Private Lightning, the German Shepherd dog (Part 2 of 2)

Heroes Remember

Private Lightning, the German Shepherd dog (Part 2 of 2)

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Transcript

When we landed, on the ground, I can see it yet. He spread himself out, he hit the deck, and he ran right around the parachute and collapsed it so the parachute wouldn't drag him across the field, who had taught him that, I don't know. But the word was, whoever was closest to him was to release him from the parachute, so I ran over and released him from the parachute. By that time his keeper came along, and away we went. So anyhow, I didn't see Lightning again, well... yes, we made two or three jumps with him, to qualify we had to make 8 jumps. And uh, then we went back to... Winterbourne those of us that had qualified as parachutists. And, there we formed a new number two forward observer unit. Now it was half Canadian and half British, and as I said before the Canadians were on loan to the British Army. And this was rather unusual... in the fact that I was a gunner or a private, whichever you want to use if you're in the artillery it's a gunner. And I was quite contented to be that, but the first morning we were in the British Army, we went down on sick parade, everybody had to go. And that little corporal in the office made me stand to attention to talk to him, and this to me was an insult. o I said, I'll get that guy if it takes the rest of my life, so I went after three stripes. In three months, I had three stripes.

Description

Mr. Mullin continues with his story of Lightning, and then explains how his unit was on loan to the British 6th Airborne Division. He was a private/gunner, and happy to be so, but tells a story of why he decided to work his way up the ranks.

Bob Mullin

Mr. Mullin worked in the United States as a chauffeur for an American tobacco company prior to enlisting. He left his chauffeur's job in the United States and returned to Canada to enlist. On Sept. 4 1937 in Newcastle, NB he enlisted in the Artillery’s 20th Field Battery. He trained in Britain for four years prior to seeing any action. He fought in the Ardennes salient with the British 6th Airborne Division but he says that there are no records of the British 6th Airborne fighting in the Ardennes because the Americans didn’t want it to be known. He delivered a baby in Germany after being hauled in off the street to help. At the time of this interview Mr. Mullin was living in St. John, NB.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 02:03
Person Interviewed:: Bob Mullin
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Northwest Europe
Battle/Campaign:: Battle of Normandy
Branch:: Army
Units/Ship:: 1st British Airborne, Signals
Rank:: Sergeant
Occupation:: Paratrooper

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Private Lightning, the German Shepherd dog (Part 2 of 2)

Heroes Remember