POLICE APPEAL FOR OWNERS TO CLAIM ITEMS FOUND IN WAKE OF BOMBING
Police appeal for owners to claim items found in wake of bombing
BY: JOHN McCUSKER
A LADY'S silver wristwatch, frozen at eight minutes past three, is just one of a large number of personal items still unclaimed three months after the Market Street bombing.
The timepiece is just one of dozens of personal effects lost when a 300lb bomb devastated the area on the afternoon of August 15, killing 29 men, women and children.
Also included are pieces of jewellery, religious artefacts, keys and items of clothing still to be claimed by their owners.
This week local police issued an appeal to anyone who has yet to recover items mislaid that Saturday afternoon, to get in touch with them immediately.
Those bereaved in the bombing have already been contacted by police.
Most of the injured have also been traced by RUC officers who have carried out the painstaking task of going through the. list of casualties.
According to police, up to half the items recovered from the bomb site have already been returned to their owners.
But a sizable number of those hurt have yet to be reached, and officers now ask that they come forward to reclaim possessions.
Among the items currently in police possession are a number of children's buggies, together with toddlers' toys, discarded in the panic and mayhem.
Also found among the debris was the remains of a set of ruby-red coloured Rosary beads and a small silver religious medal containing an orange/brown stone and imprinted with the words Terra De Fatima.
Bunches of keys -including one with a pendant engraved with the name 'Biddy' have also been found. So too has a bunch bearing the address of a firm of solicitors in Preston, as well as house keys attached to a Bacardi logo.
Among items of jewellery found were earrings, cufflinks and bracelets and a large number of pairs of spectacles were also recovered.
A distinctive antique gold half-hunter pocket watch has also been found. The 'Waltham' flip-top watch with Roman numerals bears the inscription from 'John to Uncle John.'
And an antique gold bracelet with a heart shaped locket and a small watch set into a signet ring should be easily recognisable to their owners.
The family of a young girl hurt in the blast wishes to thank the person who took off his jacket and put it around the victim in an effort to bring comfort until the arrival of medics.
The Good Samaritan's black coloured Ben Sherman jacket with grey lining was handed into police with the owner's glasses still intact in the pocket.
Among personal documents and papers turned up in the search was a thank-you note penned by someone whose signature reads Muriel Thom. (Thompson?).
The card, depicting a portion of a Jan Van Eyck painting, reads 'To Sylvia, Many thanks for all your help before the wedding of Victoria. All the best. See you soon.'
A pink-coloured plastic shopping bag, bearing the name Vera's Place, contains what may possibly be someone's last purchases that fateful afternoon. Inside are some Atenonol tablets, a packet of Bic razors and a number of social security forms.
Many other items including purses, handbags and newly purchased items are also included.
The lost property items will be featured on UTV's 'Britain's Most Wanted' crime detection programme next Friday night (27th Nov).
Days after the bombing, police removed a large quantity of rubble from the site to be forensically examined by a special squad of detectives in Belfast.
But a police spokesperson pointed out that many of the items displayed had been found in Market Street immediately after the blast.
He appealed to anyone wishing to view the items to get in touch with police at Omagh Tel 01662-246177, and they would make the necessary arrangements.
BY: JOHN McCUSKER
A LADY'S silver wristwatch, frozen at eight minutes past three, is just one of a large number of personal items still unclaimed three months after the Market Street bombing.
The timepiece is just one of dozens of personal effects lost when a 300lb bomb devastated the area on the afternoon of August 15, killing 29 men, women and children.
Also included are pieces of jewellery, religious artefacts, keys and items of clothing still to be claimed by their owners.
This week local police issued an appeal to anyone who has yet to recover items mislaid that Saturday afternoon, to get in touch with them immediately.
Those bereaved in the bombing have already been contacted by police.
Most of the injured have also been traced by RUC officers who have carried out the painstaking task of going through the. list of casualties.
According to police, up to half the items recovered from the bomb site have already been returned to their owners.
But a sizable number of those hurt have yet to be reached, and officers now ask that they come forward to reclaim possessions.
Among the items currently in police possession are a number of children's buggies, together with toddlers' toys, discarded in the panic and mayhem.
Also found among the debris was the remains of a set of ruby-red coloured Rosary beads and a small silver religious medal containing an orange/brown stone and imprinted with the words Terra De Fatima.
Bunches of keys -including one with a pendant engraved with the name 'Biddy' have also been found. So too has a bunch bearing the address of a firm of solicitors in Preston, as well as house keys attached to a Bacardi logo.
Among items of jewellery found were earrings, cufflinks and bracelets and a large number of pairs of spectacles were also recovered.
A distinctive antique gold half-hunter pocket watch has also been found. The 'Waltham' flip-top watch with Roman numerals bears the inscription from 'John to Uncle John.'
And an antique gold bracelet with a heart shaped locket and a small watch set into a signet ring should be easily recognisable to their owners.
The family of a young girl hurt in the blast wishes to thank the person who took off his jacket and put it around the victim in an effort to bring comfort until the arrival of medics.
The Good Samaritan's black coloured Ben Sherman jacket with grey lining was handed into police with the owner's glasses still intact in the pocket.
Among personal documents and papers turned up in the search was a thank-you note penned by someone whose signature reads Muriel Thom. (Thompson?).
The card, depicting a portion of a Jan Van Eyck painting, reads 'To Sylvia, Many thanks for all your help before the wedding of Victoria. All the best. See you soon.'
A pink-coloured plastic shopping bag, bearing the name Vera's Place, contains what may possibly be someone's last purchases that fateful afternoon. Inside are some Atenonol tablets, a packet of Bic razors and a number of social security forms.
Many other items including purses, handbags and newly purchased items are also included.
The lost property items will be featured on UTV's 'Britain's Most Wanted' crime detection programme next Friday night (27th Nov).
Days after the bombing, police removed a large quantity of rubble from the site to be forensically examined by a special squad of detectives in Belfast.
But a police spokesperson pointed out that many of the items displayed had been found in Market Street immediately after the blast.
He appealed to anyone wishing to view the items to get in touch with police at Omagh Tel 01662-246177, and they would make the necessary arrangements.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1700
Published Date: 29-Nov-98
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