Bill Mullins

Bill Mullins, 1911 - 1998

Bill Mullins was born in Clonmel in Co. Tipperary on 15 September 1911 to John and Johanna Mullins née Donegan.

Bill Mullinson the left of the group in Burma

At a young age, Bill emigrated to London and followed his father's footsteps into the British Army. By the time that the Second World War broke out in 1939, Bill was already an experienced soldier. He was in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment.

Bill Mullins in his camp during the war

During the war years, Bill spent time initially in France. He was present during the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. Later, he was stationed in Burma and in India.

In the spring and summer of 1944, his battalion took part in one of the most fierce battles of the entire war: the Battle of Kohima. In this battle, the Allies forced Japan to abandon much of what it had captured in India. This was a turning point for the Allies and it changed the course of the war in the Pacific.

Following the end of the war, Bill remained as a soldier. He took part in boxing competitions in the army and won a number of prizes.

Bill Mullins pictured in the centre of this group

In his 80s, in the mid-1990s, Bill left London and returned to live in Clonmel. He died there at the age of 86 on 12 June 1998.

Bill Mullins after his final return to Clonmel in the late 1990s