The Nimrod Ribbon Of Remembrance stone has been placed at the IBCC to honour all those who served in the Nimrod Force, (Aircrew, Groundcrew & Support Staff), during the Nimrod’s time in Service, which spanned over forty years. It especially honours those friends and colleagues lost in three tragic accidents, which befell the Nimrod Force.
Nimrod was the RAF Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft (LRMPA) which served on No 42 Sqn based at RAF St Mawgan, No 120 Sqn, No 201 Sqn and No 206 Sqn, all based at RAF Kinloss, and finally No 203 Sqn based at RAF Luqa in Malta. The role of the aircraft was primarily surveillance of the Russian Navy and their Submarine Force, but it carried out many tasks including Long Range Search and Rescue, and Fishery Protection duties around the United Kingdom. In more recent conflicts the Nimrod Mk2 took on more surveillance roles flying over the battlefield.
Three Nimrods were built for the special task of Electronic Reconnaissance and were designated Nimrod R, they served on 51 Sqn based at our local airfield of RAF Waddington. 51 Sqn was a Bomber Command Unit during World War 2 and served in No 4 Group flying out of RAF Snaith in Yorkshire.
XV256
On the 17th November 1980 XV256 was taking off from RAF Kinloss with a crew of twenty on board from 206 Sqn. The crew were converting from the Nimrod Mk1 to the upgraded Nimrod Mk2, and had instructing staff flying, hence the large crew onboard. Immediately after take-off the aircraft had multiple birdstrikes with Canadian Geese which were transiting between their overnight roost and their daily feeding grounds. The birdstrike caused damaged to three engines, the pilots were unable to maintain height and the Nimrod crashed into Roseisle Forest approximately 1300 yards from the end of the runway, and was engulfed in flames. The two pilots were killed, but the rest of the crew managed to escape from the aircraft, although some were seriously injured.
XV239
The aircraft from 120 Sqn RAF Kinloss, was performing an Air Display at the Canadian International Airshow in Toronto on the 2nd September 1995. The display was performed above Lake Ontario and during one of the manoeuvres the aircraft appeared to stall and crashed into the lake. All seven crew members on board were killed.
XV230
Exactly eleven years to the day, since the tragic events at Toronto, another 120 Sqn aircraft crashed in Afghanistan killing all the crew and two specialist operators from the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment. The aircraft XV230, which incidentally was the first of thirty-eight Nimrods to enter operational service, was on a surveillance mission on the 2nd September 2006, supporting coalition forces engaging the Taliban. Shortly after refuelling from a RAF Tristar a catastrophic fire broke out, the aircraft tried to make an emergency landing at Kandahar airfield, but exploded in mid-air killing everybody on board. This event culminated in the single biggest loss of life of Service Personnel, since the Falklands War in 1982.
Roll of Honour
17th November 1980 XV256 No 206 Sqn, RAF Kinloss
- Flight Lieutenant Noel Anthony (Royal Australian Air Force)
- Flying Officer Stephen Belcher
2nd September 1995 XV239 No120 Sqn, Toronto, Canada
- Flt Lt Dom Gilbert
- Flt Lt Glenn Hooper
- Flt Lt Nick Brookes
- Flt Lt Bernie Worthington
- Sergeant Gary Moxham
- Sergeant Richie Williams
- Sergeant Craig Barnett
2nd September 2006 XV230 No 120 Sqn, Afghanistan
- Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson
- Flight Lieutenant Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore
- Flight Lieutenant Gareth Rodney Nicholas
- Flight Lieutenant Allan James Squires
- Flight Lieutenant Steven Swarbrick
- Flight Sergeant Gary Wayne Andrews
- Flight Sergeant Stephen Beattie
- Flight Sergeant Gerard Martin Bell
- Flight Sergeant Adrian Davies
- Sergeant Benjamin James Knight
- Sergeant John Joseph Langton
- Sergeant Gary Paul Quilliam
- Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts (Parachute Regiment)
- Marine Joseph David Windal (Royal Marines)
To order a stone to honour your relative, friend or associate please click here
