JACQUELINE Butler was just 20 months old when her daddy, Patrick Butler, was murdered during what would become known as the Springhill-Westrock Massacre.
On July 9 1972, five innocent people – including three teenagers – were shot dead by the British Army between the Springhill and Westrock estates in West Belfast.
The deaths of Margaret Gargan (13), John Dougal (16), David McCafferty (15), father-of-six Patrick Butler (38), and local parish priest Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (42), were never properly investigated. Their 50th anniversary occurs this weekend.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon when the 1 King's Regiment opened fire on two cars whose drivers had stopped side-by-side for a chat in the Springhill estate in West Belfast.
Jacqueline, who grew up hearing about that bloody day, told how a man named Martin Dudley was injured in the initial hail of fire. Brian Petticrew and John Dougal had crawled to rescue Martin as the firing continued. The former was injured, while the latter was shot dead.
Patrick Butler was at home when the shooting began. He was not a republican, or even particularly political, as Jacqueline recalls. But as warden of the local church he was someone that the community would turn to in times of trouble.
"When the chapel was being built he was one of the ones who protected the grounds," Jacqueline explained.
"Fr Fitzpatrick was new to the area and didn't know his way about, but the nuns knew my daddy well so our house was the one they went to for help."
NOT FORGOTTEN: Patrick Llewellyn holds a photo of his grandfather Patrick Butler 
Patrick Butler left with Fr Fitzpatrick and the local nuns to help the injured and dying. His wife Margaret was visiting her sister in Ballymurphy, so their eldest children – then in their teens – were asked to look after the wee ones. None of them saw him alive again.
Mr Butler and Fr Fitzpatrick were forced to take cover behind a row of houses. Their reflections were thought to be visible in the windows of the homes opposite. As they tried to reach John Dougal, who was by then dying from his injuries, the pair were targeted and shot.
"As soon as Fr Fitzpatrick went out with his white hankie, my daddy went to pull him back in and the two of them were shot by the same bullet," Jacqueline said.
"Every time somebody went to try to pull them back in they were shot. David McCafferty went to try to pull the priest in and he was shot dead. They were able to pull Fr Fitzpatrick's body in and try to give him first aid in the Donnelly household, but it was too late. My daddy's body lay for hours because every time they tried to get his body back shots were fired."
The Springhill-Westrock Massacre occurred on the same day the IRA's short-lived ceasfire had broken in Lenadoon, where gun battles between republicans, the British army, and loyalists raged for a further five days.
Jacqueline and other campaigning relatives believe the British army deliberately shot people in Springhill and Westrock to give respite to soldiers in the Upper Falls.
"They were snowed under and under attack in Lenadoon," Jacqueline said. "We think that the order went out to try to bring the IRA back into the district."
When the shooting in Springhill-Westrock finished, 13-year-old Margaret Gargan was by then amongst the dead. The next day it was reported in the Belfast Telegraph that the five killed were gunmen.
The allegations, parroting the British Army account, would have wide-ranging implications for the Butler family and others for years to come.
"Every time a new regiment came in our house was raided," Jacqueline recalled.
"Some weeks it was three and four nights in a row. Four or five o'clock in the morning we were all out of bed, my mummy was questioned. That went on until the '80s, we were still getting raided.
"My mother was widowed and couldn't grieve."
She continued: "I have no memories of my daddy. I have other people's memories. Our childhoods were robbed from us.
"Not only did we lose our daddy, but the army terrorised us. Our father's name was blackened. Our lives were just never the same."
Despite the constant harassment, Margaret Butler found a job and raised her six children alone. She died without seeing her husband rightfully declared innocent.
Jacqueline Butler became involved in the Springhill-Westrock Massacre campaign in 1994, determined to clear the names of the innocent victims.
A new inquest into the massacre has since been ordered with a preliminary hearing on September 7. However, the British Government's attempt to end such investigations through its legacy bill means the families face a race against time.
"We're hoping we can finally get our inquest and we can get everybody's name cleared, because on that day it was all innocent victims shot," Jacqueline stated. "There were no gunmen shot. It was a priest, a father-of-six, and three children."
"We'll never give up the fight to clear our daddy's name," she added.
"Our mummy brought us up not to be bitter and to forgive. But she always just wanted the truth. She always just wanted my daddy's name cleared.
"Our family aren't interested in prosecuting soldiers or anything. We just want my daddy's name cleared and I think 50 years is a long time for him to be vindicated.
"Everybody that was shot that day was going to the aid of someone else. They were all going out of their way to help people. My daddy could've said 'no, thank you', but that was the type of person he was."
A march to mark the 50th anniversary of the Springhill-Westrock Massacre will take place this Saturday (July 9). It will assembly at memorial plaque on Springhill Drive at 1pm.
Ahead of the preliminary inquest hearing, the Coroner, Judge Rafferty QC, has issued an appeal for information. If you were in area at the time of the massacre or have any other information contact: Legacy Inquest Unit
Lady Chief Justice’s Office
1st Floor, Laganside House 23-27 Oxford Street
Belfast
BT1 3LA
Telephone: 028 9044 6835 Email: legacy@courtsni.gov.uk
