Bloody Sunday victim's personal effects 'still missing'

Personal effects including cash belonging to one of the teenagers killed on Bloody Sunday have never been recovered, the man’s brother said today.

The property disappeared after the death of William Nash, 17, one of the 13 civilians shot dead on January 30 1972, John Nash told the new probe into the deaths.

Their father, Alexander, was wounded attempting to rescue his son and died two years ago.

William Nash was one of three young men shot dead on a rubble barricade straddling Rossville Street whose bodies were retrieved from the scene and taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in the city by paratroopers who had opened fire minutes earlier.

The tribunal, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, heard that on the day of the march William Nash was wearing the suit he wore to his brother’s wedding the previous day.

He had also put on an American graduation ring belonging to his sister before setting off for the demonstration.

John Nash told the hearing: ‘‘We never recovered Willie’s ring. We also never recovered the money that he had on him.

‘‘We refused to accept his clothes for three years because no ring, or money or his chain and cross were returned with the clothes.

‘‘My brother, Eddie, kept going down and telling the RUC that we wanted everything back but they only gave Eddie a bag containing Willie’s clothes.’’

Mr Nash, who was giving evidence in the Guildhall, Derry, said he took part in the march as he was not due to set off on his honeymoon until the following day.

He saw the first Army vehicles arrive close to the car park of the Rossville Flats and said the disembarking soldiers emerged firing a volley of shots from the hip.

Mr Nash said he saw none of the deaths or injuries and only learned that his brother and father had been shot when he returned home.

He claimed another brother, Charlie, a boxer who made a world title bid in 1980, was taunted by a police officer when he went to the morgue with another brother, Eddie, that night.

‘‘A uniformed police officer made a derogatory remark to my brother, Charlie, about our family which was something like ‘Now there’s just six of you left’.

‘‘This was intended to insult and annoy and Charlie went for the police officer.

He had to be dragged off by Eddie. The police knew my family because of Charlie’s boxing, he had been national champion three times.’’

Mr Nash, a leading Bloody Sunday campaigner, said his brother had nothing with him on the day of the march but a can of beer, and added: ‘‘I didn’t see and I don’t know of anything which would have justified Willie being shot at the barricade. ‘

‘He may have thrown some stones on the day though I didn’t see him do it, but nothing to justify getting shot. Willie was always doing wisecracks and he was a practical joker.

‘‘Willie was only once in trouble with the police but he was politically naive and was not interested in that sort of thing.’’