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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Lord Haw Haw got me into bother

by 大象传媒 Radio Foyle

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Archive List > Family Life

Contributed by听
大象传媒 Radio Foyle
People in story:听
Eamon Gallagher, Mrs Watts
Location of story:听
Derry, Northern ireland
Background to story:听
Civilian
Article ID:听
A7895866
Contributed on:听
19 December 2005

Lord Haw-Haw announced that he was going to call out names of POWS. And he said 鈥淚鈥檒l give you messages. And if any of you listeners know any of them, and the people who are not listening, you could get in touch with them.鈥
And he called out this fellow 鈥淲att of Coleraine鈥. And he gave the name, and the address. I wrote it down, and I wrote a letter immediately in case they hadn鈥檛 heard it. And by the letter [of response] they hadn鈥檛 heard it.

Dear Mrs Watt,
While listening to the German radio last night I heard a letter read out from your son, which I am sure you would like to hear. It ran:
鈥淒ear mother,
I am a POW in Germany. I was wounded but am now out of hospital and in very good form. Do not worry. Hope to see you soon.鈥
I was not able to catch your son鈥檚 Christian name. That鈥檚 what Haw-haw said.

Funny enough, in 1946 I saw his photo in the Belfast Telegraph when he was repatriated.

I was out at a drama rehearsal, doing a play. I came in, and my mother said to me 鈥淭he police were looking for you鈥. I says 鈥淲hat were they looking for me for?鈥 and she says 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, but they said 鈥渨hen you come in, it doesn鈥檛 matter at what time, you are to report at Rosemount Barracks.鈥
I reported to Rosemount Barracks, and they had a ring from the Watts to say they had got this message. They had been told that he was missing believed killed. And they wanted to find out if this letter was a hoax. I said 鈥淣ot at all. I heard that, and I took a note of it鈥. So obviously the police got in touch with them, and as a result I had a letter of thanks from them. Mrs Watts had apparently gone in for a serious operation, and I think the girl who wrote was her daughter-in-law. She said that my message had done her more good than the doctors!

Haw-haw mentioned on one occasion the 鈥淕olden Teapot鈥. The 鈥淕olden Teapot鈥 was a great big Golden Teapot, and it was above McCulloughs, who were well-known grocers in Derry, shop. Funny enough, they lived 2 doors down here. The 鈥淕olden Teapot鈥 is 3 doors up! The man that got the 鈥淕olden Teapot鈥 lived in Florence Ave, and his wife鈥檚 still here. The 鈥淕olden Teapot鈥 is still around. But they moved to the Waterside.

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