Unity Is Strength
Three Scottish Soldiers
No Surrender
John McCaig, North Belfast Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers, 17, single He was one of the three Scottish soldiers who were shot by the IRA on a mountain road overlooking Belfast. The huge impact of their killings is still remembered by many as one of the key points in Northern Ireland’s descent into full-scale violence. They were the fourth, fifth and sixth soldiers to die, but the first to be killed off duty. Two of them, private john McCaig and his brother Joseph, were among the youngest military casualties of the troubles. The other soldier was Dougald McCaughey. They were shot in the head as they stood together on the lonely mountain road. Although it was widely assumed that the three were lured from a bar in the centre of Belfast, the inquest was told in august 1971 that the full details of what happened were still not known. It was reported that they and many other soldiers had been drinking off-duty in a bar in cornmarket in central Belfast during the day. Although soldiers later became much more careful in their movements, at that time such off-duty drinking was quite common occurrence. A Belfast telegraph editorial commented ' after all the horrors of recent weeks and months, Ulster people have almost lost the capacity for feeling shock. But the ruthless murder of three defenceless young soldiers has cut to the quick. These were cold-blooded executions for purely political reasons,' As they took place in Scotland an estimated 20,000 people out in Carrickfergus in co. Antrim to attend rallies in sympathy. In Belfast a crowd estimated by police to number more than 10,000 gathered at the cenotaph at the city. City-centre traffic came to a halt as they poured into the grounds of the city hall to lay wreaths. Workers marched there from a number of factories. The Belfast telegraph reported:' the Belfast marchers walked in silent lines, many weeping openly. They came from the Shankill, Crumlin road, Oldpark, Donegall road and York street areas. ‘They were joined by hundreds of workers from the city's big industrial firms. They cheered when the rev. Ian paisley walked forward through the crowds of weeping men and women to lead the wreath-laying. Dozens of wreaths, including one shaped in the form of a cross with white flowers, were laid one by one. 'The crowd cheered again when the shipyard workers came with their wreaths. Mr. Paisley then announced two minutes' silence and the noise of the crowd died away. Afterwards they sang a hymn and the national anthem.' The home secretary, Reginald Maudling, told the commons that the security forces were having successes against terrorism, adding: ' it is a small minority of armed, ruthless men whose strength lies not so much in their numbers as in their wickedness.' the McCaig brothers lived at west-wood avenue in Ayr. Their 20-year old brother, who was serving in Singapore with the royal marines, was flown home for their funerals. Their bodies were first found by children. One of them a boy of 12 said: 'we were just standing there frightened and not knowing what to do . Two men came along and one of them touched the head of a man who was lying over another. His head fell back and the man said," they are stone dead." the inquest was told that all three were shot at very close range, and probably in a line, at white brae, squire's hill, Ligoniel. All had been drinking. John McCaig was only slightly intoxicated but his brother Joseph was said to have been severely intoxicated. Dougald McCaughey was said to be intoxicated to some extent. The coroner told the inquest jury: ' we don't know the full details of how these young men came to be there. You may think that they were met in the city by someone or some people who pretended to be their friends. You have heard how beer glasses were found at the scene. We have also heard that they were probably relieving themselves when they were shot, standing besides each other. ‘You may think that this was not only murder but one of the vilest crimes ever heard in living memory.' In may 1972 the mother of the two brothers visited the scene of their death. In august that year she said she had been touched by the fact that a number of people had left memorials and wreaths at the spot. She said she had wanted to place a monument there, consisting of a bible made of stone, but had been advised it might be damaged by vandals. According to local rumours in north Belfast, one of those involved in the killings was IRA member Patrick McAdorey who was shot dead in august 1971. Another of the killers was reputedly living in the republic of Ireland March 9, 1971 Joseph McCaig, North Belfast Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers,18 Single A private in the regiment, he died with his brother John McCaig and Dougald McCaughey :: March 9,1971 Dougald McCaughey, North Belfast Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers, 23 Single From Weir Street in Glasgow, a private, he was shot with the McCaig brothers. His 18-year-old brother was serving with the same unit in Belfast, but did not go drinking with them because he was on duty. Private McCaughey had joined the army in May 1970 and was posted to Belfast on February 15, less than a month before his death. A few hours before he was killed he telephoned his aunt in Scotland . She added: 'Dougald told me he had a bit of time off and was going out for a couple of pints with some of the boys. He told me his brother couldn't go with them as he was on duty. I told him to watch himself. Later I was sitting in the house watching television with a friend when the news given that three soldiers had been shot in Belfast. I never thought for one minute that one of them would be Dougald . Then only minutes afterwards the phone rang and it was one of the Fusiliers officers speaking to me from Belfast. I could hardly take it in at first LIGONIEL All Those That Rule This Province, How Guilty They Must Feel For the deaths of three young soldiers, in a ditch at Ligoniel These soldiers came from Scotland Two Only In Their Teens In Cold Blood They Were Murdered Whilst Those In Power Dream When Our Own Ulster Soldiers Some Serving Far Away Receive Their Sprig Of Shamrock I Wonder What They'd Say Our Lands Good Name Is Tarnished This Scar Will Never Heal Perhaps They'll Plant A Thistle In That Ditch At Ligoniel It Matters Not How Long They Live They Never Can Conceal They Stood Aside While Soldiers Died In That Ditch At Ligoniel Our Thoughts Go To Their Parents When On Their Knees They Kneel And Try To Paint A Picture Of That Place Called "LIGONIEL" There are many versions of this sad poem the true author is unknown at this time "Lest We Forget" This site Has Been Designed & Maintained by Scottish Loyalists©2004
John McCaig, North Belfast
Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers, 17, single
He was one of the three Scottish soldiers who were shot by the IRA on a mountain road overlooking Belfast. The huge impact of their killings is still remembered by many as one of the key points in Northern Ireland’s descent into full-scale violence.
They were the fourth, fifth and sixth soldiers to die, but the first to be killed off duty. Two of them, private john McCaig and his brother Joseph, were among the youngest military casualties of the troubles. The other soldier was Dougald McCaughey.
They were shot in the head as they stood together on the lonely mountain road. Although it was widely assumed that the three were lured from a bar in the centre of Belfast, the inquest was told in august 1971 that the full details of what happened were still not known. It was reported that they and many other soldiers had been drinking off-duty in a bar in cornmarket in central Belfast during the day. Although soldiers later became much more careful in their movements, at that time such off-duty drinking was quite common occurrence.
A Belfast telegraph editorial commented ' after all the horrors of recent weeks and months, Ulster people have almost lost the capacity for feeling shock. But the ruthless murder of three defenceless young soldiers has cut to the quick. These were cold-blooded executions for purely political reasons,'
As they took place in Scotland an estimated 20,000 people out in Carrickfergus in co. Antrim to attend rallies in sympathy. In Belfast a crowd estimated by police to number more than 10,000 gathered at the cenotaph at the city. City-centre traffic came to a halt as they poured into the grounds of the city hall to lay wreaths.
Workers marched there from a number of factories. The Belfast telegraph reported:' the Belfast marchers walked in silent lines, many weeping openly. They came from the Shankill, Crumlin road, Oldpark, Donegall road and York street areas. ‘They were joined by hundreds of workers from the city's big industrial firms. They cheered when the rev. Ian paisley walked forward through the crowds of weeping men and women to lead the wreath-laying. Dozens of wreaths, including one shaped in the form of a cross with white flowers, were laid one by one. 'The crowd cheered again when the shipyard workers came with their wreaths. Mr. Paisley then announced two minutes' silence and the noise of the crowd died away. Afterwards they sang a hymn and the national anthem.'
The home secretary, Reginald Maudling, told the commons that the security forces were having successes against terrorism, adding: ' it is a small minority of armed, ruthless men whose strength lies not so much in their numbers as in their wickedness.' the McCaig brothers lived at west-wood avenue in Ayr. Their 20-year old brother, who was serving in Singapore with the royal marines, was flown home for their funerals. Their bodies were first found by children. One of them a boy of 12 said: 'we were just standing there frightened and not knowing what to do . Two men came along and one of them touched the head of a man who was lying over another. His head fell back and the man said," they are stone dead." the inquest was told that all three were shot at very close range, and probably in a line, at white brae, squire's hill, Ligoniel. All had been drinking. John McCaig was only slightly intoxicated but his brother Joseph was said to have been severely intoxicated. Dougald McCaughey was said to be intoxicated to some extent. The coroner told the inquest jury: ' we don't know the full details of how these young men came to be there. You may think that they were met in the city by someone or some people who pretended to be their friends. You have heard how beer glasses were found at the scene. We have also heard that they were probably relieving themselves when they were shot, standing besides each other. ‘You may think that this was not only murder but one of the vilest crimes ever heard in living memory.'
In may 1972 the mother of the two brothers visited the scene of their death. In august that year she said she had been touched by the fact that a number of people had left memorials and wreaths at the spot. She said she had wanted to place a monument there, consisting of a bible made of stone, but had been advised it might be damaged by vandals. According to local rumours in north Belfast, one of those involved in the killings was IRA member Patrick McAdorey who was shot dead in august 1971. Another of the killers was reputedly living in the republic of Ireland
March 9, 1971
Joseph McCaig, North Belfast
Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers,18 Single
A private in the regiment, he died with his brother John McCaig and Dougald McCaughey ::
March 9,1971
Dougald McCaughey, North Belfast
Soldier, Royal Highland Fusiliers, 23 Single
From Weir Street in Glasgow, a private, he was shot with the McCaig brothers. His 18-year-old brother was serving with the same unit in Belfast, but did not go drinking with them because he was on duty. Private McCaughey had joined the army in May 1970 and was posted to Belfast on February 15, less than a month before his death. A few hours before he was killed he telephoned his aunt in Scotland . She added: 'Dougald told me he had a bit of time off and was going out for a couple of pints with some of the boys. He told me his brother couldn't go with them as he was on duty. I told him to watch himself. Later I was sitting in the house watching television with a friend when the news given that three soldiers had been shot in Belfast. I never thought for one minute that one of them would be Dougald . Then only minutes afterwards the phone rang and it was one of the Fusiliers officers speaking to me from Belfast. I could hardly take it in at first
LIGONIEL All Those That Rule This Province, How Guilty They Must Feel For the deaths of three young soldiers, in a ditch at Ligoniel These soldiers came from Scotland Two Only In Their Teens In Cold Blood They Were Murdered Whilst Those In Power Dream When Our Own Ulster Soldiers Some Serving Far Away Receive Their Sprig Of Shamrock I Wonder What They'd Say Our Lands Good Name Is Tarnished This Scar Will Never Heal Perhaps They'll Plant A Thistle In That Ditch At Ligoniel It Matters Not How Long They Live They Never Can Conceal They Stood Aside While Soldiers Died In That Ditch At Ligoniel Our Thoughts Go To Their Parents When On Their Knees They Kneel And Try To Paint A Picture Of That Place Called "LIGONIEL" There are many versions of this sad poem the true author is unknown at this time "Lest We Forget"
This site Has Been Designed & Maintained by Scottish Loyalists©2004
