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THE MALTESE DOUBLE CROSS -- ILLUSTRATED SCREENPLAY & SCREENCAP GALLERY |
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[David Ben-Arycah, Journalist] Very strange people popped out of the woodwork very early on. Within a matter of three hours there were American accents heard in the town. Over that night, there were large numbers, by which I mean 20, 25, 30 people arrived. The next day, somebody commented the same: That's subtle, there was a whole bevy of people walked down the main street with blue windcheaters and baseball hats with FBI on them. But there were a lot of other Americans in the town over the first twelve hours that weren't wearing FBI windcheaters. I don't know who they are. I know who some of them were, but they certainly weren't tourists.
Narrator: In the morning, when more cameras have arrived, it is the turn of the dignitaries, a junior prince, and the prime minister herself.
[Prince Andrew] There are bits and pieces of the aircraft. I have spoken to an accident investigator whose first impressions were absolutely stunned. And he'd never come across something quite as [inaudible] and disastrous. I've also been up to the hills to see the cockpit area, and that I think is a high priority for the investigators to see if they can find anything from that.
[Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister] It's been moving indeed because there are a lot of possessions that you can see scattered about. Speculation is not evident and they are systematically obtaining the evidence and systematically searching the [inaudible] people and evidence.
[Prince Andrew] I suppose that statistically something like this has got to happen at some stage all the time. It is most sad and unfortunate that it has had to happen to Lockerbie and of course, so close to Christmas. [Narrator] The mountain rescue teams with dogs from [inaudible] north and south Yorkshire, Cumbria, were the first to scour the terrain. Members of rescue teams on the site within two hours found Americans already there. The police and military are still prohibited by the British Official Secrets Act from speaking.
[Eric Spofforth, Volunteer Searcher] This helicopter was over flying the area and a chap was looking up in the air with a telescopic sighted rifle which he was probably some secret service man, whatever. It was a white unmarked helicopter which was for all intents and purposes a civilian helicopter [inaudible] stuck in the doorway standing [inaudible] telescopic sighted rifle [inaudible]. [Inaudible]
[James Graham] [inaudible] parked in front of the house. It was constant, every day, for days on end, they were flying over.
[Tom Dalyell, MP] It was thought that it was very odd and strange that so many people should be involved in moving bodies, looking at luggage, who were not members of the investigating force. What were they looking for so carefully? You know, this was not just searching desperately for loved ones. It was far more than that. It was careful examination of baggage and indeed bodies.
[James Graham] Right along there were many Americans [inaudible] I was checking my sheep on the hill at the time, and asked us not to go up near [inaudible] because, so I just presumed they were looking for something. But I just steered clear of their way.
[Eric Spofforth, Volunteer Searcher] I had to store about two suitcases full of money [inaudible] I didn't see any.
[David Ben Arycah, Journalist] Well, the cockpit was like the head of some mortally wounded bird, was instantly recognizable as a cockpit. And as daylight broke on the first cool day of the disaster the bodies were in an arc right around the hills that formed the [inaudible]. And they were well spread out. It was soft ground. A lot of them had made indentations, and even a year afterwards, the animals wouldn't graze where the bodies had landed.
It was as if they knew that something very terrible [inaudible] had happened there.
[Dr. Jim Swire] I rang up a number of times and said who I was and eventually I developed a good relationship over the telephone with one of the doctors who was doing the post mortems. And it was he who arranged for me to see her body. I think very much counter to the instructions he'd been given. But he undertook to have the body put somewhere I could see it, identify it. And he was extremely kind to me when I went in to see the body. One thing I wanted was a lock of hair and [inaudible] memories, so he went away and got a pair of scissors and cut me a lock of hair.
[David Ben Arycah, Journalist] There was no official announcement. The first seven bodies were released to be taken by road south to London for onward transportation to the relatives. And I'll never forget it. All of a sudden, the main streets in Lockerbie was full of people. They were standing three-deep on the pavement. Not a word was said. They stood quietly to bid farewell, to pay their respect to seven dead victims. And I say it was one of the most moving things I've ever seen in 40-odd years. It was very beautiful. And it was proper.
[Emma Pringle?, Lockerbie resident] We got a message I think about 6:00 that night that to see that the first bodies were being taken out of the town. And by this clock, if possible, could we go down the street to show our respect. So a lot of people, I don't know, maybe 300 of the locals lined the streets [inaudible] came around the town hall with the bodies and it was really very very upsetting to see them going away. Yes. It was nice that they were going home. But it was sad that they had to go home in such circumstances.
[Priest] We thank the Love that our dead brothers and sisters [inaudible] and we recall with faith the words of St. Paul, "Love does not come to an end." Father, we thank you for that indestructible love that came into our life and will remain with us forever. Amen.
[Charles Price, U.S. Ambassador, U.K.] Your brother will rise again. I know that he will rise again said Martha. Do you believe this? I do, she answered. I now believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who is to come into the world. Thanks be to God for his gospel.
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