RAF Kinloss MRT – The swinging 70’s

George Bruce! My first Team Leader

Your first Team leader has a huge impression on you in my case was George Bruce a small wiry Scottish Team Leader with a with a mind as sharp as a razor. I tried to join the Mountain Rescue as soon as I arrived at RAF Kinloss as a 7 stone and really a  skinny wee lad. I was sent away from the Mountain Rescue by some of the Team who said that they thought I was too skinny. It was just the type of thing that happened in these days and this was just after the Cairngorm disaster in November 1971. The Cairngorm Disaster which is well document in my Blog dated 20 Nov 2011. In this tragedy 5 children and an adult had died on the plateau in November 1971 and the RAF Kinloss Team, Glenmore, Cairngorm Team, Braemar, Aberdeen and SARDA were all involved. It was a tragedy that was change mountaineering for ever. The Kinloss Team was very strong at this time with some huge personalities and characters. George was a non drinker and ruled the team by his strength of character. He was not the best mountaineer by far in this team but what a man manager and got the best out of his team. He was a bit of a Bill Shankly / Alec Ferguson/ Billy connelly his management was superb. His sense of humour was marvellous and his public speaking without notes incredible. He had a way with words that could cut you down in a second if you needed it. He had incredible contact with each estate and new every keeper many who remained friends long after he retired. He kept the Officers and the powers that be in their place and looked after his men whatever they did.  He had a knack of on a big callout being able to  work with the Police and other Team Leaders easily due to his people skills and could fight his corner when needed. He looked after us all and often gave me a few words of wisdom behind the office door. Outside of the team they got into a few scrapes but George was always there to sort it out. He looked after me when I joined and made sure that I was kept on the right track. It is amazing how such a man can effect you life in the future. George ended up at Grantown On Spey at the Centre there before he retired. He was a Physical Training Instructor and a parachute Instructor, one of the finest in his day. At this centre he had many visits from the senior officers of the RAF. George would regal them with stories, one day a very high senior officer of “Air Rank” near God in the military forgot his rucksack arriving in the Cairngorm car park in a wild day with no gear. When asked where his rucksack was  he said I do not need it George as quick as always said the immortal words” the mountains have no respect for rank , you had better get back and get it.  I was very lucky to meet and work with such men as George Bruce, Ray Sefton and Pete Mc Gowan legends within the RAF Mountain Rescue. When times are hard you need such people.

Members of the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team involved in the Cairngorm Tragedy.. They were all given a presentation after the tragedy for their part in the recovery of this tragic event.  George is the Flight Sergeant in the middle. A very rare photo of the troops in their best uniforms!

The Team was fairly steady when I joined and helicopters were being used more and more on Rescues. The civilian teams were now better equipped but still used the RAF teams in the big incidents. Winter climbing was now very popular and Avalanche accidents were very common. Little was known about them at this time and the first big callout in 1970 involved Jim McCartney an outstanding and up coming winter climber and friend of Tom Patey being killed in an Avalanche on Ben Nevis with two companions. The Lochaber Team and RAF Kinloss were involved in the recovery. Mary Anne Hudson and ex WRAF from Kinloss was also killed. John Grieve now (Team Leader of Glencoe) was the only survivor of an accident that rocked Scottish Mountaineering. As  I stated before mountaineering and climbing was a very close affair even in these days. At times you were rescuing or recovering friends. This is never easy to do.

 

Yesterdays story on the Sputnik has got some attention and the BBC have put a piece on their website.

	Some of the major incidents the team were involved in from `1970 – 1980. 1970 – 19 Jan – Ben Nevis – Italian Climb- slab avalanche one survivor 3 fatalities. One of the fatalities was an ex WRAF from RAF Kinloss.
	1971 – 21 November – Cairngorms Disaster – Feith Buidhe Ben Mac Dui 6 fatal 5 children and 1 adult. The worst mountain tragedy to date in Scotland 2 survivors – 3 of the Kinloss team decorated for their efforts on the Search.
	1972- 1 September – Ben Nevis – Tower Ridge, 3 fatalities, Navy party.
	1973 – 19 -23 January – Ben More Crianlarich – Viscount Aircraft all 4 crew killed
	1974 – 16 February – Ben Nevis Zero – Gully 1000 FT Lower
	1975 – 25 -31 December – Isle of Mull Missing aircraft – Cessna- found 7 years later. 1975 – Skye – West Buttress Sgurr Na Ciche 700 feet lower.
	1976 – 15 -20 March – Glen Doll – 2 missing walkers in Jocks Road.
	1977 – 8 -9 January – Torridon – Liathach Northern Pinnacles 9 Jan – ATC cadet fell 800 ft, 17-hour epic, carry off with team. 1977 – 12 January – Cairngorms – Loch Avon – Helicopter Crash on Frozen Loch. KMRT Team Leader Ray Sefton found both survivors walking out.
	1978 – 28 January – Northern Scotland – Great Blizzards– rescued over 150 people in a 10-day period. Team based in Inverness. A9 blocked for days.
	1979 – 23 27 November – Ben Lui – Jaguar Aircraft Crash – 3 Day search