A social media page set up in support of two Lossiemouth-based RAF gunners has been closed down after claiming ‘job done’.
The Facebook page ‘Save our 2 RAF Gunners’ was set up a week ago amid intense media coverage showing images of two unidentified gunners alleged to belong to 51 Squadron RAF Lossiemouth beside a dead Taliban insurgent.
Taken after an attack on the Camp Bastion airfield in Afghanistan in 2012, during which two US Marines were killed and several RAF gunners were injured, the images were posted online and subsequently widely reported by national media.
Amid speculation that the pair could face serious charges the Facebook page was set up in their support and quickly attracted over 10,500 followers. Most on the site were angered that the issue had come to light in the first place, insisting that while taking the images was misguided it was understandable in the heat of the danger the gunners had endured.
Throughout the week members of the Facebook page had been reporting that a decision had been taken not to take action against the gunners – and despite no official confirmation coming from the Ministry of Defence, administrators on the page closed it down.
A final comment from an administrator said that they were delighted that their job had “been done”, adding that posts on the page were now becoming “too political” and were moving away from the initial task in setting up the page.