| Description | Tape 1 Side A: IAN MALCOLM GORDON born 1 March 1945 Dyce, Aberdeen. Youngest of six children. Details re siblings. Recalls Dyce in childhood, Stoneywood Paper Mill, Scottish Agricultural Unit, Lawsons sausage/meat company, agricultural industry. Father, one of eleven, a papermaker. Details re paternal family. Grandfather worked on farm, railway. Ancestors were farm labourers. Details re names. Mother, a Yates, was adopted. Details re her, names. Family in farming community. Agriculture was strong in Dyce area, Aberdeenshire. Details re childhood home where born, siblings' names, occupations, Eldest brother in Navy; another, a slater, emigrated to Australia; sister, a nurse at Kingseat Hospital, lived in Dyce - impact of her death. Recalls death of brother who worked for Motherwell Bridge Company. Details re sister in Canada. Close family. Brother in Canada in paper industry. Details re his accident. Mother worked as servant before marriage. Recalls life as 'only child' when siblings had left home. Describes parents. Mother a school cleaner, known in village for her cycling. She had a hearing problem. She didn't mix or go to WRI (Women's Rural Institute). She had good values, learned from her. Recalls attending Sunday School, church. Many family visitors. Played cards. Father took a drink on Saturdays. No drink in house except New Year. Recalls mother's baking, listening to radio. Explains ambition to join police. Recalls Charlie Marr, local policeman, his son who joined Metropolitan Police Cadets. Advised by father to get a trade before joining police. Started papermaking apprenticeship 1960 at Stoneywood Paper Mill aged 15. Details re schooling, missed opportunity of going to Robert Gordon's. Feelings now about not doing O-levels then.
Tape 1 Side B: Recalls decision to do apprenticeship. Enjoyed school, in 'A' class. Good at sport. Details. Always competitive. Involved in bowls with father. Got City & Guilds Certificate in Papermaking. Explains benefit of this, potential advancement. Never lost desire to join police. Very methodical, likes procedures. Explains. Mentions discipline necessary in forensic department. Father was orderly. Examples of his shoe-cleaning, trouser pressing, equipment maintenance routines. Parents both tidy, methodical, concerned re appearance. Learned, in industry, to be tolerant. Benefit of this when in Police. Gives examples, e.g. dealing with drunkards, understanding hardships people had to encounter. Enjoyed craft of papermaking. Attended evening classes. Recalls influence, advice of individuals in paper mill, eg foreman Bill Scott. Importance of quiet assessment of crisis situations before taking action. Completed apprenticeship 1965. Explains decision to join Police. Mentions friend who joined Aberdeen City Special Constabulary. Mentions different police forces. Details re joining Scottish North Eastern Counties Constabulary, unexpected visit to house by recruiter, mother's preparations for interview, successful examination and medical. Recalls handing in notice to Paper Mill - at point of promotion. Never unemployed. Joined Police as constable 1965. First impression of Police. Mentions experience as Life Boy, Boys' Brigade. Used to discipline, drills. Details re discipline in Police. First posting to Huntly after month at Scottish Police College. Explains influence of Sergeant Stuart. Details re training routine, classes in law etc. On beat straight away, guided by Senior Constable. Mentions Eddie Gray. Good grounding at Huntly. Recalls first arrest at a dance. Many dances in Huntly. Details re fights between people from Buckie, Keith etc. Not many arrests in Huntly.
Tape 2 Side A: Recalls shrewd businessman who managed many dance halls in the region, provided free buses, arranged locations for dances each Saturday. Joined Police 1965. After two years' probation, sent to Laurencekirk. Loads of experience there. Explains typical routine of patrols, crime work, firearms certificates, animal disease, community work, road traffic accidents. Details re shift patterns, long working hours. Explains need for corroboration of evidence. Recalls first fatal accident experience. Learned to handle such situations. Mentions later forensic work. Mentions triple-fatal accident at Laurencekirk. Describes procedure of being on the beat, importance of rapport with locals. Got involved with community through sport. Details. Recalls having assistance when dealing with fight in dance hall. Describes techniques of observation, being tested by Sergeant, crime prevention, memorising car numbers. First memory of oil/gas industry - preparations for BP pipeline celebrations, presence of Queen 1975. Transferred to CID 1968 - unusually early in career. Explains. Details re good crime clearance record at Laurencekirk. Details re CID, own role. Explains detective role. Further details re CID, nature of work. Recalls interview training, need for preparation, listening skills, use of silences. Recalls working with colleague on Maxwell Garvie murder case 1968. Importance of corroboration, quiet approach. Growth of understanding of colleagues. Spent most time in Identification Branch of Forensic Section. Became fingerprint expert. New techniques developed. On call during night etc. Involved in all major incidents, serious crime. Explains buzz of fingerprint work etc. Details re work, carelessness of criminals. Garvie murder was big case. Had known him. Details re case. Mentions influence of Sergeant Bob Grant, Laurencekirk, his involvement with case. Details re outcome.
Tape 2 Side B: Outcome of Garvie murder case. Recalls Dyce before oil industry. Development of airport, changes to Dyce. Number of police officers left to join oil industry. Promoted to Detective Sergeant 1974. Formation of Grampian Police 1975, moved to headquarters in Aberdeen. Different work, culture. Different rapport with uniformed officers. City CID elitist. Feelings about this. Moved into handwriting work. Difficult adjusting to new regime. Explains attitudes to change in Aberdeen. Married 1970. Details re wife, son. Details re wife's family. Wife involved with church. She has been supportive of police work. Impact of job on family, restrictions on outside activities, sport etc. First impression of Americans in Aberdeen, impact on housing market. Police not allowed to buy houses until 28 years' service until 1975. Explains. Reaction of Aberdonians to Americans. Belonged to union in paper mill. Own political stance. Promoted Detective Inspector 1981 in charge of Grampian Police Forensic Section. When oil industry came, changes in nature of crime, frauds involving outsiders, locals. More drink-related crime, assaults, prostitution, attacks on prostitutes. Oil Liaison Department, eventually under Chief Inspector, created 1976. Called to many deaths offshore, e.g. involving divers. Some crimes offshore, break-ins to bonds etc. Some investigations re equipment, certification, qualifications; international dimension. Oil industry seen as terrorist target. Reference to Northern Ireland situation. Threat assessments carried out. Police relationship with oil companies. Reference to Coast Guard. Chinook helicopter disaster 1986. Recalls getting news of accident when Detective Inspector in Identification Bureau. Details re location, North Sea jurisdiction. In charge of team sent to assess situation. Details re dealing with bodies, procedures. Employed Kenyon Emergency Services.
Tape 3 Side A: Chinook helicopter disaster 1986 (cont'd): Details re procedures followed with bodies, identification difficulties because of their state. Preparations for post-mortems, later investigation into correctness of equipment etc. Treated as murder case, evidence kept intact. Personal property, parts of aircraft brought out of sea. Pathologist came from Aberdeen. Details re processes followed, photographs, checking for damage to survival suits. Explains services provided by Kenyon Emergency Services. Spent nine days in Shetland. Two survivors. Details re accident, different causes of death. In charge of body recovery, fingerprinting, documentation etc. Recalls long hours of work, other staff, team spirit. Afterwards all saw Police doctor. No real counselling. Compares with later. Recalls first hearing about Piper Alpha disaster. Was Oil Liaison Officer. Early difficulties contacting Occidental, Coast Guard. Communications with Piper gone. Gradual accumulation of information. Implemented Emergency Response Plan. Details. Teams in position by midnight. Mentions colleagues who were away. Set up casualty documentation team, liaised with Occidental, Coast Guard. Mentions previous exercises with Norwegians. Benefit of Chinook experience. Mentions media. First reports of casualties. No contact offshore. Inundated with phone calls from relatives. Details. Had to increase staff numbers. Reference to ship Tharos. Messages re casualties, rescues, deaths. Details re plans for handling casualties onshore. Called in Kenyon Emergency Services. Details. Communications with Occidental. Explains initial delays. Details re initial unsatisfactory emergency mortuary arrangements, later use of hangar at airport. Used same processes as with Chinook. Mortuary set up by time first bodies arrived. Avoidance of media. Describes their tactics. Mentions Kate Adie, television reporter. Nine hundred calls an hour from relatives. Concerns of BT (British Telecom).
Tape 3 Side B: Piper Alpha disaster (cont'd). Gradual realisation of scale of disaster. Didn't appreciate full impact till at home next night. Explains early non-realisation of number of casualties. Lines of communication with Tharos initially not good - biggest problem. Worked 24 hours first night. Details re shifts, phone calls, move to Police Headquarters assembly hall. BT arranged extra lines. Explains Chief Constable's and own role, dealing with media. Media unit set up. Called in CID for mortuary investigation. Mentions involvement of Procurator Fiscal. Briefing sessions held. Details re routine followed, coordination. Learned lots of lessons, e.g. re initial response, attitude of Occidental people; inadequacy of response room; mortuary arrangements. Times of first call from Occidental, inadequate information. Never considered disaster of such scale. In charge of dealing with bodies in accommodation module. Problems raising module, used large crane barge. Plans for evacuation of bodies at Flotta. Hand-picked people to do job. Details re planning, groups involved. Work done by divers. Treated situation as crime scene, collected evidence. Explains. Module was a four-storey building. Reference to Health & Safety Executive. Support from Professor David Alexander re stress on officers. Details re crew working on job. Media kept away through air/sea exclusion zone. Job took five weeks. Mentions black humour. Details re accommodation, special clothing, decontamination, lunch arrangements, end-of-day debriefing sessions. Recalls ways of keeping teams happy, e.g. food. Divers had known some casualties. Phoned Chief Constable every night. Details. Recalls regular whisky with father. Details re mother's stroke, death. Difficult time coinciding with Piper job. Further details re recovery operation, start of police investigation. Whole operation took a year.
Tape 4 Side A: Promoted Superintendent 1990. Did many presentations re Piper Alpha in UK, Australia after disaster. Deputy Divisional Commander of northern area, based at Elgin. Awarded Queen's Police Medal for work on Piper disaster. Feelings about this. Later in charge of Personnel Training Department, Police Headquarters. Explains enjoyment of work there. Reference to equal opportunities. Retired from Police 1995. Took up current position of Chief Security Officer, Shell UK Exploration and Production. Has never had a day unemployed since leaving school. Details re role with Shell, extent of responsibilities. When Shell reorganises into EP Europe, will apply for position as Senior Security Advisor. Explains likely international responsibilities. Expects to retire at 60. Looked after onshore aspects of Brent Spar situation. Brent Spar changed life of Shell. Explains new security dimension. Mentions other companies' situation. Contingency plans now in place for potential boarders. Brent Spar changed role of Security Advisor. Has responsibility for offshore installations. Feelings about Greenpeace, safety aspects of their work. Compares them with other environmental groups.
Tape 4 Side B: Blank |