From A Clear Blue Sky

by Timothy Knatchbull

Acknowledgements

James & the late Sacha Abercorn
Friends of the Brabourne & Mountbatten families

Terry Baker
Ambulance driver who conveyed the author and his father to Sligo Hospital

Cecil Barber
Ambulance driver who conveyed the author’s mother & grandmother to Sligo Hospital

Alex Barraki
Work associate of author

Pat, John & the late Philomena Barry
Former Classiebawn staff

Susan Batten
Daughter of Iris Portal, friend of Doreen, Lady Brabourne

Gill Bennett
Former Chief Historian at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London

Caroline Bentley
Interviewed witnesses living in Germany

Brian & Heather Best
Brian, a surgical registrar in 1979, adminstered life saving assistance at the scene

Ian Boyes
Metropolitan Police

8th Lord Brabourne (Norton) later 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Chairman, Trustees of the Broadlands Archives

Sean Brennan
Crew of the lifeboat that recovered Nicholas from the scene

The late Professor Alan Browne
On holiday in Mullaghmore and offered support to the author’s family

Diana Browne
Retired GP living in Mullaghmore

The late Dr. Elizabeth Bryan
Consultant Paediatrician & pioneer in twin studies

The late Paul Burns
British soldier injured in Northern Ireland hours after the Mullaghmore bomb

Tess Callaway
Member of the publishing team, Hutchinson, Random House

Camilla Goslett
Member of the Literary Agency team

James Chambers
Author of “Palmerston ‘The People’s Darling’”

General John de Chastelain
Head of the Independent International Commission on Decomissioning in Ireland

Margaret Connolly-Jones
Widow of Michael Connolly, former Classiebawn staff

Dr Dennis Coppel
Consultant Anaesthetist from Belfast who examined the survivors

John Courtney
Officer in charge of the 1979 Garda investigation into the Mullaghmore bomb

Revd Sheila Cox
Vicar at St John the Baptist Church, Mersham, Kent (2009)

Jamie & the late Sylvia Crathorne
Friends of the Brabourne/Mountbatten family

Patrick J Davey
Garda officer based in Ballyshannon in 1979

Edward Dawson
On holiday in Mullaghmore and transported the body of Lord Mountbatten back to the harbour

Sheilagh Densham-Paton
Correspondended with author’s father after the bomb

Catherine  Doherty
Former Classiebawn staff

Dr Jim Donovan
Director of the Irish Forensic Service in 1979

Dr Terence Dudeney
On holiday in Mullaghmore and offered support to the author’s family

Elizabeth Duffy
Tended the injured and accompanied the author and his father to hospital

David & Susie Dugdale
Friends of the Brabourne/Mountbatten family

Thomas Dunne
Garda Detective who interviewed the defendants

Stewart Eldon
British Ambassador in Ireland 2003-2006

Olga Edridge
Friend of the author and principal ally in his book

Peter Emerson
Friend of the author

Professor Richard English
Professor of Politics, Queens University, Belfast

Professor Roy F Foster
Carroll Professor of Irish History, University of Oxford

Annie Foulds
Work associate of the author

Julie Fox
Compiled a family history of the Gore-Booth family

John Furlong
Garda officer who assisted the author during his research

Bob Garratt
Metropolitan Police

The late Giles Gordon
Literary Agent

Dame Anne Griffiths
Librarian and Archivist to Duke of Edinburgh

Mary Gantley
Nursing Staff in Sligo Hospital in August 1979

Caroline Gascoigne
Publishing Director, Editor of the book

Maureen Gateley
Nursing Staff in Sligo Hospital in August 1979

Dr Donald Gibb
Friend of the author

Glencree Centre for Peace & Reconciliation
Society committed to peacebuilding and reconciliation in Ireland and beyond

Sir Josslyn & Lady Gore-Booth
Nephew of Aideen Gore-Booth, Lord Mountbatten’s agent in Ireland

Robert & I. Christiane Graf
Witnessed explosion and helped recover Paul Maxwell from the scene

Michael Hampsey
Assisted in searching the scene for survivors

Professor John Harbison
Irish State Pathologist in 1979

Toby Harnden
Author, journalist and commentator on the IRA

Chris Harper
Manager of Erriff Fishery 1977-1979

Sahar Hashemi
Friend of the author

The late James Hawthorne
Head of BBC Television in Northern Ireland 1978-1987

Mrs Ron Heath (Betty)
Wife of Lord Mountbatten’s electrician

Tony & Mary Heenan
Consultant Anaesthetist at Sligo Hospital and his wife. Tony oversaw the care and treatment of the survivors

John Hennessy
Garda Officer based in the Mullaghmore area in 1979

Kevin Henry
Garda Officer on protection duty at Classiebawn in August 1979 and witnessed the explosion

Trevor Henry
Trainee shipwright helping to maintain Shadow V in 1979

Mary & Geoffrey Hornsey
Mother of Paul Maxwell

Janie Ironside-Wood
PR consultant

Rachel Johnson
Friend of Paul Maxwell and his family

Dr Stewart Johnston
Consultant Ophthalmologist from Belfast who examined the survivors

Patrick Jordan
Detective Inspector from the Garda Ballistics Unit involved in the 1979 investigation

Norman Kee
Garda Officer who searched the crime scene at Mullaghmore

Michael Kelly
Crew of Shadow V, 1971-1973

J. Christopher Durham Kenyon
London-based undertaker who flew to Ireland to assist the return of the bodies to the UK

Charles Kidd
Commentator on British & European aristocracies

Billy Kinlough
Garda Officer who assisted the author with his research

Nicholas Knatchbull Bursaries
To assist students who could not otherwise afford to attend the Dragon School in Oxford

Peter S. Larkman
Former Housemaster of Gordonstoun School in Scotland

Tosh Lavery
Garda diver who searched the crime scene at Mullaghmore

Claire Loftus
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland

Trudy & the late Rodney Lomax
Rodney is the boatbuilder in Mullaghmore who maintained Shadow V

Mary Lowry
Nursing Staff in Sligo Hospital in August 1979

Jim Lucas
Son of a crew member of HMS Kelly commanded by Lord Mountbatten

Bernard Lyden
Garda Inspector based in the Mullaghmore area in 1979

The late May McGowan
Widow of Ambulance Driver who took the author and his father to Sligo Hospital

Graham Mason
Retired Metropolitan Police Officer

The late Michael Mavor
Former Headmaster at Gordonstoun School in Scotland

Donna Macauley (née Maxwell)
Sister of Paul Maxwell

John & Marion Maxwell
Father of Paul Maxwell

Lisa McKean (née Maxwell)
Sister of Paul Maxwell

Fionn McArthur
Crew of Shadow V, 1978

The late John McCann
Boatbuilder in Moneygold who built Shadow V

Michael & Brid McCarthy
Parents of Adrian McCarthy who took part in the ecumenical service at Mullaghmore Harbour

Pauric McCullagh
Ambulance man who conveyed Nicholas to Sligo Hospital

John McGerty
Garda Detective who interviewed the defendants

Peter & Grainne McHugh
Assisted the survivors at Mullaghmore

Ray McHugh
Garda Inspector who assisted the author with his research

Brian MacLaurin
PR consultant

The late Bobby Moorhead
Solicitor and family friend of the Brabournes

Jonathan Lloyd
Literary Agent

Hans-Rudiger Minow
TV Documentary producer

Emma Mitchell
Director of Publicity at Hutchinson, Random House

John Moloney
Garda Officer who accompanied Nicholas to Sligo Hospital

Dr Desmond Moran
Sligo Coroner

Michael Morland
Former UK Ambassador to Burma, friend of the author

W. James Morrison
Assisted in transporting the body of Lord Mountbatten back to Mullaghmore Harbour

Glen Morrison
Assisted in transporting the body of Lord Mountbatten back to Mullaghmore Harbour

Fachtna Murphy
Commissioner of An Garda Síochána 2007 to present day

Kevin Mullins
Garda Officer on duty at Classiebawn in August 1979 and witnessed the explosion

Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma & Transformation
Support for people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related conditions

Peter & the late Margaret Nicholson
Former Butler at Classiebawn

John O’Brien
Irish Army Company Sergeant who alerted the Air Rescue in 1979

June O’Brien
Work associate of author

Dr Adrian O’Connell
Consultant ophthalmologist at Sligo Hospital who treated the survivors

Dr Brian O’Connor
Pathologist at Sligo Hospital in 1979

Michael O’Connor
Crew of Shadow V 1972-76

John O’Grady
Former Classiebawn staff

Denis O’Hara
Coxswain of the lifeboat who recovered Nicholas from the scene

Richard M Langworth
Editor of The Churchill Centre

Malcolm Oldfield
Cameraman and work associate of the author

Manfred, Inge & Nina Ottow
On holiday in Mullaghmore. Manfred helped recover Paul Maxwell

The late Prof. J. Frank Pantridge
Consultant Cardiologist from Belfast who examined the survivors

Jane Perkins
Secretary to Countess Mountbatten of Burma (Patricia)

Helen Phelps
Researcher, From a Clear Blue Sky

Kathy & the late Charlie Pierce
Witnessed the explosion and rescued Lord & Lady Brabourne and Doreen, Lady Brabourne

Dr Richard Porter
Author and curator at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth

Sam Power
Detective Inspector in the Ballistics section of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1979

Nicholas Prins
Friend of the author

Bob Pullin
General Manager of Broadlands 1978-1985

Lord Puttnam (David)
Film Producer, friend and colleague of Lord Brabourne (John)

Colin Randall
Journalist who attended the funeral of Francis McGirl

David Reddaway
British Ambassador in Ireland 2006-2009

Vicki Robinson
Indexer for Hutchinson, Random House

Karen Robson
Senior Archivist of Special Collections at the University of Southampton

Juliet Roche
Work associate of Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Robson

Shane Rodgers
Trainee shipwright helping to maintain Shadow V in 1979

The late Freda Rooney
Summer Chef at Classiebawn in 1979

Grace Ryan
Summer staff at Classiebawn in 1979

Marshall Sandes
Son of George Sandes, former Deputy Agent at Classiebawn

Martin Shelbourne
Extra crew of the lifeboat that recovered Nicholas from the scene

Amaro Silva
Work associate of the author

Yvonne Smith
Daughter of Jules Bracken, former Game Keeper at Classiebawn

Michael Sullivan
Garda Sergeant

Joanna Taylor
Member of the publishing team, Hutchinson, Random House

Tina Thomson
Daughter of Sir Charles ‘Dick’ Troughton, friend of the Brabourne family

Mark Toher
Compiled a family history of the Gore-Booth family

Barbara Tolhurst
Secretary to Countess Mountbatten of Burma (Patricia)

Michael Treacy
Helicopter winchman who assisted in the recovery of Nicholas from the scene

Peter Troughton
Son of Sir Charles ‘Dick’ Troughton, friend of the Brabourne family

The late Hugh Tunney & Caroline Devine
Hugh Tunney, the former owner of Classiebawn

Richard & Liz Wallace
Richard, a surgical registrar in 1979, adminstered life saving assistance at the scene

William & Ruth Wilkinson
William witnessed the explosion and rescued Lord & Lady Brabourne and Doreen, Lady Brabourne

Lady Williams (Jane)
Daughter of Iris Portal, friend of Doreen, Lady Brabourne

The late Canon T.P.S. Wood
Chaplain, Sligo Hospital

Dick & Elizabeth Wood-Martin
Witnessed the explosion and rescued the author from the scene

Adam Woolfitt
Photographed Classiebawn, 1970

Professor Chris Woolgar
Head of Special Collections at the University of Southampton, home of the Broadlands Archives

Philip Ziegler
Author, friend of the Brabourne family