From the edge of the world: part 7

We held a memorial in the church, in which we remembered the ten young men who lost their lives on 7 June 1944 (the day after D-Day) when their aircraft crashed on Gleann Mor during a training flight. Radio contact was lost from their aircraft after 11pm. 75 years later, as the low cloud hung around Conachair (just as it must have done on that night), Craig read out their names and told us what was known about their mission. The newly refurbished bell from the wreck of the Janet Cowan was tolled at 11pm in remembrance. Whilst the men were buried at sea, some parts of the aircraft still remain at the crash site, providing a poignant memorial on the mountainside.

This event took place in the middle of a work party changeover. This year, there have been three work parties, lasting 10 days each, led respectively by Graham, Dave and Stef, and supported by the cooks Mona and Ali. Our eyes grew wide at the fine array of food that was created, and we were generously invited for meals with each party.

Craig took the lead in overseeing the work organisation, resulting in cleit turf roof and wall repairs, the production of a beautiful postcard-writing bench for the shop, repainted cottage roofs, a beach clean, a sprucing-up of the church, school and museum, ditch clearing and many more small but necessary maintenance jobs! The workshop stores have been re-catalogued, and of course the traditional mail boats were constructed. One group successfully created a ship without the use of any plastics … we hope this becomes a new tradition.