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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2003-09 > 1062890487


From: "Pat Belanger" <>
Subject: RE: [WarBrides] Accommodation
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 19:21:28 -0400
In-Reply-To: <002301c374c2$18fb84c0$89348051@EAGUYVER>


I guess my mother was one of the lucky ones - we were both welcomed with
open arms by my father's family - my father was still overseas when we
arrived in Chatham, Ontario. In fact, I was the apple of my grandad's
eye.

Pat

-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth-Angela Guyver [mailto:]
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 5:59 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Accommodation

That was so good to read Joan

I am was not born until Sept 1945 so never knew the war years but my
best
friends mother was a war bride and was so badly treated she returned
home
within 5 years. Most of my Mothers cousins who went had better
treatment.

Take Care

Beth Guyver

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Crocker" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 6:45 PM
Subject: Re: [WarBrides] Accommodation


> From: <>
>
> > When war brides arrived at their destination, were the authorities
in
the
> > country that they arrived in, helpful with finding accommodation,
> especially if
> > the war brides had babies. Or, was this left up to the husband to
make
> housing
> > arrangements for his new wife.
> >
> > Where did you start your new life from?
>
> This has answered a question I had for you....I did not know quite
> what you needed in the way of stories and was going to ask if an
account
of
> the arrival was a good place to start. I am afraid my story of this
is
> not pleasant and I would like to know if my experiences were unusual
or
> whether others had similar ones.
>
> We sailed from Greenock, Scotland after a long trip from London with
all
the
> train windows shuttered and the doors locked, with strict instructions
not
> to open any of them or talk to anyone. No food was provided on this
trip
> but my friend and I had brought picnic parcels. Embarking went
fairly
> smoothly...some rather stale doughnuts and an unidentifiable liquid in
Naafi
> mugs were handed as we queued up out but things were much improved at
our
> first meal on board....I saw white bread for the first time in about
four
> years.
>
> I arrived on the Acquitania on February 14th, 1945. We were in
convoy
for
> the first couple of days and did not take our clothes off but after
that
we
> separated and went on our own as the ship was much faster than the
convoy
> could travel. It was still a troopship with returning military,
wounded,
> prisoners of war and warbrides,
> both Canadian and American. Officers wives were on the first class
deck,
> 8 to a cabin on bunks, many with babies....The ranks wives were on the
lower
> decks, often in larger accommodations and eating in mess halls not the
> dining rooms. I had a school friend travelling at the same time so I
was
> able to see where this was.
>
> There were armed guards at the ends of each companionway, even if
there
were
> married couples the husband was not allowed down to where the wife
was.
Of
> the eight in my cabin all but myself and an American Red Cross worker
were
> not seasick,,,some of the others including a late in pregnancy one
were
very
> sick....only two bowls and a toilet to cope with the nausea. If you
wanted
> medication you had to go to sick bay and get it yourself so I spent a
lot
of
> time running down there, holding a towel to my face so the medics
didn't
> recognise me when I came back again and again to get the seasick
pills.
I
> also carried the babies up to the husbands to look after while the
wives
> were sick. The ship was packed...even hammocks slung from the walls
in
> tiers. The American Red Cross gal disappeared as soon as she got up
and I
> found out later she spent the entire trip playing poker with some of
the
> G.I's on board.
>
> The unpleasantness started when we disembarked...the pregnant wife
from my
> cabin could hardly stand, I and a Wing Commander's wife supported her
as
> best we could while waiting for Customs and
> Immigration...these officials stood around making quite audible
remarks
> about the wives appearances, no signs of a wheelchair or other
help....we
> had to approach the desk one by one and as the pregnant wife started
forward
> one of the officials came towards her, we thought to help her but all
he
did
> was grab her arm and jerk her forward towards the desk saying. "Our
wives
> have babies too, but they don't make such a fuss about it." She fell
and
> we had to pick her up...again no help. The Wing commander's wife was
> furious,
> saying she had connections and all this would be reported.
>
> Next was the train....I saw someone in another message mention they
had
> Pullman booths...not for us...we had the oldest trains with wooden
slat
> seats.....we were in the last car and had to go through three cars of
> soldiers, mostly Highland Light Infantry.....who catcalled, grabbed
us,
> tried to put their hands up our skirts etc etc....luckily some of us
had
> slacks on. After one trip like this most of us opted to do without
going
to
> the dining room, the return trip from it was just as bad. I was done
in
by
> the time we even got to Montreal and the pregnant one had to be taken
off
on
> a stretcher
> in Toronto.
>
> The one bright spot in the whole thing was the porter, a black man,
> who ran himself silly trying to help us, heating baby bottles, getting
off
> at the stations trying to check up on the ones buying things, there
were
> hawkers at every stop who did not give the right change or charge the
right
> amounts.....I wish I had known his name, he deserved a medal.
>
> When we reached Toronto I was called out of the line, my
brother-in-law
had
> some connection with the Red Cross officials and my husband and I had
our
> picture on the front page of the paper, can't remember whether it was
the
> Telegram or the Star....I took this opportunity to tell the officials
of
the
> treatment the pregnant wife had received and was assured it would be
looked
> into.....I heard later the Wing Commander's wife had also complained
and
> action was taken about it.....sadly I also heard the wife had lost the
> baby....there was quite a stink about it.
>
> I did find it hard to hear the Canadians complaining bitterly about
their
> rationing.....I put on about twenty pounds on it in the first few
weeks
and
> being able to buy clothes without coupons was heaven. I had traveled
in
a
> coat made from a plush pile bed coverlet. Things did improve after
> this...no problems with the in-laws, I had met both my husband's
brothers
in
> England and had letters and parcels from his mother and sisters. But
some
> of the towns people were a different story, many had had boy friends
who
> married overseas
> and understandably were not chuffed at losing them.
>
> Hope this is not too long a story for your purposes...just give me an
idea
> of what you need...have quite a few more.
>
> m
>
>
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