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Memorial 20 years on from plane tragedy in Iraq

Chloe Harcombe
BBC News, Wiltshire
BBC Geoff Bridgman at the REME remembrance garden in Lyneham. He is standing next to a brick wall with a plaque on it. Geoff has short white hair, glasses and is wearing a black suit and striped tie. He is holding a red white and blue circle wreath. He is also looking at the camera and smiling BBC
Geoff Bridgman laid a wreath at the memorial on Thursday

An RAF veteran has organised a memorial service for 10 military personnel who died when their plane was shot down over Iraq 20 years ago.

Geoff Bridgman, a former senior aircraftman, has also arranged a flypast in honour of the crew of Hercules XV179.

The plane, which was based at the former RAF Lyneham near Chippenham in Wiltshire, was hit by enemy fire on 30 January 2005 on its way from Baghdad to Balad, killing all 10 men on board.

Mr Bridgman, who was at the base when he heard the news, said: "We all felt the loss and we all felt the sadness."

PA Media A C130-J Hercules transport aircraft similar to the RAF Hercules plane that has crashed north of Baghdad, Iraq Sunday January 30th 2005PA Media
The aircraft was hit by enemy fire on 30 January 2005 on its way from Baghdad to Balad

The tragedy left the "whole station in mourning", he added.

Mr Bridgman has worked hard to ensure that the men are not forgotten.

Every year since 2017, the 71-year-old has laid a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance at MOD Lyneham to honour them.

He spread the word to his friends in the Chippenham Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club and some of them began joining the annual tradition.

But for the 20th anniversary, Mr Bridgman wanted to do something more special.

Tim Ockenden / PA / POOL The coffin of Squadron Leader Patrick Marshall, who was one of ten servicemen killed when the C130 Hercules plane they were travelling in crashed in Iraq 30/1/2005, is returned to the UK at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, Tuesday February 8, 2005. Tim Ockenden / PA / POOL
The bodies of the 10 serviceman were flown back to RAF Lyneham where their aircraft was based

On Thursday morning, a flypast and a memorial service was held at the remembrance garden "in respect of those who lost their lives and respect for the memory of those who are left".

Veterans, serving personnel and their loved ones attended.

Sarah O'Connor attended the ceremony to pay respects to her brother, Sgt Robert O'Connor, who died in the incident.

Her children brought his medals along too.

Five service medals on a jacket. They are a mixture of bronze, silver and gold. A woman is touching them.
Children bought their late uncle's medals to the ceremony

Mr Bridgman added: "They say to me, 'why are you doing this, Geoff?'.

"I'm not after an OBE, I'm not after any sort of recognition – I'm doing this because it needs to be done."

He added that "it seems like yesterday" when the news broke.

"Whether they're army, navy or air force, we are one," he said.

"When one hurts, we all hurt; when one grieves, we all grieve."

Geoff Bridgman The remembrance garden in Lyneham. There are several benches around a gravelled area. There are three large standing stones in the middle and a separate circular sculpture of boots. A stepped green wall can be seen on one side of the garden and there is a red, white and blue wreath on the ground in front of it.Geoff Bridgman
The Garden of Remembrance at MOD Lyneham

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