Funding Success: Oral History of Lockerbie Disaster

The Lockerbie disaster, December 21 1988, is the worst case of mass murder in Scottish legal history. The deliberate bombing of Pan American Airways 103 from London to New York over Lockerbie killed all 259 people in the aircraft and a further 11 on the ground. 

Dr Andy Clark worked with Dr Colin Atkinson, Criminologist and Counter Terrorism expert at the University of the West of Scotland on an oral history of the disaster. This funded project sought to investigate the memories and narratives of first responders, primarily police officers and mountain rescue volunteers. Beginning in January 2019, Dr Clark and Dr Atkinson interviewed 12 respondents who were directly involved in the aftermath of the bombing. The interviews were recorded over multiple sessions, allowing for an exploration of the disaster, its physical and legal impacts, and the memories of participants 30 years after the event.

The data was analysed for academic presentation and publication, placing the narratives within an examination of the recollection of traumatic experiences and the impact of the disaster on policing and counter-terror in Britain. 

 * Image courtesy Phil Kleingeld

Last modified: Sat, 23 May 2026 16:51:45 BST