Family still heart broken 40 years on

Winston Cross’s grieving mother, Blanche, broke down in tears and had to be supported by her daughter Sharon and daughter-in-law Julie, as she stood at her son’s grave.

The family had not told her an act of reflection had been planned.

They were joined by over 200 family and friends joined her to mark the anniversary and she could be heard sobbing as a lone piper played a lament by the grave in Altnagelvin Cemetery. A two-minute silence was held following which red and white lanterns were released into the bleak autumn sky.

A member of the Army Cadet Force, 18-year-old Winson had been working at Ebrington Barracks as a painter, before he successfully applied to become a member of the British Army with a start date on Remembrance Day, November 11, 1974. Instead he and his friend, Bert Slater (29), were both murdered after they had gone out drinking in Donegal to celebrate Winston’s successful application to the Army. They had been missing for three days before being found on Sheriff’s Mountain. They had suffered horrific torture before being shot through the back of the head and their bodies dumped.

Speaking after the ceremony, broken-hearted Blanche and her son, Robin, thanked everyone for showing them support.

“I feel very sad, but I feel very happy that so many people turned out and remembered him,” said Mrs Cross before breaking down in tears, sobbing: “I just feel...I don’t know...very sad”.

Rallying somewhat, she added: “We just want to thank everyone for coming out. It was lovely.”

Her daughter Sharon said the turnout had been unexpected: “We did this because my mum always said to us ‘Nobody remembers Winston. His name’s never mentioned. He was one of the innocent people who was murdered and nobody talks about him’.

“My brother, Robin, and I came up with the idea of proving that people still do remember him. We are just overwhelmed. Never did we expect this. Never. There is nothing we could explain how we feel. It is beautiful for my mother. Beautiful that she knows that everybody still does remember him, especially with his anniversary being Poppy Day. It is more significant to us, if you know what I mean, that is why we do Poppy Day,” said Sharon.

Thanking people for braving the bleak autumn afternoon for the act of reflection, Robin Cross said:

“We thought we would do something a bit special for my mother who just turned 80 within the last month, given that it is the 40th anniversary of Winston’s murder. It was something special for her to let her see her family and friends.”

Asked how the family felt about the turnout, Mr Cross said they had been “overwhelmed”.

“We are totally overwhelmed. It has surpassed all our expectations.

“Winston’s death was one of the least talked about murders.

“Winston’s name hasn’t been mentioned in the past 40 years except by members of his family and we wanted to highlight that he has not been forgotten about.

“Our mother was 40 years of age when all this happened and 40 years later it doesn’t get any better, but she is still here for us,” he said, adding:

“Today has been brilliant.

“There has been a lot of old neighbours, friends and new neighbours and I can’t thank them enough for all the support they have shown us.”