An Angus man who responded to the urgent call for help following the Aberfan Disaster says the memories of that terrible time will never leave him.
John Sibbit was speaking ahead of Friday’s 45th anniversary of the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip that occurred in the Welsh village, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
Speaking from his home in Arbroath, Mr Sibbit said: ”What happened that day has never left me it will always be with me.”
Mr Sibbit became known as the Lunan Bay Flyer while working with DD Transport in Dundee as a long-distance lorry driver. Such was Mr Sibbit’s commitment to the job, he married his wife June on a Saturday in 1966 and was out on the road again on the Sunday.
Mr Sibbit was actually in Wales the day before the disaster and was driving back to Arbroath following a pick up in Swansea when the tragedy unfolded. He only found out what had happened when he got back home and saw the terrible pictures on the TV news.
Half-an-hour after getting in the door his boss at DD Transport asked if he could take a load of sandbags to Aberfan to help with the massive relief effort after the disaster. Despite having just completed a gruelling 12-hour journey without sleep, Mr Sibbit did not hesitate and headed back to Dundee to load up the lorry.
June came with him on that unforgettable overnight trip where they delivered sandbags and then helped to transport the filled bags to where they were needed.
He said: ”I drove from Dundee to Aberfan non-stop from midnight and got there at 2.30 in the afternoon. You could imagine the chaos because it had happened the day before I got there.”
Mr Sibbit attempted to watch a documentary on the Aberfan disaster this week but had to turn it off because he got too upset.
”The wife had left the video recorder out but I could only watch it for a wee while I had to switch it off.”
As it collapsed, the waste tip first destroyed a farm cottage in its path, killing all the occupants.
At Pantglas Junior School, just below, the children had just returned to their classes after singing All Things Bright and Beautiful at morning assembly when the tragedy struck.
The slide engulfed the school and about 20 houses before coming to a halt. Around half of the school’s pupils died along with five of their teachers.
Mr Sibbit also worked with British Road Services and Elgin Transport, before he was forced to give up long-distance lorry driving in 1980 on health grounds.
He ended his career with Friockheim firm G & N Wishart and spent much of his spare time raising money for children with cancer.