HET Review Summary Report into the death of William Francis ...

The McGreanery family issued a statement after the shooting saying: -
“We ask everyone not to use Billy’s death in any way to arouse hatred or
revenge. Billy lived quietly. He was not in any political organisation. The
statement that he had a rifle when he was shot is not true. In spite of
this we must try to forgive”
HET Comment: The ‘Lost Lives’ entry is incorrect in as much as it gives
the date of Mr McGreanery’s death as September 14, 1971, when in fact
he died during the early hours of September 15, 1971. The HET will notify
the publishers of the error.
An article in the Belfast Telegraph dated September 15, 1971, reported
the shooting and said:-
“Police said he died shortly after 3am from gunshot wounds. He was
discovered in a van on Craigavon Bridge after soldiers shot a man seen
with a rifle at the junction of Eastway and Lone Moor Road”.
The army said they were still investigating the incident. A spokesman said
the man seen with the rifle raised it to his shoulder as if to fire at troops
in Bligh’s Lane. The spokesman said the man was seen to fall after two
soldiers at the post fired and he was dragged away by members of the
crowd”.
An Internet search revealed the following website which chronicles the
death of a number of Catholic civilians who were shot by the army.
www.hvk.org/articles/0501/8.html In respect of Mr McGreanery it says
the following:-
“William McGreanery aged 41, a shop assistant. A statement from a
soldier read at the inquest into his death said one shot was fired at a man
aiming a rifle at an army observation post. Six civilian witnesses who were
with McGreanery said he was unarmed. A forensic science report said
swabs taken from the dead man's hands showed no lead traces. His family
later received compensation for his death”.
Family questions have been redacted. PFC
27/5/2010
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