RELATIVES of a Northern Ireland man who was killed in China 75 years ago have appealed for help in locating his grave.
Patrick McGowan, who was from Londonderry, had been serving with the British Army in Shanghai in 1937 when he was shot in an incident involving a Japanese fighter plane.
Mr. McGowan, who was 25, had been with colleagues when they were attacked by the plane’s pilot who had been on a raid against Chinese forces in the region. He was buried with full military honours.
The soldier’s death, at a time when Britain was not in conflict with Japan, caused a political outcry and the issue was raised in the House of Commons.
Fears have been raised that a multi-storey car park may have been built over Mr. McGowan’s grave. Now relatives have written to Prime Minister David Cameron to appeal for his help in getting information.
His niece, Sarah Moran, decided to ask the Prime Minister for help after being told the site of her uncle’s final resting place had been built over.
Ms. Moran had been making efforts to find the grave herself. She said: “I always wanted to know where he had been buried. I wrote and found out that the cemetery where he had been buried was closed in 1951.
“The letter said : ‘Your uncle’s grave no longer exists. There is a multi-storey car park on top of it.’ That really angered me. All those dignitaries were at his funeral and now this. I would like to find out where he is buried now.”
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