Skip to main content

Part 1: Introduction



Willie MacRae Picture 1
Willie McRae: born 18 May 1923; died 7 April 1985

This we know for certain but much else in his life and death is open to conjecture.

What is fact or fiction?

Truth or lies?

Openness or obfuscation?

Will we ever know?

Probably not but in this series – may be 1 post or 20 posts depending on my enthusiasm – I want to look back and review his story.  The best way to ensure I keep going with my review is to write and post as I go on.   You, my readers, are key to my continuing!

I must have read about Willie in the 80s but I only became aware of him on Sunday past when the Sunday Express published a story more than 24 years after his death. [Original source; archived source]

Express headline 20141130
Of course, we note the very important,

… it was claimed last night.

There’s nothing definite here but you can start to see that McRae’s life might not be straightforward.

Within the rest of the article there is more.

Express body C 20141130

So here we have claims that he was killed:
- by drug smugglers
- by security services over his opposition to nuclear waste dumping
- over child sex abuse discoveries

Additionally there are claims elsewhere that he was involved with the SNLA (Scottish National Liberation Army) and that the security services were interested in him over this.

And then the key point is that his death was actually listed as being suicide ….
…. except some claim his death is not officially recorded as ‘suicide’ but as ‘undetermined’.

Confused?

Yes, and so am I!

I don’t have a view as to whether Willie McRae was killed by his own hand or by others.  I hope, by reading and by writing, my views will firm.

If you are interested.  Come back and read some more.

[originally posted 3 December 2014]


© CalumCarr 2014
__________________________________________________________________
COPYRIGHT
Copyright over this article is retained by me, CalumCarr.

Please feel free to reproduce extracts provided you attribute the words and images to me taking into account the provisos below.

If you wish to use more than one half of the article then contact me for permission at calumsblogATgmailDOTcom.

Copyright of the two text images used is retained by the Sunday Express.

Copyright of the image of Mr McRae is unknown but was retrieved from  here.

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Part 25: Special Branch – Official View

Introduction In Part 24 I said that I believed any active involvement of the Special Branch* with Willie McRae was sufficient for an FAI to be held. (* see end of post)   In Part 26 we’ll look at evidence from a retired policeman, Donald Morrison, who claims Special Branch were involved up to, at least, the day McRae left Glasgow, 5 April 1985. Here you get to see what the police and Crown Office have said about Special Branch and McRae. Before we go there, I invite you to read Part 23, if you haven’t yet done so.  Last Sunday, 29 March, the Sunday Herald published an article highlighting the new campaign for a Fatal Accident Inquiry to be held into McRae’s death.  The article was light on information until the last sentence in which the Crown Office appears to have set its face against holding an FAI …. ever.  The Crown Office is quoted as saying, Crown Counsel are satisfied with the extensive investigations into the death of William Macra...
Read more

Part 5: Which Site?

Strange as it may seem there is even doubt about where Willie McRae’s car came off the road. In this 5th post, but first post of any real depth, we shall - look in great detail at all possible roadside features which could be close to the crash site, - see the sites themselves in aerial and streetview mode, - see old video of the two sites, - see what physical evidence there is to tie each site to the actual crash site, - seen how the official and Coutts site came to be - pose two major questions - and a wee bit more and I will be only scratching the surface of this mystery. Before we start we should probably take a little detour to see how the official and Coutts site came to be. Alex Main in the Scotsman wrote about this [highlighted area] on 7 April 1987. and thus the official and Coutts’ sites were born ….. …. and still we talk of them! Again I must stress that I come to this with no agenda.  I don’t know what happened to Willie McRae: this and subsequent posts are my journey o...
Read more