1952 RAF Mountain Rescue Winter Course – kit list?

1952 winter kit list RAF Mountain Rescue.

The above list is from the first RAF Winter Course held in the Cairngorms after the tragic Beinn Eighe Crash in March 1951. The Lancaster aircraft crashed in March in full winter conditions on one of the toughest mountains in UK. The RAF Mountain Rescue Service was very short of experience, training in winter conditions and equipment. After the crash an inquiry found that the team need more training and equipment and the annual winter course was formed which is still  run annually.

The photo above is of Joss Gosling who was on the RAF Kinloss Team in 1951 when the Lancaster crashed. He is a wealth of knowledge of Mountaineering in this era, where did you get that sign from Joss?   He was chosen as one of the young men on this first winter course he is now living in Fort William and took some incredible photos of the conditions and equipment in 1951. These are an incredible insight into the past and how hard these men were. I have various articles on my blog in the past with Joss’s photos that show how hard the conditions and how basic the gear was they were issued with.

1952 Nominal Role = Johnie Lees, John Barclay and the young Joss Gosling.

When you look at the basic kit it is incredible what they did and achieved in these days, ice axes would have been issued at the course. Crampons were not in favor in these days and tricounis (nailed boots) were used by all. The photo below is from the Scottish Mountain Heritage website and well worth a look http://www.smhc.co.uk

Tricouni boots from the website Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection well worth a look. This is what they were using in this era!

 

Gear and clothing has come on so much since these early days and it is amazing to see what was achieved in these days. I managed to get the call – outs that the RAF Kinloss Team did in 1952 only a few by today’s standards but some incredible incidents from Ben Nevis, An Teallach, the Cairngorms and Skye. There were very few other Rescue Teams about in 1952 most rescues were the locals, the Police, local climbers and the RAF teams, wild days with limited kit.

28-2/52	16/03/52	Ben Nevis 41/166715	Fallen climber. Major injuries  Gardyloo gully. Tricky rescue.
29-3/52	19/03/52	Ben Nevis 41/168798	Fallen climber.  Observatory Ridge.  Carried off from CIC hut.
30-4/52	26/04/52	Coire an Lochan No 4 Buttress 36/983027	Fallen climbers.  2 male’s dead and 1 female with broken legs. This was a party from Glenmore Lodge climbing 4 Gully buttress
31-5/52	19/05/52	Dava Moor	Four missing boys from Moray Sea school.  Turned up safe and well.
32-6/52	13/06/52	Isle of Skye Sgurr Dearg 32/442217	Fallen climber.  Died of injuries.  2-day search and 2 days to recover body. Team searched in Loch Scavaig boat chartered to take team. Difficult recovery.
33-7/52	10/08/52	An Teallach 19/065839	Fallen walker body recovery below a gully on Sail Liath, below bad step.