exhausted to return with an advance party of police. These left within the hour, carrying food, hot drinks, brandy and blankets. They also took a collapsible Duff stretcher, for the Thomas sledge offers too much wind resistance in a gale.

This party went up the pony track to about the 2,000 foot level where it crosses the Red Burn which comes down from the upper slopes of Carn Dearg. The weather was very bad and they were slow. At this point the party split. The sergeant in charge sent two men up the Red Burn while he, with the other two, took the 'east' route. By this may be meant the slopes either north or south of the Red Burn and leading up to the summit of Carn Dearg. None of them was equipped with an axe initially but the sergeant had borrowed one from a climber he met on the pony track.

The party of three reached a point below Castle Ridge and the sergeant told his constables - who were considerably handicapped without axes - to remain where they were while he went on.

The gusts of wind were so strong that he was forced to lie flat on the ground to prevent himself being blown away. By this time the light was failing and snow was not so much falling as swirling on the mountain. Visibility was down to a few feet.

He waited until darkness fell, when he signalled with his torch in all directions. Between the gusts he shouted. There was no response, nor did he contact the party of two whom he'd sent up the Red Burn. He guessed that they were unable to reach him through the storm.

As he retreated, he saw the lights of the main search party coming up. He signalled and received a reply. He rejoined his two constables and they descended, meeting the other two en route, who fortunately, had retreated down the Red Burn, having realised it was no place for men without axes. They contacted the main search party and proceeded to search the mountainside east of the Red Burn, but without any results.

RAF Kinloss were on exercise at Newtonmore that Christmas with Pilot Officer John Alexander in charge. They were alerted at midday on Christmas Day. At 12.45 p.m. six other team members who were on leave or engaged on duties at Kinloss were called out. The Newtonmore contingent arrived at Fort William at 2.15pm to be told that the main search party (that now on its way to support the police) had left at midday. It was anticipated that by now they Continue to page 5