I still have nightmares about that day...

THE 35th anniversary of the M62 coach bombing will be marked next month by a special dedication service at Hartshead Moor service station. A total of 12 British soldiers and some family members were killed when 50lb of explosives tore through the back of an Army leave coach heading to Catterick Barracks on February 4, 1974. Believed to have been the work of the provisional IRA, the blast came just as the vehicle approached the services, near Brighouse, West Yorkshire. Reporter BEATRIZ AYALA spoke to those affected by the blast 35 years on.

JOHN Wall feels lucky to be alive.

The 52-year-old firefighter was a 17-year-old gunner for the RAF regiment when he boarded the Army coach at its Manchester pick-up on February 4, 1974.

Mr Wall had planned to sit at the back of the vehicle to sleep during the two hour journey.

As the coach was unusually full, Mr Wall took a seat in the fourth row.

Shortly after midnight, a bomb planted in the boot ripped the coach apart.

Mr Wall, from Hyde, said: “I was dozing off when the first thing I knew was a sudden rush of air to my face and I thought the window had gone through.

“When I opened my eyes, I saw the driver struggling with the steering wheel and saw all the windows, including the windscreen, had smashed.

“I couldn’t hear anything because the blast had perforated my ear drum. I didn’t know what was going on.

“After the coach had pulled over and we’d got off, I ran back to the wreckage but I couldn’t find anyone to help.”

Mr Wall, along with other survivors, was taken to Hartshead Moor service station, treated for injuries and interviewed by police.

Among those killed was L/Cpl James John McShane (28), of Long Lane, Chadderton, and Fusilier Jack Hynes (19), from Age Croft, Alt.

At the time, it was believed that the provisional IRA was behind the blast. Judith Ward, from Stockport, was jailed for life after confessing to the outrage.

But after spending 18 years in jail, she had her convictions quashed in 1992 due to her mental state when she confessed.

Mr Wall, now a crew commander for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said he still remembers the explosion on a daily basis. He said: “I have nightmares about that day, but I deal with it and just get on with life.

“When Judith Ward was released, I was visited by West Yorkshire Police who said a lot of other survivors had problems with drink and drugs.

“But I’ve shut things away, and in a way it has helped me with my career in the fire service. History is best left in the past.”

Paul Hindley, a 17-year-old fusilier, was also on the coach at the time of the blast.

His father Clifford Hindley (74), of Hopkin Avenue, Derker, first knew about the blast when he picked up a copy of a national newspaper the following day.

He said: “It was a terrible shock. I read the headlines and feared the worst.”

Paul’s mum Betty Taylor (71), from Thorn Road, Alt, remembered spending the following day calling the police, Army and hospitals in a desperate search for her son.

She said: “The police told us at about 5pm that a passing motorist had picked Paul up and taken him to the Catterick Barracks.

“When we arrived, it was our Paul but he looked pale and distant, and never said anything about the coach.”

Despite only suffering minor injuries, it was the trauma of the experience which affected him the most.

Mr Hindley said: “It had taken him a while to come round but when he had, he’d seen bodies and children.”

Mrs Taylor said: “Although it has been 35 years, he never really talks about it in front of us, not in any great detail.”

Paul stayed with the Army until the late 1970s during which time he completed four tours of Northern Ireland.

It was during a posting in Germany that he met his wife Ursula. He now works as an engineer over there.

The Oldham Liaison of Ex-Service Association is looking to make contact with members of the families of the soldiers who lost their lives, and other civilians, to take part in a dedication service on February 4.

In conjunction with Life for a Life Memorial Forests Charity and the Royal British Legion, they will be unveiling a new memorial at the site of the bombings on the westbound section of the motorway 35 years to the day of the blast.

A dedication service will take place at 11am and among those who will attend is the Bishop of Beverley, the Rt Rev Martyn Jarrett.

For more information call the association on 0161-628 7799.