5 days ago
Co Tyrone man on crusade to solve brutal murder of his aunt at height of war: ‘It was a taboo subject growing up'
Gertrude Canning, originally from Co Donegal, moved to Britain for work and later joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (Wrens) when World War II broke out.
Thousands of Allied troops trained at the base where she was stationed for the disastrous Dieppe raid.
Gertrude was shot dead in 1942 in a 'sexually motivated attack', her body found on the shore of Loch Fyne in Inveraray.
Liam Canning (68), a retired social worker, has spent years investigating his aunt's death.
He described his book — Gertrude Canning: A Wren for 99 Days — as a 'labour of love'.
Her death had a profound impact on his grandfather, who became reclusive. Liam believes the mental toll would have been compounded by the scarcity of information in wartime.
Liam was able to uncover letters sent by his grandfather, which painted a picture of a polite man who 'thanked police for their help'.
He added: 'It makes you wonder how much he was physically told back then — I suspect very little.'
Because of the war, military censorship was in effect, and as Gertrude was based at a secret training facility there were restrictions on what could be reported by the media.
Liam told the Belfast Telegraph: 'Growing up, it was a taboo subject in the house.
'My father wouldn't have talked about what happened to his sister, it played on his mind.'
A conversation between Liam's son and a barman, where a tabloid clipping about Gertrude was shared, was the catalyst for 15 years of research that involved meeting historians, submitting Freedom of Information requests, and reviewing the original case files held by Scottish police.
He explained: 'I had two goals when I started out: firstly to discover what happened to Gertrude in detail, and secondly to make sure this lady would be remembered.'
Having seen police files, Liam does believe a thorough investigation was carried out, but is critical of some 'errors of judgment'.
He said the difference in law between Scotland and other parts of the UK, whereby corroboration is a legal principle requiring essential facts of a crime be proven by evidence from at least two independent sources, hampered the prospects of a prosecution.
The book challenges the conclusions reached at the time, raising the unsettling question: did the authorities allow Gertrude's killer to escape justice?
Working on it not only taught Liam about his aunt's death, but also shed light on this 'beautiful young 20-year-old woman'.
He added: 'She was full of life and adventure... she had really good working conditions.
'She was happy, very sociable and enjoyed dancing and music — traits that are in our family today.'
A commemoration for Gertrude was hosted by the Royal British Legion's Inveraray branch in 2012, where a memorial stone was unveiled at North Cromalt Woods, the location where she was murdered and left in a ditch.
Later a bench dedicated to her memory was placed close to Inveraray War Memorial at Front Green.
Liam is 'full of praise' for the Royal British Legion and people of Inveraray, who view Gertrude as 'one of their own' and treat the family 'like royalty' every time they visit.
He said: 'Carrying out the research for my book to unravel exactly what happened to my Aunt Gertrude and to uncover the circumstances associated with her murder and the police investigations that followed has been a journey of discovery, not only for myself, but also for the wider Canning family.
'This book is more than just an investigation, it is a tribute to my aunt and will ensure that her memory will not be forgotten despite the decades that have passed.
'Gertrude may have been forgotten by the justice system, but she will not be forgotten by her family.
'I would also like to put on record that myself and the other Canning Family members will be eternally grateful to the members of the Inveraray Royal British Legion Branch and the wider Inveraray community for their help and support down the years since I first visited in 2010.'
Asked if he believes the book exposes the killer, he is convinced the man responsible served in the Army, and readers will be able to piece together the evidence contained in the book.
