Beinn na Cloiche Moire (ridge) to road just west of short railway tunnel. In the evening I telephoned Bob Watt of the Mallaig Post Office to arrange charter of a small motor boat.

Wednesday 27 December – Loch Morar and Loch Beoraid

Early morning trip by road, in darkness from Inverailort to the pier on the 1,000 ft deep freshwater Loch Morar at North Morar. There were 12 Leuchars and Kinloss MRT. Bob Watt and Mr MacIntyre took us in the small boat “Brenda” to the cottages (unoccupied) of Oban twelve miles away at the head of the loch. Journey in 1 hr 50 mins.

From Oban we all walked round path above “Weedy Bay” up Gleann Taodhail and then we lined up at 40 yard intervals and sweep searched up the steep broken north face of Cruach Bhuidhe (c.1850′) to the ridge where we lined up in thin mist and swept an area 3 miles long to the foot of Loch Beoraid (passing between the Lochan a’ Bhrodainn and Lochan Tain Mhic Dhughaill) and in rain obliquely down the steep broken rock of the south face of Meith Bheinn.

Walked 1½ miles by track to Meoble Lodge, where Miss Ford gave us 2 bottles of whisky, and then walked a further mile to where Bob had tied the boat in Loch Morar at the mouth of Meoble River.

So many of the troops crowded into the cabin of “Brenda” that she was nose-heavy and the 2 troops and 2 crew left in the open part were badly lashed with the spray from the westerly wind and waves as we returned to North Morar. MacIntyre said it was his wettest trip ever. While most drank whisky in comparative warmth, I gradually went down with exposure, and only recovered when taking a telephone call in the Manse at North Morar, dripping pints of cold loch water all over the minister’s sitting room floor.

Thursday 28 December

11 of us (reduced to 10 when we lost “Boots” Anderson – who, to our shame, was found by Leuchars) walked from main road through crash area by path to slopes above Loch Beoraid. We lined up above Lochan Lon a’ Ghairt. Then we swept right round south turning to east in a huge left wheel through the Prince Charles Cave area, and then up near the waterfalls to Lochan a’ Ghobhainn. The search was very slow because of the very complex ground, but fortunately the weather was better than yesterday. From the lochan we swept a quarter mile strip south near Sron Thoraraidh to the main A830 road at Loch Eilt.

Friday 29 December – Sweep searches, Loch Morar

At Inverailort Castle we all disinfected our boots in Dettol because of F & M restrictions. Some Kinloss MRT joined Leuchars MRT in searching a triangle to the north of Creag Bhan, but 12 of us went by road to North Morar again (with epic early morning views of the snow covered Cuillin of Rum and the Skye Cuillin) and joined Bob Watt and Mr MacIntyre in another run to Oban at the head of Loch Morar.

We went up Glenn Taodhail path and then in file to the ridge (up newish snow) of Cruach Bhuidhe where we lined out in a sweep and searched to south of Wednesday’s line to Loch Beoraid. The weather was a little better though still very wet underfoot. Crossed Meoble River by bridge at private hydro turbine.

(Today we noticed Canberra aircraft taking Photo Reconnaissance pictures – See 5 – 7 Jan 68)

On Saturday 30 December we cleaned up Inverailort Castle and returned to Kinloss. I spent all Hogmanay day in bed with earache, but recovered for celebrations!

1968

Friday 5 January 1968 – Inverailort Castle

Back again. Trying from road to identify ground in aerial photo taken by Canberra on 29 December. All locals confirmed that circled object on photo was at south bank of Loch Beoraid under the tumbled boulders of Glas-charn.

Saturday 6 January – Loch Beoraid

Weather clear and calm. Snow ankle deep and soft. Snow line about 750 ft. Seven of us went from Cross (main road 2 miles west of Glenfinnan station) together for 2 miles North across the bealach till we were above Kinlochbeoraid.. Here we split into two parties. Yeni Harman and I went down to Kinlochbeoraid and traversed along the cliffs of Sgurr na Plaide on the north shore of the loch several hundred feet up trying to get to a similar angle as the Canberra took the picture from, directing the other 5 (Mull, Fojut, Stead, Thomson, under Jim Gilligan) to the circled object which might have been shed from the crashed Shackleton. We located it, without doubt, but it turned out to be only a clear patch of rock from which two rotten trees had slipped dragging all the turf etc from the rock with them.

Jim’s party returned over Glas-charn to Ranochan while Yeni and I returned the four miles to the Cross (a small cairn with a cross) via Kinlochbeoraid and the bealach.

Sunday 7 January – Loch Morar and Glenn Taodhail

Don Scobbie and I with 12 other KMRT went in good weather to the cottage of Oban at the head of Loch Morar. We were taken by Sween in a large launch belonging to Miss Ford. The AIB had decided the Shackleton had been on a slightly different track somewhat further to the North so we searched from Oban the steep, broken slopes of An Stac below about 1200 ft and Glenn Taodhail, except the really broken wooded area, almost to Lochan a’ Bhrodainn. It was pointless to go further or higher because of the much deeper snow. Nothing was found so Sween took us back at 15.00.

Shackleton crash search areas drawn by John Hinde  (Dec 1967 and Jan 1968)

Wednesday 10 January – Glencoe

I went to Glencoe to collect the new MacInnes stretcher. Hamish was on the Buachaille (in Lagangarbh Coire) with some course pupils and instructors but he was coming down. The weather was desperate soft snow and slush falling. I went from Altnafeadh, calling in at Lagangarbh and just a little way up the corrie to meet Hamish. He wanted me to do some recording for an MR radio programme for John Gray but I said I was going to Lochailort and might come back later. Tom Patey and Brian Robertson turned up in Tom’s car for a ceilidh.

Inverailort – I went to the castle to see Mrs Cameron-Head and collect some gear that had been left. Then I went to the Shackleton crater for a last look. The Wessex helicopter and salvage crews have cleared up fairly well, but there are still some polythene bags, shovels and small pieces left. I think they are still working there.

*****

On 21st December 2017, a Commemoration Service was held at the site of the crash, above Arieniskil, just east of the Lochailort Inn.

This summer, 2017, a new memorial cairn was built at the site by Jimmy MacDonald, who was resident in the area at the time of the tragedy.