ON THIS DAY IN 1973, CORBYN'S MATES...

The Provisional IRA murdered a British soldier in north Belfast.  Royal Marine Graham Cox was travelling in one of two Land Rovers on patrol in the Catholic New Lodge area.  As the vehicles slowed down for security ramps IRA gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons from a vacant property.  Mne Cox was hit in the chest and killed almost instantly.  A colleague was hit in the leg.

Ironically the security ramps had been placed there to deter loyalists from driving car bombs into the area.  The ramps were subsequently removed by soldiers in the early hours of the following morning.

19-year-old Mne Cox was serving with 42 Commando and came from Emsworth in Hampshire.  His parents expressed gratitude to the people of Belfast and the Lord Mayor for their sympathy in the wake of their son's murder.

A man from the local area was charged with the murder of Mne Cox, but the charges were later dropped.

RUC notice appealing for information on Mne Cox's murder