VANDALS who defaced a north Belfast memorial to three unarmed soldiers murdered by the IRA are only intent on causing pain to the victims’ families and provoking anger from the unionist community, it has been claimed.
The memorial at White Brae in Ligoniel marks the spot where three members of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were shot dead by the IRA in 1971 after being lured from a pub by republican women in what became known as the ‘honeytrap’ tactic.
On Tuesday night, remembrance wreaths were removed and scattered in a local field, while black paint was thrown over the memorial stone.
PUP spokesman Ken Wilkinson said words could not describe his anger.
“It is an absolute disgrace,” he said. “All these people want to do is cause hurt to the soldiers’ families and anger among the local community.”
Mr Wilkinson, who helped yesterday to clean up the damage done to the memorial, which has been attacked on several occasions, said nationalist and republicans leaders must condemn the attacks.
He said: “What we need to see is clear condemnation from Sinn Fein and nationalists. Not only is this an attack on the soldiers’ families but it is also an attack on the unionist community, it is sectarian and it needs to stop.
“This memorial has been attacked before and we have also seen attacks on Glenavy Orange Hall.
“Imagine if these were your sons. Two of these soldiers were just teenagers, and for someone to attack their memory like this is sickening. Words cannot describe the anger.”
John MacVicar, secretary of the local Royal British Legion branch, said it was “a sectarian hate crime”.
He added: “This news has spread to Scotland and we have already received pledges of support to have the damage repaired. As before, as determined as republicans are to airbrush out of history the sickening murder of these three young boys we are doubly determined to ensure the memorial is restored.”
Mr MacVicar said the memorial had been attacked on five previous occasions.
A local resident who did not wish to be named contacted the News Letter to express his disgust at the attack.
“When I saw the damage that was done to the memorial to three young lads I was absolutely disgusted,” he said.
“Tensions are already high enough over the flags, but these mindless thugs just seem to want to keep attacking our community and stirring up hatred.”
The three soldiers were Dougald McCaughey, and teenage brothers John McCaig and Joseph McCaig.
An inquest found that all three had been shot at very close range. The coroner said it was “one of the vilest crimes ever heard of in living memory”.