IRA Volunteer Tom Williams was hanged at age 19 by the British in September 1942, 68 years ago this month, for his part in a gun battle with the RUC which left one RUC man dead.

“If the history of this small island were compared to a rich tapestry, then Tom Williams’ story would only be the faintest of threads. Yet it is a remarkable story and deserves to be told.”

The following are extracts from ‘Executed: Tom Williams and the IRA’, by Jim McVeigh.