| Description | Tape 1 Side A. ALEXANDER GRAHAM LYNN, always known as ALISTAIR, Gaelic form of Alexander. Born 20.08.1926 Carradale, Kintyre, grew up in Inveraray. Father, George Jaynes Lynn, a tailor, had a shop, post office. He later lost his health, then worked with Post Office telephones. Details. Father's family from England. Third of 5 children. Details re siblings. Went to Carradale Primary School, Campbelltown Grammar School, left at 16, joined merchant navy, then Royal Navy. Served till 21. Details re postings. Joined Post Office, then Police. Explains. Interviewed by West of Scotland Recruiting Board, joined Argyle County Police 1948. Details re paternal family, names. Grandfather in Indian Army. Father lost a leg in an accident. Details re maternal family, names. They were farmers. Some went to New Zealand. Childhood in retrospect. Details re father, his music, personality. Details re mother. Early introduction to daily papers, Christian activities. Father built own wireless. Details. Own proudest moment being dux of school. Had to leave school because of costs etc. Recalls teachers, mentor Naomi Mitchison, novelist, her offer of financial help. Father's reaction. Impression of her. Further details re mother, who lived for the family. Describes home, childhood life, games. Never bored. Recalls local policeman, attitude to him. First ideas of joining police, influence of father. Went regularly to church. Recalls hearing of Depression, impact of this on own character, independence, assertiveness. Volunteered for Navy at 16. Recalls service in Merchant Navy on ammunition ship. Joined Royal Navy communications section. Details. Unforgettable first voyage in crow's nest in storm on rescue ship in Irish Sea.
Tape 1 Side B. Further details of service in Royal Navy, with Americans etc. Feelings about use of atom bomb, reaction of servicemen. Details re working in Navy, loss of satisfaction. Coming from small community had battles to fight, growing up to do. Explains. Recalls writing letters home for uneducated Newfoundlanders, old schooner seamen. Describes their seamanship, their background. Spent 6 months in Hong Kong, returned to UK to finish service. Joined Post Office, didn't like it, joined Police. Details re recruitment procedure, posting. Comments on choice of Argyle Police Force. Describes training process. Recalls probation, training school, Glasgow, Gorbals. Various postings. Mentions own liking for sport, games played, competitiveness. Recalls early physical encounters in Police, feelings about this. Advantage of being tall. Benefit of uniform. Compares work in Gorbals and in Highlands. Recalls older sergeants in Police, e.g. Hugh Livingstone. Describes typical day, shifts in Dunoon, Argyle station, social work. Explains Borough Police Act, night beat duties. Attitude then to Police. Details of first arrest. Was ambitious for career. Early work in CID, Identification Bureau, Fingerprints, Photography etc. Promoted to Sergeant after 12 years, did administrative work. Details. Challenges of holding rank. Details re CID work. Recalls own attitude to, way of dealing with distressful situations. In own life, difficulty dealing with wife's illness. Explains. Details about her, her support, including giving up her teaching career.
Tape 2 Side A. Comments on decision of wife, Christina Cameron nee McNaughton, to marry a policeman. Details of family circumstances. Mentions father-in-law's work with Crofters' Commission for Scotland, Railways, as Oban councillor. Promoted sergeant 1960. Difficulty with changing societal attitudes. Example of Polaris submarine protests, need for care in dealing with groups, including politicians, rent-a-riot groups. Appointed British Police Officer to American forces. Explains complexities of duties, difficulties dealing with Americans. Comments on their lack of history. Compares own approach with that of Americans. Recalls pressures of Americans' military programme, potential conflict with British legal requirements. Own relationship with Americans. Recalls incident involving a local prostitute, American lack of security. Describes own approach to leadership, decision making. Background to promotion to Superintendent, move from Argyle to Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary in Aberdeen, appointment as Deputy Chief Constable, 1972. Enjoyed crime and community work. Explains. Feelings about present day policing, consequences of cost of policing. Compares with situation in earlier days. Current public attitude towards police. Comments on dealing with hooliganism now and then. Impact of car on crime for police and criminals. Difficulties for Chief Constables with limited resources. Explains own learning process under former Chief Constable, role as DCC in Bucksburn, Aberdeen. Recalls arrival of computerisation in Police service, own demand for, acquisition of better resources. Was young for job. Impact of this. Reaction of others to an outsider coming in.
Tape 2 Side B. Deputy Chief Constable 1972 (cont'd). Reaction of Aberdeen people to appointment. Tough appointment to take on. Describes own approach to job. Some times unpopular when applying discipline. Explains. Own reaction to difficult situations. Example of having to discipline a superintendent involved in liquor licensing. Details of management training at Chester. Describes Aberdeen before the oil. Details re appointment as Chief Constable after death of predecessor, 1974. Reaction of Staff Association. Recalls having been an active member of the Association. Own politics liberal. Had never discussed politics with parents. Crime level was average in Aberdeen. Recalls typical working hours in Police career, early routines keeping eye on what happening in street. As Chief Constable, regularly went into office in evening. Mentions home routine with wife. Recalls difficulties in social life as a police officer. Explains never going to a pub. Need for care in conduct in public. When oil industry came, need for security services. New criminal activity. Attitude of high spending oil companies. Fraud department set up. Worked with other countries. Explains complexities because of jurisdiction issues offshore. Reference to relevant Acts. Became responsible for over 100 installations offshore. Things went wrong, e.g. divers being drowned, accidents, fatalities on board rigs etc. Had to form investigation body alongside Department of Energy. Details. Some companies heavily fined. Mentions daily profits of Piper Alpha, consequences of this, eg reluctance of bosses to shut down production. Some bosses acted on a wing and a prayer. Explains areas of concern for police, need for funding etc. Special Police department set up.
Tape 3 Side A. Arrival of oil industry (cont'd). Expert teams developed. Many fatalities among divers, other workers. Recalls companies which were reluctant to report accidents. Details re Police reaction. Companies' reaction to security even after Piper Alpha. Impact of Piper disaster. Impression of Occidental company people. Own view of cause of disaster. Recalls helpful reaction of Armand Hammer. Explains own role in aftermath, distance in relationship with Hammer. Mentions previous accidents. Impression of Hammer. Before disaster, concerns re safety standards but people wouldn't talk, no union clout. Recalls unions' difficulties, attitude of Americans. Diving accidents because of cutting corners, lack of appropriate experience. Difficulty combining investigation of Piper and policing the region. Explains approach to increase in prostitution in Aberdeen after oil came. Crime situation in harbour area. Background to appointment as Deputy Chief Constable, Grampian Police at time of Regionalisation (1975). Reference to Scottish Office job possibility. Always consulted wife on career moves. Background to appointment as Chief Constable 1983. Comments on level of contact with staff as chief officer. Recalls disagreements with civil servants, also with Mr Rifkin, Secretary of State, over appeals. Effect on own discipline. Own attitude to punishment, standards. Recalls disciplining a superintendent. Work on terrorism on offshore installations with Army, SBS, SAS; difficulties re role of each. Explains seniority of Police as civil power, need to work out procedures with other organisation. Member of Home Office Committee on Terrorism. Only chief officer to call in SAS to quell a prison riot, at Peterhead. Details of situation, problems, violence.
Tape 3 Side B. Peterhead Prison riot (cont'd). Details re situation, procedures followed, violence, hostage taken, his condition. Own proposal to use SAS, bureaucratic difficulties involved. Home Office delays, dilemma re role of Police, Prison Service. Mentions inaccurate records of event. Details of own first contacting SAS, their actions etc. Prisoners had access to police information. Details of SAS reconnaissance, brinkmanship involved, consequences of outcome of situation for own career. Describes SAS surprise assault on prison, the only such operation ever carried out. The media missed the whole thing. Own difficulties with Procurator Fiscal, post riot report, getting statements from SAS people. Recalls row afterwards. Never a hostage situation like Peterhead since. Explains. Comments on event in retrospect, own actions. Mentions own attitude to use of firearms in situation, politics involved in processes followed. Reference to Margaret Thatcher's involvement. Reaction of own superiors, media. Never public knowledge that SAS involved in Peterhead riot. During event, fed by trusted prisoners. Story of meal of fish and chips swimming in tomato sauce. No sleep during days of riot. 1972-1990 responsible for security of Queen, Royal Family when they were at Balmoral. Details re role, escorting duties, precise timings etc. Had audiences with Queen, Prince Philip. Recalls reaction of Philip to security. Queen used to drive herself to see Queen Mother for afternoon tea. Mentions cranks.
Tape 4 Side A. Royal Family security (cont'd). Had to deal with cranks. Recalls visit by Zulu prince who was locked up by mistake at Ballater. Explains own duties, sensitivities of Royal Family security job. Once had 18 people at Balmoral who were at top of [assassination] hit list. Attitude of Margaret Thatcher to security. Recalls nerve-wracking experience when Queen was vulnerable. Mentions her precise timing, her impatience with waste of time. Opinion of her. Invited, with wife, to audience with Queen, Prince Philip at Balmoral. Awarded CVO. Details. Significance of role of security control work. Mentions Buckingham Palace break-in. Mentions funding of security. Oil platforms seen as serious targets but procedures put into place. Practised with SAS, SBS for potential terrorist situations, boarding etc. Details. Unlikely that terrorists would attempt to take platforms. Recalls futile response rehearsal attempts involving submarines, aircraft. Piper Alpha disaster (1988): first heard about it at home. Sequence of events in Police, Coastguard. Failure of communications at first. Mentions vessels nearby helping survivors, NATO exercise, Tharos, helicopters. Problem with getting accurate POB (persons on board) list from Occidental. Details re arrangements made re survivors, casualties, identifications etc. Senior colleagues away on night of disaster. Own role, decisions that had to be taken. Awareness of possibility of Occidental doing something to protect themselves. Possibility of more explosions. Sent officers out to Tharos. Details of inadequate arrangements for information. Resolution of this. Arrangements with British Telecom. Numbers of calls taken, lost in first few hours. Describes situation with other agencies. Quick response of hospital, difficulties with paparazzi, other media.
Tape 4 Side B. Piper Alpha disaster (cont'd). Media people ran into operating theatres etc, interviewing injured people. Brought in Kenyons, international undertakers. Details re their work dealing with personal effects etc. Explains administrative routines followed. Process of identification, dealing with bodies, next of kin. Challenged in court re identification of bodies. Case of body claimed by different relatives. Police had two functions: to save life, deal with bodies etc, and to start criminal investigation. Each body in the charge of a police officer. Explains process concerning families' access to bodies. Own personal feelings at time. Details of procedures. No cases of police stress. Explains. Causes of death of men in module. Terrible escape procedure on Piper. Own reaction to situation. Feelings about media, own role. Occidental unprepared but did their best. Details. Feelings about them. It could have been any company. Opinion about avoidability of disaster. Pressure on platform to produce oil. All information submitted by police to Crown Office, did preparation for Lord Cullen. Recalls people liaised with in preparation of statements. Prepared 15 volumes of report, pieces of evidence from all over the world etc. Police Report was only information used by Lord Cullen. Feelings re lack of recognition for Grampian Police. No criminal prosecution. Explains. Personal reaction to this. Changes after the disaster. Recalls alterations that had been made to Piper Alpha, faults in rescue procedures. Recalls help from wife during disaster period. Constant self-questioning about own actions taken, decisions made. Mentions retirement in 1990. Visits Piper Alpha memorial occasionally. Reference to Ocean Odyssey disaster, 1 fatality. |