- Contributed by
- ѿý Radio Foyle
- People in story:
- Eamon Gallagher, Mrs Watts
- Location of story:
- Derry, Northern ireland
- Background to story:
- Civilian
- Article ID:
- A7895866
- Contributed on:
- 19 December 2005
Lord Haw-Haw announced that he was going to call out names of POWS. And he said “I’ll 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.”
And he called out this fellow “Watt of Coleraine”. And he gave the name, and the address. I wrote it down, and I wrote a letter immediately in case they hadn’t heard it. And by the letter [of response] they hadn’t 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:
“Dear 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.”
I was not able to catch your son’s Christian name. That’s 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 “The police were looking for you”. I says “What were they looking for me for?” and she says “I don’t know, but they said “when you come in, it doesn’t matter at what time, you are to report at Rosemount Barracks.”
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 “Not at all. I heard that, and I took a note of it”. 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 “Golden Teapot”. The “Golden Teapot” 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 “Golden Teapot” is 3 doors up! The man that got the “Golden Teapot” lived in Florence Ave, and his wife’s still here. The “Golden Teapot” is still around. But they moved to the Waterside.
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