37 years on from atrocity, volunteers recall vital role

Anne and Ross Campbell already had their bags packed as they watched the news on the night of December 21, 1988.

The Ayrshire-based pair were part of the Radio Amateurs Emergency Network (Raynet), a UK-wide radio communications service.

Staffed by volunteers, it was established in the wake of the North Sea floods in 1953 with a simple aim: in the event of major incidents and emergencies, licensed Raynet operators would step in to provide the necessary radio communications.

When news broke that a plane had crashed in the small town of Dumfries and Galloway, Anne and Ross received a call from their local controller: “You’re on standby for Lockerbie.”

At the time of the disaster, Anne and Ross, along with friends Tom Stewart and William Jamieson, were radio enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s.

And they were all members of Ayrshire’s Raynet branch.

“You worked hard, you did exercises for council and road races, but you always had it in the back of your mind that a public emergency could arise,” Ross said.

He had been in the band for a few years at the time but added: “You’ve never dreamed of anything like Lockerbie.”

While Pan Am 103 was flying from Heathrow to New York, a bomb exploded in the skies over the city, killing all 259 passengers and crew on board, as well as 11 people on the ground.

This remains the largest terrorist attack on British soil.

As part of the search and rescue effort, hundreds of volunteers, including Raynet, arrived on scene to assist.

Their expertise and equipment were desperately needed.

Ross said: “Strathclyde Police radios had their own frequency.

“Dumfries and Galloway Police had a separate police officer.

“Each police service had its own services, as did the ambulance services, so they couldn’t communicate with each other.”

Each search party in Lockerbie worked with a Raynet operator who would send messages to the Lockerbie Academy, the disaster control room.

They accompanied search and rescue dogs, air crash investigation units, the FBI and police.

Volunteer Tom, who had been in the fire service for 10 years, called Anne, Ross and William and told them to come to the scene the next morning.

Anne and Ross were stationed at Tundergarth, in the area where the plane’s nose cone was located.

“I still remember the press leaning over the fence with huge lenses and trying to take pictures of them taking the bodies out,” the mother said.

“I was horrified by this, I just thought these people deserved some respect.”

Although Tom was accustomed to emergency scenes from his time on the fire department, nothing could prepare him for what he saw.

“The devastation was horrific,” he said.

“It was harder for other members of the group who didn’t have that background.”

Tom’s main job was with search and rescue dog teams tasked with searching for bodies and collecting debris and evidence related to the crash.

“I can still remember the Chinook helicopters flying overhead.

“They were bringing body bags and rescue equipment.

“We sent the messages back, the helicopter came with the bags, and they came and took them away.”

One of the most striking moments for William was when he delivered the message that his team had found evidence of an explosion.

“We came across a luggage container and they immediately realized it was a bomb from the damage to the container.

“I was asked if I could radio back that we had found evidence of a bomb, but the press were there so they would listen and I told them I couldn’t send that message because it would be on TV before we got back.

“We have changed this to request immediate recovery of that item.”

Earlier this year William returned to Lockerbie for the first time in almost 38 years to pay his respects.

“I’ve always wanted to go back but I’ve never gone because it brings back memories,” he said.

William, who was 22 at the time, said one of his saddest memories was finding a passenger still sitting in the seat.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking to find something like this and know there was nothing you could do to help them.”

Tom, who returned with his three friends, is still struggling with what he experienced.

“I still haven’t seen anything on this scale.

“I can still remember seeing people’s letters and personal belongings and thinking, this is someone’s son, someone’s daughter.”

Anne said: “I’m proud to be able to contribute even just a little bit.

“But there were a lot of people who did a lot more than us.”

All four think the role of volunteers should be acknowledged.

Search and rescue teams and their dogs, the Salvation Army, the Royal Women’s Voluntary Service and locals from the town attended.

“They willingly spent their time off in Lockerbie and came back home, but no one knows about them yet,” Ross said.

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston, of Police Scotland’s organized crime, counter-terrorism and intelligence unit, thanked Raynet for their role.

He told BBC Scotland: “Raynet’s assistance to the police and other emergency services following the darkest day Lockerbie has ever endured will never be forgotten.

“We are grateful for their support and expertise, enabling vital communication between emergency services at such a critical time.

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones in 1988 and who continue to demonstrate incredible dignity and strength.”

Additional reporting by Charles Ross.

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