War veteran, 103, gets second vaccine dose

ONE of Tyrone’s oldest citizens is relishing the return to normality after receiving his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine at the age of 103.

But Bob Lingwood from Omagh hasn’t let the crisis get the better of him and says the restrictions of the past year have been like a ‘baby’ compared to those that he faced in the Far East during World War Two.

Originally from London, Mr Lingwood has been keeping up with all his charity and community work via a series of Zoom meetings in the past year.

He received his second dose in Omagh last Wednesday and has stressed the importance of staying positive.

“It was as easy as anything to just go in and get the vaccine for the second time. It was, once again, completely painless.

“We’ve taken precautions and been careful during the past year, but I’ve had a good crack at life and didn’t worry too much,” he said.

“Getting the vaccine means that hopefully we can now see the end of this tunnel.

“I’m involved in quite a lot of charity work and the only difference has been that the meetings and events have gone online to Zoom. It’s amazing the way in which everyone has adapted to that remote working.

Mr Lingwood was born during the Spanish flu which lasted for several years from 1918 until 1920. Obviously, Bob doesn’t remember anything about it, but says the current pandemic hasn’t had a massive impact on his life.

“The only similar experience that I’ve had to what’s going on now was during the war,” he added. “I got married here in Northern Ireland in 1942 and then had to travel away. People forget that the soldiers who, like me were posted overseas, didn’t see their families for four years.

“I got posted to the Middle East and never saw my wife for three and a half years. So, this kind of pandemic is a baby compared with that.”