Dark Harvest Commando, a group who’s name seems to be something from a superhero movie then of a serious paramilitary organisation where a small paramilitary organisation based in Scotland during the 1980s. Very little is known about the group, whose full name Dark Harvest Commando of the Scottish Citizen Army, gives some indication to its aims.
The group had grievances towards the British Government over their use of the small isolated Gruinard Island for testing Anthrax during the Second World War.
Throughout the Second World War the British Government searching for a new way of combating the Axis threat looked at the feasibility of using Anthrax as a biological weapon.
Led by a team from the biology department from Porton Down, the Ministry of Defence’s scientific research facilities. They recognised the need for a small isolated island to test the potential new weapon due to the threat of long term contamination by Anthrax.
As part of the test over 80 sheep were brought to the island. Testing involved anthrax filled bombs being detonated close to the tethered animals. The animals subsequently became infected and died by the poisonous brown cloud that was produced by the weapon.
The inability to decontaminate the island after the experiment demonstrated the lethality of the weapon against the Axis.
The British Government, deemed the island too decontaminated to de-requisition it. Prohibiting visitors and removing it from maps of the area.
In 1981, newspapers began receiving messages with the heading “Operation Dark Harvest”. The messages declared that “team of microbiologists from two universities” had landed on the Island and collected 140kg of soil. The messages demanded that the government decontaminate the Island.
The Dark Harvest Commandos stated they would leave samples of soil “at appropriate points that will ensure the rapid loss of indifference of the government and the equally rapid education of the general public”.
Ultimately these weren’t an empty threat by the group. The same day the messages were received a package was found at Porton Down. The scientific research facility behind the testing, containing contaminated soil. Testing found that the solid found Anthrax spores, deadly to life.
The groups actions continued with more soil being left in Blackpool, typically the town known to hold the Conservative party conference.
This container of soil was later found to contain soil from island that wasn’t infected with Anthrax.
After these two “attacks” it appeared for the most part that the group died down. Their actions could be deemed success, with the Island being fully decontaminated in 1986.
Yet, rumours circulated that the group became active once more in the early stages of the 21st century.
The Scotsman claimed that members of the group had once again travelled to the Island to collect deadly spores in December 2001. Their supposed target was Prince William, whom just started studying at the University of St Andrews.
These supposed actions never came to fruition, with once again the group going underground.
Ian Rankin, the renowned Scottish crime writer mentions the group and their actions in his 2011 novel “The Impossible Dead”. The Dark Harvest Commandos are still shrouded in mystery, with no real knowledge in who they were or the organisation.
