大象传媒

I was living in Essex during the war. I was 17 when I met my future husband, he was a Sergeant Armourer in the RAF, stationed at Hornchurch. When in 1944 he was told he would be posted away we decided to get married and had 3 weeks to organise our wedding.

My wedding dress was plain satin, bought with my own coupons and some donated by friends and relations. My lingerie was also satin, homemade and I remember sewing it on a very hot day! I had 4 bridesmaids and had to borrower their dresses. My bouquet was a mixture of blue irises and heather, from the florist.

My sister was very upset and spent the day crying because she was in the ATS, and wasn't allowed leave to attend my wedding.

The ceremony was at 1 o'clock and was followed by a reception in the Church Hall. Friends contributed the ingredients for the wedding cake - it was a single tier with icing but no marzipan. The wedding breakfast was sardines and salad with swiss roll and jelly (made from rennett) to follow. My father took it all to the Church Hall in his wheelbarrow.

I had 3 black and white photographs taken of my wedding day.

My husband had 4 days leave and we spent our honeymoon in Staines by the river Thames. We travelled there by train via London where we stopped for a meal in Lyons Corner House.

Fortunately my husband's posting did not happen immediately and he stayed in Hornchurch until January, 1945 at which time he was posted to India where he stayed for 18 months.

'This story was submitted to the 'People's War' site by Linda Firth of the County Heritage Team on behalf of Joyce Sambridge and has been added to the site with her pernmission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.'

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