FROM OUR FILES
TEN YEARS AGO Friday November 14, 2008
Elizabeth calls it a day at 45 years To mark her retirement after working with Argyll and Bute Council for 45 years, Elizabeth Kelly was presented with a quaich by Councillor Donnie McMillan at last week’s area committee meeting. Elizabeth started working in 1963 and worked in many offices in Campbeltown, and has been praised for her continuous hard work. Councillor McMillan said: ‘Mrs Kelly must be praised for her high standards and pride shown in Campbeltown over the years, and she will be a really hard act to follow.’
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Friday November 19, 1993
Air miss over Campbeltown revelation Three military jets came within 100 feet of colliding with each other over Campbeltown four years ago. Disaster was only averted by the swift action of the pilots concerned. The shocking revelation was contained in a ministry of defence reply to Yorkshire MP Martin Redmond. The incident occurred in July 1989, when two German Air Force Alpha-jet trainers on a training flight round Britain were on the approach to land at RAF Machrihanish. An air traffic controller at Machrihanish had cleared the pair to run in over Campbeltown at 1,000 feet. At the same time, however, another controller at Machrihanish had cleared a Royal Air Force HS 125 VIP jet to take off straight towards the incoming Alpha jets. As the Alpha jets flew over the town at 1,200 feet, the lead pilot spotted the HS 125 ahead of him and only 100-150 feet below. At the same time the HS 125 pilot had seen the Alpha jets a mile away, closing at some 500 mph. He put his jet into a hard right turn, and stopped his climb.
FIFTY YEARS AGO Thursday November 14, 1968
Grounded tug may be a write off Campbeltown Lifeboat was out for a second time within a week on Monday night when an Admiralty tug ran aground at Glenehervie, seven miles south of the town and sent out a mayday call. The tug’s crew managed to get ashore on the ship’s lifeboat and life raft and they made their way to Glenehervie Farm. The vessel, RFA Empire Ace, (249 tons), grounded at Glenehervie in high winds and heavy seas. The lifeboat was recalled when a message reached them that the crew were safe and ashore. The tug is lying holed on a rock shelf and its future is ‘pretty doubtful’, according to a navy spokesman in Greenock. The vessel, Mandarin, is carrying out surveys and will report back to Greenock where the final decision will be made.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Saturday November 16, 1918
The Day The war is over. It is difficult to write of this tremendous event while it is yet too fresh for all its significance to be realised, let alone expounded. The weekend has seen the rapid march of events to this victorious conclusion. Revolution has come to Germany as peace has come to the world. The Kaiser is a fugitive at the moment when all the world is rejoicing at the utter defeat of his plot against its life and its liberty. It is just and we hope it will not be the only retribution that will fall upon him. We cannot attempt at this supreme moment to express all the gratitude and all the hope with which it is fraught. That gratitude must go first of all to the gallant men of the services who, on land and sea through all the horrors of this most terrible of all wars, have never flinched or faltered.