On Sunday 30 April, members of the No 8 Squadron Association gathered at the unit’s memorial stone at Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Centre. This marked the 33rd anniversary of the loss of Shackleton AEW2 WR965 and its crew of 10. The current officer commanding, Wg Cdr Vicky Williams, represented the present-day unit as association chairman Wg Cdr Chris Jobling made a short address and read out the names of those lost. A minute’s silence was held at 11.33hrs, marking the precise moment at which the aircraft crashed onto the Isle of Harris in 1990. Squadron members had also made the journey to the site where, with members of the local community, wreathes were laid at the memorial.
Shackleton WR965 left Lossiemouth on 30 April 1990 to take part in a maritime exercise around Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. With the first part of the exercise sortie completed, the crew conducted some continuation training, seeking as part of this to make an approach to Benbecula Airport. In poor weather, WR965 flew into a hill on the Isle of Harris, killing all 10 on board. They included 8’s CO, Wg Cdr Steve Roncoroni. The board of inquiry concluded that, “the accident was caused because the aircraft was flown below a safe altitude in unsuitable weather conditions; the Board were unable to determine the reason for this”.
