Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. (Sky)

What To Expect From Lockerbie: A Search For Truth

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What To Expect From Lockerbie: A Search For Truth

Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. (Sky)

It’s the deadliest terrorist attack in British history, and now the Lockerbie bombing is the subject of a new five episode miniseries, co-produced by Sky, Peacock and Carnival Films. Led by Colin Firth and delving into one bereaved father’s campaign for justice – and the truth – here’s what you need to know about the tragic true story behind Lockerbie: A Search For Truth.

Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. (Sky)

The True Story Behind Lockerbie: A Search For Truth

On 21 December 1988, a regular Pan Am Flight 103 took off from Frankfurt en route to Detroit, with scheduled stops in London and New York – though it would never make it that far. Just after 7pm as the plane – a Boeing 747-121 named Clipper Maid of the Seas – cruised at an altitude of 31,000 ft over Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, 38 minutes into its journey, a bomb erupted, concealed in a suitcase in the hold. The explosion caused the plane to disintegrate mid-air, with debris scattered over 845 square miles but mainly concentrated over the small town of Lockerbie. Residential areas were destroyed, and all 259 people aboard, passengers and crew, were killed: 189 Americans, plus passengers from 21 countries. As the wreckage descended on Scotland, 11 Lockerbie locals were also killed as the wreckage pummeled their homes.

It’s the deadliest terror attack in the UK’s history, and what ensued was one of the largest and complex investigations and criminal and aviation history. It wasn’t until 1991 that two perpetrators were arrested: Libyan nationals Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, who were eventually convicted in 2001. Though they never revealed their motives, it is thought the bombing was retaliation for the 1986 US bombing of Libya – which itself was a response to Libyan state sponsored terrorism, including a Berlin bombing that killed US servicemen. In this interim – and afterwards – the families of the Lockerbie bombing’s victims campaigned for justice and transparency, and this is the subject of Lockerbie: A Search for Truth.

The series centres on Dr Jim Swire, a real British physician (played by Colin Firth) whose 23-year-old daughter Flora Swire was killed in the attack; he becomes the spokesperson for the UK victims’ families, who unite to demand truth. Embarking on a relentless journey in the name of his daughter, Jim crosses continents and political divides, jeopardising his stability, family and life, and overturning his trust in the justice system. Critical of the lack of security enforced in the wake of the disaster, in 1990, Jim even carried a fake bomb onto an aeroplane to prove security had not improved in the wake of the Lockerbie bombing. When the two Libyan nationals were convicted in 2001, Jim did not agree with the decision regarding Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and campaigned for a more thorough investigation, questioning whether other parties or nations were involved in the tragedy, and whether key evidence was mishandled. As both the US and UK governments kept details under wraps, Jim criticised their lack of transparency and accused both of politicising the case.

Colin Firth as Jim Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth. (Sky)

Is It Based On A Book?

Yes, Lockerbie: A Search For Truth is based on The Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justice, which Jim Swire co-authored with Peter Biddulph, published in 2021.