IN the summer of 1942, a young woman’s body was found in a ditch near a secret wartime base in Inveraray, Scotland. She had been shot, writes Michael Devlin. Her name was Gertrude Canning and she hailed from Ballindrait in Donegal. Eighty-three years later, no one has ever been charged with her murder.

However, her nephew now believes he knows who pulled the trigger. “I began researching Gertrude’s story upon learning of her murder around some 13 to 15 years ago,” Liam Canning tells me as we sit in his home in Strabane, surrounded by books. His newly released publication, ‘Gertrude Canning: A Wren for 99 Days,’ is the culmination of a ten-year investigation – and a personal promise to give his aunt the justice she never received.

The cover of Liam’s book.

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Liam explains that Gertrude was just 20 years old when she was murdered in Inveraray on June 30, 1942. He details how, after she moved away from home, she had joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service – the Wrens, as they were commonly known – during World War II and was stationed in Scotland. Just a matter of months later, her life was brutally cut short.

“She was only a Wren for 99 days,” Liam says, echoing the poignant title of his book.

Her body was discovered in that ditch near a covert wartime military base. To this day, no one has been brought to justice – making it one of the oldest unsolved murders in Scotland.

Liam Canning is 68 years old, a retired social worker with more than 30 years of experience working in learning disability and physical disability services.

Though retired now, he still keeps up with social work and social care developments, particularly issues affecting the elAderly and disabled. But in recent years, another focus has consumed his time: The life and death of his aunt Gertrude.

“From that point onward – after I found out about Gertrude – I embarked on an extensive research journey which has now resulted in my book being written,” he explains.

Liam’s investigation was far from casual. It involved filing Freedom of Information requests, digging through wartime records, and engaging in formal discussions with Police Scotland – all of which necessitated frequent journeys across the Irish Sea.

“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 network.”

Despite the emotionally heavy subject matter, Liam describes the project as something he deeply cared about, and even enjoyed on some level.

“For me, writing this book, whilst at times has been challenging, but it has also been a labour of love and I am delighted that I have completed it.

“One of my passions is reading about and watching television programmes about crime mysteries – both true life and fictional.”

And when he’s not researching, you’re likely to find him with a guitar in hand or watching a classic World War II film.

The book is more than an investigation. For Liam and the Canning family, it’s a tribute, a reckoning, and a lasting act of remembrance.

“It is a tribute to my aunt and will ensure that her memory will not be forgotten despite the decades that have past,” he says.

Liam’s efforts to ensure Gertrude is remembered began long before the book became a concept.

In 2012, a memorial stone was placed in her honour near the site of her murder in North Cromalt Woods, followed by the installation of a bench overlooking the Inveraray War Memorial.

“Finding out about Gertrude’s murder led me on a journey of discovery that culminated in the commemoration event being held by the Royal British Legion – Inveraray Branch in Inveraray in June 2012 – where a memorial was unveiled at North Cromalt Woods Stone – at the location she was murdered – followed by a bench dedicated to her memory being placed close to the Inveraray War Memorial on Front Green, Inveraray in Aunt Gertrude’s honour.

“Gertrude may have been forgotten by the justice system but she will not be forgotten by her family,” Liam says again, this time with conviction that feels generational.

“I would also like to put on record that myself and the other Canning family members will be forever eternally grateful to the Royal British Legion at Inveraray and the wider Inveraray Community for their help and support down the years since I first visited Inveraray back in 2010.”

‘Gertrude Canning: A Wren for 99 Days’ will be formally launched at the Alley Theatre, Railway Street, Strabane, on Thursday, July 3, beginning at 7.30 pm.

Gertrude Canning is buried at Ballubogan Old Historical Graveyard near Lifford.

As to who was responsible for her death…

“Well, that mystery is unravelled within the chapters of the book,” Liam concludes.

The book is also available online at: www.gertrudecanning.com