On Monday, April 8, 1968, Barbara Jane Harrison put on her exquisite BOAC uniform and reported for duty at London Heathrow Airport. She joined ten fellow cabin crew operating BOAC Flight 712 to Sydney via Zurich and Singapore.
Within hours, she would perform an act of courage that would place her among the bravest figures in aviation history. This is her story.
All seemed normal as 116 passengers boarded the Boeing 707-465 (G-ARWE), built in 1962, and were welcomed with BOAC’s renowned onboard service.
In the flight deck that day was Captain Cliff Taylor, assisted by Senior First Officer Francis Kirkland, Acting First Officer J. Hutchinson and Flight Engineer Thomas Hicks. They were joined by Check Captain Geoffrey Moss.
In the cabin, Harrison worked alongside Chief Steward Neville Davies-Gordon, stewardesses Rosalind Unwin and Jennifer Suares, and stewards Bryan Taylor and Andrew McCarthy.
A short while after 15:00 local time, the aircraft pushed back from the gate and made its way to the runway, finally taking off at 15:27.
Image Courtesy of Wernher Krutein/photovault.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Disaster Strikes
But a few seconds after the 707’s wheels had left the tarmac, disaster struck. A loud and unexpected bang shook the aircraft. A ‘Mayday’ was issued two minutes after takeoff, and the pilots requested an immediate return to London Heathrow. At first, it appeared that a fire had broken out in engine No. 2, but the situation was far more serious.
As the aircraft attempted to return to the airport, the engulfed engine broke away and fell to the ground, the terrifying moment captured by onlookers on the ground.
One can only imagine the sheer terror onboard as windows at the rear port side began to melt from the intense heat. The crew went through their safety drills in the cabin and briefed the passengers.
Stewardess Suares later said she continued to repeat the emergency landing drill, even though she was unsure they would make it back to Heathrow.
Rosalind Unwin, whose only injury was a slight burn on the arm, later said: “We had a very, very good cabin crew that day. We boarded all the passengers, and with everything secured for takeoff, we got clearance and took off. Just about a minute into the flight, there was a loud bang. Andy and I looked at one another and together said, ‘What’s that?’ Andy rose and opened the flight deck door, and we both heard the distress alert ‘Mayday, Mayday’ from the cockpit.”
Back On The Ground
Just 3 minutes and 32 seconds after takeoff, the 707 was back on the ground, flames licking the fuselage. The column of smoke rising from the plane could be seen 10 miles away.
The landing was perfect, and the aircraft quickly came to a halt. In the flight deck, the pilots began shutting down the 707, while in the cabin, the crew’s training kicked in as they commenced the evacuation.
At the front, passengers began to escape down the emergency slides. However, the port slide caught fire before it could be used.
Unwin continued: “My chute did not work properly. I pulled the ripcord, and it came off. I was later to learn it had probably moved in its casing during many takeoffs and landings. We just pushed and shoved passengers out, generally without cabin baggage, about a body every second. Some passengers remained calm. I recall seeing a poor lady at the bottom of the chute. She just stood there and wet herself. One of the aircraft’s tyres was rolling towards another passenger. A fireman helped her away, and another managed to divert the tyres’ course of rolling. Whilst all this was going on, the aircraft exploded three to four times.”
Conditions were horrendous at the rear, where Harrison had been seated. As they deployed the starboard slide, it twisted, proving useless. By now, the fire had taken hold, and the slide on the port side was quickly destroyed.
Assisting Harrison, Steward Taylor realised the twisted slide was now their only means of escape and climbed down to straighten it out. This left Barbara alone at the top to assist with passengers.
Six passengers escaped before the slide punctured and deflated. Harrison continued to evacuate people this way, pushing those too scared to jump, and approximately 22 people managed to escape.
It is hard to imagine what must have been going through Harrison’s mind as flames ravaged the jet. Yet, she continued to carry out her duties.
Testimonies from those who had already evacuated told how Harrison was last seen alive, about to jump from the rear door. But something grabbed her attention, and she turned back, disappearing into the burning fuselage. It is believed that she went to try to save an eight-year-old girl and an elderly passenger who were having difficulty escaping on their own. Exhausted and choking on the thick smoke that engulfed the cabin, she never made it off the aircraft. Her body was found near other passengers seated in one of the last rows.
Investigators later determined that a compressor failure in engine No. 2 caused debris to rupture the wing’s fuel tank, allowing fuel to ignite and spread rapidly along the fuselage.
A True Heroine
We’re always told that if the water is too deep, the fire is too hot, and the smoke is too thick, we should save our own lives. A month away from her 23rd birthday, Harrison sacrificed hers to save countless others that fateful afternoon. Five people were killed in the disaster, and 38 were injured, but many more would have died without the crew’s bravery.
Passengers praised her courage and calmness during the evacuation. Her colleague Anne Woods later spoke of her bravery, “She had plenty of opportunity to escape but did not feel right about leaving a wheelchair passenger and three others on board. The Captain kept screaming at her to jump.”
After the fateful flight, Harrison was awarded the George Cross. She became the first woman to receive the award in peacetime and one of only four women to receive it. In 1987, British Airways purchased the medal, which is now on display at their archive museum at Heathrow.
In 1971, she was awarded the Flight Safety Foundation Heroism Award. Established in 1968, it recognises the bravery of aircraft crew and ground personnel whose actions exceeded their job requirements.
That sunny April afternoon in 1968, Barbara Jane Harrison went far beyond the call of duty — sacrificing her life to save others.
© Confessions of a Trolley Dolly
I flew for BOAC in the 70’s and the first thing that you saw when you walked into the training centre on your first day was a plaque commemorating this brave lady.she is an inspiration to all of us. Years later when I rejoined BA I was horrified to see on my first training day that the plaque had been removed although the training centre has been rejigged since the wal is still there and sadly no mention of this brave lady. So sad…….
Hi Roz. Thanks for your comment and I hope you liked the article. So glad to see that BOAC recognised Barbara. It’s a real shame that British Airways don’t have the same feeling a their predecessor! She was an incredibly brave woman by all accounts.
My name is Andrew Cooper a pasinger of flite 712 my sister Jackie was the 8 year old girl taken from us that day. It’s unbelievable the rest of my family got out. I was 4 years old
Wow Andrew that’s incredible. Do you remember much about the incident. So sorry for your loss.
I don’t have much memory. Of the plane crash. I can rember crulling. Under peapals legs. To my mother. Calling my name.. Next thing I new. I was in my mums arms. We had no chute at the rear. Of the plane.. I was chucked. Out of the rear exit. I can rember my scin being black. From the smoke Ash. I remember a fire. Man running with me. After that I lost my memory. It was such a trauma. I still can’t remember my sister at all.
I flew for them too in the 70s and remember this 🙂
I was inATC at London I sawBA712 on fire.. It was horrific. Me and mates, all air traffic, had lots of parties. We met a number of stews and we all thought great. Jane was true hero
I have registered Barbara Jane Harrison on invesiblewomen.org.uk
I am trying to get a Statue of Barbara (the only civilian women to receive the George Cross)
If you would like to help my campaign please contact me at culvercreative@yahoo.co.uk
Yes Jane was a big hero. I’m Andrew Cooper a pasinger on boac flight 712. Jane pushed us out of the exit then went back to save my sister Jackie unfortunately. Jane and my sister and. A few outhers. Never got off the plane
I have registered Barbara Jane Harrison on invesiblewomen.org.uk
I am trying to get a Statue of Barbara (the only civilian women to receive the George Cross)
If you would like to help my campaign please contact me at culvercreative@yahoo.co.uk
I flew with Jane a few times. I to, remember the plaque in the Cranebank training School. It is so sad that British Airways do not mention this wonderful brave young lady.
Im not crew I only know them because I worked at bedfont football club during the strikes and met hundreds of fantastic crew members but I think its disgraceful that this lady is not recognised and known about for her bravery and ultimate sacrifice xxxx
I have registered Barbara Jane Harrison on invesiblewomen.org.uk
I am trying to get a Statue of Barbara (the only civilian women to receive the George Cross)
If you would like to help my campaign please contact me at culvercreative@yahoo.co.uk
An inspiration to all of us that have followed in her footsteps.
Mary Dohey, Air Canada F/A was the first living person to be awarded the Cross of Valour. She was the mail intermediary when Paul Cini, a highjacker terrorized Flight # 812 out of Calgary Alberta on Nov 12th 1971..
Thank you for your fine post on Miss Harrison, a heroine in every sense of the word. Flight Attendants are a breed apart, and it’s a job I could never do, so kudos all around to the FAs. However, I’d like to point out that it’s not always “boys in the pointy end” – I spent 14 years as a pilot, 10 of those in the airlines, and of those ten, I was a Captain for eight years. And I’m most definitely not a boy. Chicks fly planes, too! 😉
Yes I know Chicks fly planes Barbara Harmer left school at 15 to become a Hairdresser and she went on to become Britains first female Concorde pilot.
I have registered Barbara Jane Harrison on invesiblewomen.org.uk
I am trying to get a Statue of Barbara (the only civilian women to receive the George Cross)
If you would like to help my campaign please contact me at culvercreative@yahoo.co.uk
Wow, this article literally had a few tears running down my cheek! Amazing!
I wish I could tell you how brave she was I was the last person she talked to
Hi, we would love to know more about this as Barbara Jane Harrisons family. I am her niece and my mum is her sister.
I have registered Barbara Jane Harrison on invesiblewomen.org.uk
I am trying to get a Statue of Barbara(the only civilian women to receive the George Cross)
If you would like to help my campaign please contact me at culvercreative@yahoo.co.uk
My father was one of the passengers on this flight. He was sat by the overwing and ended up jumping off the wing
Thank you Barbara for saving my life my mum and dad. We had no shoot to go down. You pushed. Us out the rear door. Then went back to save my sister Jackie and the other people. My wish in life is to come back to England to put flowers on your grave. Then my sister Jackie’s grave
I am the niece of Barbara Jane Harrison, known as Jane. I would be happy to place some flowers on her grave from your family. My mum would be very interested in your story about her sister. I’m so sorry about your sister who died far too young with my aunt.
Andrew, I lived two doors down from you in Southampton. I remember your family leaving to go to Australia. After the crash they temporarily brought you back to Southampton and put you in a hotel. Your dad took brother Kevin (who was the same age as me) back to the road we lived in and they knocked our door. Your dad paid for me and Kevin to go swimming at the baths to try and make him feel better. The whole street were devastated about Jackie. We all knew her.
Ms. Unwin is quoted as stating that an engine exploded “3 to 4 times”
What?? So the engine could’ve exploded 3.5 times?? 😆😆😆