SF plea as monument to murdered soldiers stolen
A SINN Fein councillor has condemned those who stole a memorial to three soldiers murdered by the IRA 47 years ago.
The monument to the three Scottish men, who were shot at White Brae near Ligoniel in north Belfast, was removed at the weekend.
Brothers John (17) and Joseph (18) McCaig from Ayr, and Dougald McCaughey (23) from Glasgow, were killed on March 10, 1971.
The trio from the Royal Highland Fusiliers had been socialising in Belfast city centre when they were lured to the remote site by a woman and then murdered.
There have been numerous at-
Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston of the PUP, and the memorial to the soldiers killed by the IRA in 1971
tacks on the monument since its erection eight years ago.
Sinn Fein councillor Ryan Murphy condemned the theft of the monument.
He urged anyone who knows of its whereabouts to come forward.
He said: “This latest attack on a memorial to British soldiers
on the White Brae is just one of many in recent years.
“These actions are not reflective of this local community and they need to stop.
“All families deserve to remember their loved ones in peace.
“If people have any information on who carried this out or
the location of the memorial stone that was stolen, they need to bring that forward to myself or the police.”
PUP councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston also condemned the theft, saying it was another attempt to cause hurt.
“Not content with their cold-blooded murder and hellbent on causing more hurt and suffering upon their families, thugs have once again returned to desecrate the memorial to three Royal Highland Fusiliers,” she said.
“This isn’t just another sectarian attack, this is a vicious, repulsive and repetitive campaign of hatred.
“The perpetrators are absent of human decency.
“They can remove stones and wreaths but the memory of these three men will forever live on in the hearts and minds of their families, friends and the people of north Belfast.”
The mother of the McCaig brothers asked for a memorial to her boys in 1972, but one was not erected until the Royal British Legion raised money for it in 2010.