HE MOUNTAINS OF THE SCOTTISH T HIGHLANDS IN 1981 WERE A DANGEROUS PLACE FOR A HILL-WALKER TO LOSE HIS BEARINGS. FORTUNATELY FOR ONE SUCH INDIVIDUAL, A ROYAL NAVY SEARCH AND RESCUE WESTLAND SEA KING CREW ON A TRAINING EXERCISE HAD SPOTTED HIM.
STORY STEVE TAYLOR ART KEITH PAGE PILOT LIEUTENANT JAMIE PRICE, CO-PILOT ROD BURROWS AND WINCHMAN PETTY OFFICER MICK HADLEY SOON HAD THE EXHAUSTED MAN HEADING FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHOPPER.
COVER KEITH PAGE
4 WITH THE STRANDED MOUNTAINEER WINCHED ABOARD, THE SEA KING’S CREW HEADED FOR THE NEAREST HOSPITAL. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILES AWAY, THE CREW OF THE TRAWLER BLUEBELL WERE RECOVERING THEIR NET IN THE OFTEN TREACHEROUS WATERS OFF WESTERN SCOTLAND.
THIS WILL BE OUR LAST TRAWL. THE FISH HOLD’S NEARLY FULL AND THE WIND’S GETTING UP.
FAIR ENOUGH, SKIPPER. YOU’VE GOT US A GOOD HAUL THIS TRIP.
AT THAT MOMENT ONE OF THE FISHERMEN BELLOWED A DESPERATE WARNING. HE HAD SPOTTED SOMETHING ENTANGLED IN THEIR NET THAT WAS NO COD OR HADDOCK.
IT’S A MINE! STOP THE NET!
SEA MINES, RELICS FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR, WERE A CONSTANT HAZARD IN BRITAIN’S COASTAL WATERS. THOUGH OLD, THESE MINES WERE OFTEN STILL LIVE…AND DEADLY.
5 THE WARNING CAME TOO LATE. THOUGH THE WINCH HAD STOPPED AT ONCE, THE MINE ROLLED AGAINST THE TRAWLER’S STERN AND THERE WAS A BLINDING FLASH AS IT EXPLODED.
WITH ONE OF HIS CREW BADLY INJURED AND HIS BOAT’S STERN RIPPED OPEN, THE SKIPPER IMMEDIATELY RADIOED AN S.O.S.
ARRGGHHH!
HELLO, STORNOWAY COASTGUARD, THIS IS THE BLUEBELL. I HAVE ONE MAN IN NEED OF URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION. WE NEED HELP — FAST!
SCRAMBLED TO DEAL WITH THE MAYDAY WERE JAMIE AND HIS CREW. ROD WAS RELAYING INFORMATION FROM THE COASTGUARD.
SOUNDS LIKE A BAD ONE, JAMIE. THEIR PUMPS CAN’T HANDLE THE WATER COMING ABOARD.
6 MAKING THE BEST SPEED THEY COULD, THEY LOCATED THE STRICKEN TRAWLER. THERE SHE IS!
AT LEAST SHE’S STILL AFLOAT. BETTER GET THE WINCH GOING, ROD, THIS WEATHER’S GETTING WORSE.
RADIOING INSTRUCTIONS TO ROD WHO WAS OPERATING THE WINCH, MICK WAS CAREFULLY LOWERED DOWN ON TO THE PITCHING, ROLLING DECK OF THE TRAWLER.
LOWER… LOWER. STEADY NOW.
7 WHILE HIS CREWMATES WINCHED UP THE TRAWLERMEN ONE BY ONE, JAMIE STRUGGLED TO HOLD THE SEA KING STEADY AS STRONG WINDS AND GUSTING RAIN BUFFETED THE CHOPPER.
I HOPE ROD AND MICK HURRY UP. IT’S GETTING HARDER TO KEEP THIS OLD GIRL IN POSITION.
DESPITE THE STEADILY WORSENING CONDITIONS, THEY MANAGED TO RESCUE ALL THE FISHERMEN BEFORE THE BLUEBELL SLID BENEATH THE WAVES. ONCE AGAIN, JAMIE SET COURSE FOR THE NEAREST HOSPITAL.
WE’LL BE AT RAIGMORE HOSPITAL IN ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES. HOW’S THE CASUALTY? MICK SAYS HE’S STABLE FOR NOW. I DON’T THINK THE MINE FULLY EXPLODED AND HE WAS WRAPPED UP IN LOADS OF LAYERS OF CLOTHES WHICH TOOK SOME OF THE BLAST.
8 SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES SOUTH, THE WEATHER WAS MUCH BETTER. THE TRANQUILITY OF THE WELSH COUNTRYSIDE, HOWEVER, WAS SHATTERED BY THE ROAR OF TWO ROYAL NAVY SEA HARRIERS ON A ROUTINE TRAINING FLIGHT. I’M TAKING HER DOWN ON THE DECK.
DON’T YOU ALWAYS, YOU MADMAN? YOU’LL COME A CROPPER ONE DAY.
THE PILOTS WERE LIEUTENANTS JOHN MARSH AND OWEN PRICE. OWEN WAS JAMIE’S OLDER BROTHER AND AN EXTREMELY CONFIDENT FAST JET PILOT. HE COULD NEVER RESIST THE OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING SOME “FUN” — THIS TIME BY BUZZING A FLOCK OF SHEEP.
THAT CERTAINLY SHOOK ‘EM UP!
9 JOHN, HIS MORE CAUTIOUS WINGMAN, WASN’T IMPRESSED AS THE SECOND HARRIER CLIMBED BACK UP TO REGULATION HEIGHT.
YOU OUGHT TO BE MORE CAREFUL, OWEN. IF THAT FARMER COMPLAINS YOU’LL BE FACING A COURTMARTIAL.
RELAX, JOHN. THE NAVY NEEDS ME TOO MUCH.
WEEKS LATER, THE BROTHERS WERE ENJOYING A FEW DAYS’ LEAVE AND MET UP FOR A DRINK. THANKS TO OWEN’S OVER-COMPETITIVE NATURE, THEIR RELATIONSHIP HAD ALWAYS BEEN STRAINED. SO, LITTLE BROTHER, STILL PICKING UP HILLWALKERS IN THAT FLYING BUS OF YOURS?
ONLY AT REQUEST STOPS. MY WINCHMAN TAKES THE FARES.
OWEN HAD LITTLE RESPECT FOR HELICOPTER PILOTS, AND MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL HIS FEELINGS. FLYING A FAST JET REQUIRES REAL SKILL. YOU BOYS WOULDN’T BELIEVE HOW MUCH.
I WISH HE’D STOP TRYING TO BE TOP DOG ALL THE TIME.
10 FAMILY FEUDS LOOKED PRETTY INCONSEQUENTIAL WHEN, IN APRIL 1982, THE BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC WAS INVADED BY ARGENTINA.
BRITAIN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISLANDS’ DEFENCE AND, IN RESPONSE, DESPATCHED A NAVAL TASK FORCE TO RETAKE THE FALKLANDS. SERVING ABOARD ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS WERE THE TWO BROTHERS, JAMIE AND HIS CREW DETAILED TO CARRY OUT GENERAL TRANSPORT DUTIES AND PROVIDE RESCUE COVER. WHEN THE PAIR MET IT WAS PLAIN OWEN DID NOT RATE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE OPERATION. NOT MUCH POINT IN YOU CHOPPER LADS BEING ABOARD — THIS IS GOING TO BE A JET WAR.
I’M SURE YOU’RE RIGHT, BUT YOU MIGHT BE GRATEFUL THAT WE’RE AROUND IF YOU END UP IN THE DRINK.
OWEN’S SMIRK DISAPPEARED. HE TURNED ON HIS HEEL AND WALKED OFF WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD.