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| 'Tomorrow, you die' | 'Tomorrow, you die' |
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| The three planes in Dawson's Field were blown up By James Gray BBC Timewatch How do former hostages and their families reflect on their brush with death? As British sailors have been telling of their ordeal in Iran, Ernest Hartill recalls events 37 years ago when he was on board the only British airliner ever to have been hijacked. | |
| Seeing the guns. That was the first Ernest Hartill knew that the plane he was sitting on had been hijacked. "Tomorrow, you die, we blow up the airplane," he and the other passengers were told. | Seeing the guns. That was the first Ernest Hartill knew that the plane he was sitting on had been hijacked. "Tomorrow, you die, we blow up the airplane," he and the other passengers were told. |
| It was 9 September, 1970, and the 34-year-old RAF sergeant was travelling back home to London from Bahrain, on his first leave of absence in nine months. | It was 9 September, 1970, and the 34-year-old RAF sergeant was travelling back home to London from Bahrain, on his first leave of absence in nine months. |
| But he found himself at the centre of an international crisis and being used as a pawn by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP). The group was demanding release of Palestinian militants held in Germany, Switzerland, England and Israel. | But he found himself at the centre of an international crisis and being used as a pawn by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP). The group was demanding release of Palestinian militants held in Germany, Switzerland, England and Israel. |
| Ernest Hartill around the time of the hijack, left, and nowThe BOAC flight 775 airliner remains the only British commercial aircraft ever to have been hijacked and the event is now widely seen as the start of an age of global terrorism that continues today. | Ernest Hartill around the time of the hijack, left, and nowThe BOAC flight 775 airliner remains the only British commercial aircraft ever to have been hijacked and the event is now widely seen as the start of an age of global terrorism that continues today. |
| "The first time I realised something was going on was when the hijackers jumped up with guns," says Ernest, looking back almost 40 years. "They told us they had got somebody in the aircraft with a bomb and that if anybody interfered, it would be blown up." | "The first time I realised something was going on was when the hijackers jumped up with guns," says Ernest, looking back almost 40 years. "They told us they had got somebody in the aircraft with a bomb and that if anybody interfered, it would be blown up." |
| Despite the shock the atmosphere on board stayed calm, he says. The 115 hostages - which included 20 British school children and 10 members of crew - were flown to a Palestinian-controlled airstrip in the middle of the Jordanian desert, known as Dawson's Field, alongside two other hijacked planes. | Despite the shock the atmosphere on board stayed calm, he says. The 115 hostages - which included 20 British school children and 10 members of crew - were flown to a Palestinian-controlled airstrip in the middle of the Jordanian desert, known as Dawson's Field, alongside two other hijacked planes. |
| Once there things got more heated. The terrorists started going under the aircraft with a bale of fuse wire. | Once there things got more heated. The terrorists started going under the aircraft with a bale of fuse wire. |
| "We all knew that we were sat on explosives," recalls Ernest, now in his 70s. "As the days went on, the stuff started sweating and it is not very stable when it sweats. We started sweating as well." | "We all knew that we were sat on explosives," recalls Ernest, now in his 70s. "As the days went on, the stuff started sweating and it is not very stable when it sweats. We started sweating as well." |
| But then, on the fourth day of the siege, the crisis seemed to reach a peaceful conclusion and the BOAC hostages were freed... except for about eight. Ernest was among those kept back. | |
| After four days the crisis seemed to be over as hostages were freedWhile the three empty planes were blown up, the remaining captives - 50 in all, from all the planes - were taken to a refugee camp on the outskirts of the Jordanian capital Amman. They were kept together in a small room, just big enough for them to lie stretched out. | After four days the crisis seemed to be over as hostages were freedWhile the three empty planes were blown up, the remaining captives - 50 in all, from all the planes - were taken to a refugee camp on the outskirts of the Jordanian capital Amman. They were kept together in a small room, just big enough for them to lie stretched out. |
| "I can still see their faces as if it is today," says Ernest, of his fellow captives. "We were real stiff upper lip. We were real quiet, calm and collected. We spoke of our homes, our families, we thought a lot about our families. That's about the only thing that would keep you going." | "I can still see their faces as if it is today," says Ernest, of his fellow captives. "We were real stiff upper lip. We were real quiet, calm and collected. We spoke of our homes, our families, we thought a lot about our families. That's about the only thing that would keep you going." |
| Back in the UK, Ernest's wife Pat was "just hoping for news". When she'd initially heard of the hijack she wasn't too worried, but that changed when the police arrived at her door. | Back in the UK, Ernest's wife Pat was "just hoping for news". When she'd initially heard of the hijack she wasn't too worried, but that changed when the police arrived at her door. |
| "I said 'it's my husband isn't it? You've come to tell me that my husband was on that aircraft haven't you?'. He said 'yes I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have'." | "I said 'it's my husband isn't it? You've come to tell me that my husband was on that aircraft haven't you?'. He said 'yes I'm sorry, I'm afraid I have'." |
| When most of the hostages were released, Pat watched frantically to see her husband's face on the television. | When most of the hostages were released, Pat watched frantically to see her husband's face on the television. |
| The Foreign Office called to let me know he had been kept back - then the worry really did set in href="/media/avdb/news/uk/video/88000/88433?size=16x9&news=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&bgc=6699CC">Pat Hartill interviewed in 1970 and reflecting today "I couldn't see him there," she says. "There were so many people there. Then in the afternoon the phone rang and it was the Foreign Office to let me know that my husband had been kept back, together with another seven people. Then the worry really did set in." | |
| The hijackers wanted the release of one of their comrades, Leila Khaled, who was being held in Britain. | The hijackers wanted the release of one of their comrades, Leila Khaled, who was being held in Britain. |
| "I was living day to day," says Pat. The couple's children were at boarding school at the time. Their two young daughters, Debbie and Denise, eight and nine, were kept in the dark. But son Steven, 12, came home to be with his mum. | "I was living day to day," says Pat. The couple's children were at boarding school at the time. Their two young daughters, Debbie and Denise, eight and nine, were kept in the dark. But son Steven, 12, came home to be with his mum. |
| Initially, he had stood up well to the news. But as time went on, he too became "very worried" recalls Pat. An agonising two weeks went by and Ernest and the others were still being held. They were forced to write open letters home, to the then prime minister, Ted Heath. | Initially, he had stood up well to the news. But as time went on, he too became "very worried" recalls Pat. An agonising two weeks went by and Ernest and the others were still being held. They were forced to write open letters home, to the then prime minister, Ted Heath. |
| "The hijackers told us to write to the Prime Minister, telling him to release Leila, or we would all be blown up. They made sure we gave Ted Heath a bit of stick." | "The hijackers told us to write to the Prime Minister, telling him to release Leila, or we would all be blown up. They made sure we gave Ted Heath a bit of stick." |
| The days passed slowly. | The days passed slowly. |
| The Hartill children did not know what was going on"We slept a lot, played cards a lot, smoked a lot of fags," says Ernest, who was non-too impressed by the tinned food they were being fed. | The Hartill children did not know what was going on"We slept a lot, played cards a lot, smoked a lot of fags," says Ernest, who was non-too impressed by the tinned food they were being fed. |
| "[It was] tinned stuff... Camp pie. Well Camp pie was er semi-liquefied spam. Written on the side of the tin was "this meat contains no gristle, bone or hair, for European consumption." | "[It was] tinned stuff... Camp pie. Well Camp pie was er semi-liquefied spam. Written on the side of the tin was "this meat contains no gristle, bone or hair, for European consumption." |
| Anxiety levels intensified flared up near the captors' hideout. The Jordanian army was trying to flush out the hostage-takers by going from house to house. Ernest and his fellow captives could hear shells falling and feel the thuds. | Anxiety levels intensified flared up near the captors' hideout. The Jordanian army was trying to flush out the hostage-takers by going from house to house. Ernest and his fellow captives could hear shells falling and feel the thuds. |
| On 25 September the semblance of a ceasefire appeared. Two days later it was formalised. And, so it was that one morning the captives suddenly noticed they had been left alone. | On 25 September the semblance of a ceasefire appeared. Two days later it was formalised. And, so it was that one morning the captives suddenly noticed they had been left alone. |
| "There was no sound, no noise... just nothing," says Ernest. Sensing the urgency, he and the others waved a white vest out of a window, shouting: "We are British, Anglaisi, Anglaisi!" | "There was no sound, no noise... just nothing," says Ernest. Sensing the urgency, he and the others waved a white vest out of a window, shouting: "We are British, Anglaisi, Anglaisi!" |
| Finally the ordeal was over. Seventeen days after the initial hijack, the hostages were freed and flown back to London. | Finally the ordeal was over. Seventeen days after the initial hijack, the hostages were freed and flown back to London. |
| On 30 November Leila Khaled was released and flown home - in what was the first, and last, time a British government has ever publicly entered into such negotiations. | On 30 November Leila Khaled was released and flown home - in what was the first, and last, time a British government has ever publicly entered into such negotiations. |
| 'It was absolutely glorious to see him', says Pat, left of her husbandFor weeks afterwards Ernest was in a "semi haze" and lost track of what "was going on and where he was". "He was very nervous afterwards" says Pat. "He could not take a lot of noise." | 'It was absolutely glorious to see him', says Pat, left of her husbandFor weeks afterwards Ernest was in a "semi haze" and lost track of what "was going on and where he was". "He was very nervous afterwards" says Pat. "He could not take a lot of noise." |
| "It was just a sense of you had to get on with it," says Ernest. He was sent back to Bahrain to complete his service tour, but travelled by military aircraft. | "It was just a sense of you had to get on with it," says Ernest. He was sent back to Bahrain to complete his service tour, but travelled by military aircraft. |
| Thirty-seven years on, Ernest refuses to harbour bad feelings, instead confessing a respect for his captors. | Thirty-seven years on, Ernest refuses to harbour bad feelings, instead confessing a respect for his captors. |
| "They lost their country. They were fighting for what they wanted and they were prepared to die for it." | "They lost their country. They were fighting for what they wanted and they were prepared to die for it." |
| But since returning to the UK Ernest and Pat have never flown again. | But since returning to the UK Ernest and Pat have never flown again. |
| "We have we take all our holidays in England," says Pat. | "We have we take all our holidays in England," says Pat. |
| Timewatch: Hijack is broadcast on Friday, 13 April at 2100 BST on BBC Two. | Timewatch: Hijack is broadcast on Friday, 13 April at 2100 BST on BBC Two. |
Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | Add your comments on this story, using the form below. |