THE brother of a young man murdered almost 50 years ago says he wanted to write a book about him to keep his name alive.
Paul Armstrong (18) was tortured and shot dead by the UVF on November 8, 1974.
His body was found in a derelict bakery at Byron Street in the Oldpark area on November 8, 1974.
He had last been seen seven hours earlier as he walked through the New Lodge area. He had been beaten and shot four times in the head.
The killing was later claimed by the Protestant Action Force, a cover name for the UVF.
A caller to the Samaritans claimed the killing was in revenge for the blinding of an RUC man in Stewartstown, Co Tyrone, earlier in the week and warned of more violence in the wake of IRA bombs in Guildford in England.
In a moving book which has been relaunched, his campaigning brother Gerry has revealed how the brutal murder impacted his family.
'A Young Life Stolen: A memoir of growing up in war torn Belfast' offers a raw account of how the Paul's killing ripped through family life.
Gerry wants the book, which also includes some of his own poetry, to inform people about Paul and keep his memory alive.
Asked why he put pen to paper, Gerry said: "For the first 25 years after Paul’s murder, as a family, we never spoke about it as a family.
"My mother did not go to his funeral or could not set foot in Milltown Cemetery where he was buried. Ever since, I haven’t stopped talking about him.
"I thought about writing a book about Paul. Paul was forgotten about and I wanted to tell people about him.
"Growing up, there was ten of us. Paul was next to me. I was 19 and he was 18. We were very close."
The book was first published in 2021 and relaunched in Ligoniel in September. Gerry has a number of other events planned to spread the word of Paul and the book.
"I want to give Paul a voice. I wanted to do it for myself and my family as well. I think writing it was like a release for me also.
"In November 1974, there was 35 other people murdered. The UVF in their twisted minds said they killed Paul in revenge for the Guildford bomb. The fact is they killed him because he was a Catholic.
"49 years on, it still feels like yesterday. I feel a sense of relief that the book is out there now. I stopped writing many a time but I have no regrets.
"I want people who read it to know that Paul was a human being and his life was cut short – for what?"
'A Young Life Stolen: A memoir of growing up in war-torn Belfast' by Gerry Armstrong is published by Shanway Press. Books are available to order on Shanway Press website or to collect from Wolfhill Centre on Ligoniel Road.
