Crash tribute 25 years on
Nine airmen to be remembered
The official RAF memorial cairn to the victims of the Hercules crash near Kirkmichael on May 27, 1993 A poignant memorial service will be held this week in honour of nine RAF servicemen who lost their lives following a tragic plane crash in Perthshire 25 years ago.
On May 27, 1993, the crew of RAF Hercules XV193 were simulating the drop of a small cargo pack into Glen Tilt – eight miles north of Pitlochry – as part of a training exercise.
The aircraft, one of three being used for training purposes that day, stalled shortly afterwards and crashed into moorland in Glen Loch.
Tragically, nine crew members lost their lives. The two youngest victims were just 23 years of age at the time.
Former LXX Squadron Leader, Garry Brown, will lead a service of remembrance at the remote crash site – eight kilometres from Daldhu on Glenfernate Estate – on Saturday this week.
A wreath, made with branches of nine memorial trees planted in tribute to the victims at what was RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, where LXX Squadron was based, will be laid as part of the commemoration.
The party will then leave the site and visit Kirkmichael Parish Church, where an official RAF memorial plaque is located.
A reception will be held at the village’s Strathardle Inn later in the day.
Mr Brown said: “I recently retired from the RAF after 38 years’ service, but still remember vividly the tragic events of what happened 25 years ago.
“On returning to RAF Lyneham the following day, we were met by a station in grief and an officers’ mess overflowing with all ranks drowning their sorrows, such was the enormity and disbelief of what had happened on a training sortie.
“I was part of the support training flight that had responsibility for the instructors on the aircraft that crashed.
“I was authorised as part of the crew of XV193, on the aircraft, engines running, when it was suggested, as I was a new instructor, that I would gain more from flying on one of the other aircraft and recovering on this aircraft the next day – the rest, as they say, is history.
“For very personal reasons I chose to coordinate and lead a visit to the site on the 20th anniversary in my last year of service and perform a memorial service to remember the boys.
“As you can imagine, it means a great deal to me.
“I often talk to others about the events that led up to the crash, the moments after and the procedures we put in place to make the likelihood of an event of this nature occurring again as low as practicably possible.”
Mr Brown added: “I was asked at the end of our visit to add a dedication at Kirkmichael church with the Roll of Honour for the 20th anniversary.
“I wrote: ‘When you remember those who have departed and lost their lives in service of the Crown, remember those who live on and carry their thoughts into the night. May they sleep well, and find solace in fond memories.’”
Kirkmichael was used as the base for the RAF recovery operation at the time of the tragedy.
An investigation later concluded that the cause of the accident was consistent with the aircraft having stalled at an altitude from which recovery was impossible.