Sandy is still haunted by memories of Angus level-crossing crash

Tragedy: Dundee man was one of first to arrive at scene of Kirriemuir carnage

A Tayside man has told how memories of a devastating Angus rail crash which left 10 people dead will never leave him.

Sandy Brown was among the first on the scene in 1946 when a bus carrying day trippers careered out of control on to a level crossing near Kirriemuir, where it was struck by a passing train.

Mr Brown, 77, who lives in Dundee, got in touch with The Courier after reading our story about the anniversary of the crash being marked by a local historian.

He said: “I was on holiday 70 years ago in Maryton with my mother, father and older brother when the crash happened.

“We used to stay with a family there on our summer holidays during the war. After the war we all went back there on holiday.

“We were out playing with some of the local children when a boy came running towards us shouting that a train had hit a bus on the level crossing.

“We all ran there at once and it took us less than 10 minutes.”

Mr Brown said they were met with a scene of utter devastation when they got to Balmuckety crossing.

He said: “The bus was further down the track and it was smashed to bits as it was mostly made out of wood.

“There were bodies at the side of the track and they were putting bonnets over the faces of the dead.

“I can remember there was a lot of blood and my brother picked up a small lamp which was off the mud guard of the bus. “He kept it for years.” Mr Brown, who used to work for NCR, said he wonders what became of the children he played with that day.

Seven people were killed instantly in the collision and 17 others were injured.

Three of them died later in hospital, taking the death toll to 10.

The dead included a married couple and two spinster sisters. The injured included children – two seven-year-olds and one 10-year-old.

A young couple who were injured had been married only three weeks before, and were on the outing with the bride’s parents, who were the couple who died.

A Ministry of Transport official inquiry turned up serious faults on the coach and found its maintenance had been neglected.

It said the tragic accident could have been prevented had the vehicle been in a better mechanical condition.

There were bodies at the side of the track and they were putting bonnets over the faces of the dead. SANDY BROWN