'Extraordinary people devoted to duty' - memorial service held to mark 30th anniversary of helicopter crash

A special service to mark the 30th anniversary of the Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre was held today.

The family, friends and colleagues of the 29 people who died on 2 June 1994 gathered at Southend Parish Church to honour their memory.

The service was organised by Rev Steven Sass, minister of the Kintyre Parishes, with the support of Rev Colin Bell, senior chaplain to the 38th (Irish) Brigade, part of the British Army.

Rev Roddy McNidder, who was the parish minister at the time of the crash delivered the sermon and described the 25 passengers and four crew who died as "extraordinary people who were selflessly devoted to duty in the service of their country".

Jane Macleod, Lord Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute, representatives from the Royal British Legion Scotland, the Armed Forces and the SSAFA - the Armed Forces Charity - were in attendance.

The Last Post was played and Hymn 182: "Now thank we all our God" was sung.

The Bible readings were - Luke 24:13-35 – read by Jane Macleod, Lord-Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute.

Isaiah 55:1 and 2 and Psalm 145:9-13 read by Simon Kemp, SSAFA.

The service included a performance of the Last Post, Piper John McGeachy performed Flowers of the Forest and the National Anthem was sung.

'We will not forget'

Addressing the congregation, Mr McNidder said: "Dearly Beloved, our service this early afternoon continues our promise that we care.

"This church, is here for you and your families and loved ones, to remember, to honour their memory and their service.

"To bring the gift of encouragement, sensitively and graciously, and to hold fast the standards and principles they represented.

"We wish to say lovingly, that in our hearts and prayers and those of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, reaffirmed when it met in the third week of May this year, we will not forget."

The helicopter, serial number ZD 576, was on its way from RAF Aldergrove near Belfast to Inverness where a security conference was being held, just two months before the 1994 IRA ceasefire.

Security personnel from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), RAF, Crown Service and the Army were on board.

The helicopter crashed into a hillside in foggy conditions on Mull of Kintyre, the worst peacetime disaster in the history of the RAF.

The pilots, Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook, were accused of gross negligence over the crash.

A fresh review was ordered and in 2011 found that the pilots should not have been blamed and the earlier ruling was set aside.

Sixteen bereaved families have formed a new group called the Chinook Justice Campaign and are seeking answers about their loved ones' deaths.

A special act of remembrance will be held at a memorial cairn at the crash site at 3pm.

Lasting peace

Mr McNidder said: "The beautiful and lovingly built cairn, that stands on the Mull in remembrance of the great sadness of the 2 June 1994, honours loved ones, named there, their families and friends.

"Each name inscribed on this cairn and which shines out every time the sun reflects upon it, calls us to remember the unique person whose name is written there, and to acknowledge, our memories, experiences, and encounters with them, along with the hopes of what might have been over these thirty years, and years still to come."

"They were all extraordinary people and of their time, working without fear or favour in a divided community to ensure a lasting peace for their fellow countrymen and women.

"They were utterly devoted to the truly onerous obligations and responsibilities of their work.

"To them it was a solemn trust which they honoured with dedication, integrity and very great courage and motivated by a determination to serve and protect the community.

"They served the cause of peace for which they gave their lives.

"They displayed selfless courage, outstanding commitment and devotion to duty in the service of their country, and particularly to the community in the province."

Unconditional support

Mr McNidder said many people from the local community, including lighthouse keepers and their wives, the local GP and local members of the coastguard were involved immediately in responding to the crash.

"The police, ambulance and fire brigade attended from Campbeltown, with support personnel responding from many other places, both within Argyll and from further afield," he added.

"Support and compassionate care was provided both in the immediacy of the accident and in the many months to follow to the families and relatives of those who died and also to their colleagues.

"The response from the local parish was unconditional and continues to this day as does the compassion of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland."

Mr McNidder asked whether many people realise that when they recite the words from the Lord's Prayer ‘your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven' it means that we are crying out for justice to be done.

"It is a clear statement of the need to place justice, righteousness, ethical living and love at the heart of everything encouraging us in our daily lives," he said.

The minister said that on the occasion of the first anniversary service of the crash in 1995, Sir Roger Wheeler, a retired British Army officer and former Chief of the General Staff, spoke of the Mull of Kintyre as "a place of rugged beauty and for many a place of great sadness too".

"He spoke of those he cared deeply for, being touched by the warmth and support given so freely by the people of the Mull," added Mr McNidder.

"He said ‘they have given us strength through their friendship which has helped us greatly in coming to terms with our grief.'"

Mr McNidder said the Bible tells us that Jesus said "blessed are the peacemakers"

"They were peacemakers," he added.

"In this church, 250 years old, we are called to be peacemakers, Amen."