Push on for a memorial for Ayr brothers

Jul 17 2009 by Edwin Lawrence

A MOVE is underway to have a permanent memorial at the site where Ayrshire soldiers were murdered in Northern Ireland.

The Royal British Legion is selling badges to raise money for a memorial to Ayr brothers John and Joseph McCaig and Glasgow soldier Dougald McCaughey.

The three off-duty Royal Highland Fusiliers were lured from a bar in Belfast, and shot dead on a lonely hill road at Ligoniel, outside the city.

The shocking murders, in March 1971, sparked a huge outpouring of grief. John was just 17, his brother 18, and Donald 23.

It was after the horrific incident that the minimum age for soldiers serving in Northern Ireland was raised to 18.

Thousands lined the streets of Ayr for the funeral of the McCaig brothers, from Westwood Avenue.

Thousands more turned out in sympathy rallies in Northern Ireland.

The ruthless slayings, by the IRA, are now seen as a key moment in Northern Ireland’s descent into full-scale violence.

They were only the fourth, fifth and sixth soldiers to die – but the first to be killed off-duty.

Now Legion members – including a Royal Highland Fusilier who served alongside the victims – are pushing for a memorial on the spot where the three young men were found.

A badge, selling for a modest £2, is the main fundraiser. It features the Scottish Saltire and three poppies, along with the words Lest We Forget.

Thousands of badges sold out in days in Northern Ireland, and they are now available from Legion branches in Scotland, including Ayr.

The memorial may be based on a Scottish cairn, with stones specially brought from Ayrshire.