大象传媒

In 1939 when War was declared I was a 12 year old living in a Police House, just off the Falls Rd in Belfast, with my mother and father. My father being a Police Sargeant in the Ulster Police Force.
The Government thought it in the best interest of Northern Ireland and Great Britain,that all adult males who were Catholic, should be interned for the duration of the War. Thousands of men were imprisoned, so many that a prison ship on the river, was used to house them. The reason given was they did not want any collaboration between Southern Ireland who had remained neutral and
allowed U-Boats to refuel in their Harbours.

This had the effect of infuriating the Irish Republican Army, who set about a campaign of disruption and mayhem ,so the people did not know who they had to be wary of, the German bombers or the Irish bombers and so the Police Force were fighting to keep the peace on both fronts. Although my father was Catholic and because of his job he did not get interned he remained neutral in all his dealings on both sides both Republican and Loyalists.
On one occasion, a gun battle broke out between the IRA and Ulster Police. One Police Officer Murphy was killed and Williams an IRA man was wounded but thought his injuries more serious than they were and he was near death and wanted to die with a clear concience so he confessed to the killing of Murphy. He was tried and executed later for the crime which in the confusion he probably didn鈥檛 commit.

Meanwhile the Germans kept up their raids and on one occasion picked out a target that they thought was a munitions factory but turned out to be a flour mill. Now I lived in an area just behind the flour mill that was devout Catholic and the air-raid shelters were a sight to see. The Catholic women would decorate the walls with Holy Pictures and an Altar was set up and when an air-raid was imminent, they would go into the shelter and recite the Rosary. At about this time the Parish of St Peter's where I lived held a Mission,where a Missionary would come and preach. He would also visit every ones house and bless it, to keep it safe, during a bombing raid. Now on the same occasion, when the Germans mistook the flour mill for the munitions factory, they sent down bombs, on parachutes
and when they landed caused untold misery, with many casualties.The damage caused by the bombing was total,in an area just in front of the flour mill.In our area not one house window was broken.The women thought this a miracle and many a prayer of thankgiving was said that night.Over the next few days our school, which was undamaged was closed because our teachers, who belonged to an Order of Christian Brothers, were busy dealing with the aftermath of the bombing raid.On the morning afer the raid, I went to school as normal and the Brothers who would normally be resplendent in their white cassocks, were returning to their home nearby, with their cassocks filthy with searching the rubble.
On another occasion my father was aware, that a major football match was being played, between two Loyalists sides and when the crowd come out, they would pass through a Catholic area and he had to avoid trouble at all costs, so he mustered as many men as he could and they formed a cordon across the street.To ward off any trouble,they beat their trungeons on the floor or walls and advanced slowly,in line up the street.The racket must of warned the Loyalists off because they all dispersed down side streets and a confrontation was avoided.
My father was a very compassionate man and got to know of a Catholic family, who's breadwinner was detained on the ship in the Harbour.Now this man was a cobbler by trade and he had a large family, who were destitute, so my father persuaded the powers that be, it would be in the best interest of the whole community, if he was released to carry on his trade.This was agreed but in a few short months because of his treatment inside, this man turned to drink.My father had a sure way of curing anybody taking to drink in this way, although it cost him a fortune.He would take him to the pub, give him his fill, then take him on a three mile walk, then back to the pub for more beer, then another three mile walk and back to the pub again.By the end of the night, the man could not face more beer and went back to his business,vowing never to touch another drop.
When the War was coming to an end, all the men were released.It was only then that the full horrors of what they had endured, came to light.They had been put in cages, one on top of another, with very little ventilation, were very poorly fed and many went down with TB.Most were in a very poor state of health, having lost so much weight and had to be nursed back to health.

Written with the help and cooperation of Mr Gerry McFadden by Ged Fleming(Cleveland CSV Story Gatherer)

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