Thomas Mulgrew

Child 1 We’re going to talk to you about World War 2.

We are going to ask you a few questions. I s that O.K.

Mr M. Yes that’s fine.

Child 1 Right you can ask him question number 1

Child 2 What’s your name?

Mr M. Thomas Mulgrew

Child 1 Thomas Mulgrew

Mr M. MULGREW (spells it)

Child 1 What’s your date of birth?

Mr M. 23/12/14

Child 1 How many people lived in your house during the war years?

Mr M. In our house during the war years? eh

My ow family. There were 9 of us.

Child 1 What was your house like?

Mr M. A flat. An upstairs flat.

Child 2 What age were you when you had to go away to war?

Mr M. 24, 24.

Child 1 Did you meet lots of friends during the war?

Mr M. Well, not very many, a few. I felt like friendly for some but only a few.

Child 2 Did you need a gas mask with you at all times?

Mr M. I had but I didn’t use it.

Child 1 What was food like when you were away?

Mr M . Very very interesting. em .... annoying and dangerous at times.

Child 1 What countries did you fight in?

Mr M. Fights eh..... France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

Child 1 Number 10. Did you ever go to an air raid shelter?

What was it like?

Mr M. Yes in London. The Air raid shelters were underground there and it was very comfortable.

Child 1 emm...

Child 2 Any other interesting information?

Mr M. Any other interesting information? Yes I hate war

Child 1 Hate war?

Mr M. When you see a man lying with his head off and wonder how many children he had left and a wife back home. Am not telling the idea that any glamour out of war. Another time I was walking on the beach head. An old boot was there and I gave it a kick and a man’s foot dropped out. Well that and eh...... on the way over we were told to go straight to France without stopping but we were losing so many ships that we decided to pick up survivors and I saw a man. The ship was breaking up and cut him in two.

Child 1 Now that’s sad isn’t it D’?

Mr M. Well you never forget things like that.

Child 1 Thank you very much Mr Mulgrew. The information was very, very interesting.

Mr M. Good. I’m glad for that. Most people find it boring. I quite like Germany. The cleanliness of the place but we didn’t get much chance to meet the people. There was one wee boy came to meet us.

“Hiel Hitler” to me.

“Off you go.” Didn’t do anything. He was just a boy. It was Christmas and at that time there was a special meal laid on for the men and the high officers came to serve the meals to us. Well when we went down to the cook house there was a queue about a mile long and we were at the end of it. And just at that I...... a German aeroplane came over. “It’s a Gerry” and they all scattered to the side. But I looked up and saw and I said “Well if it’s dropping a bomb it will be away past us before it hits the ground” . So I scarpered up to the front of the queue and got a good meal out of it.