大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bernie Hawkins and has been added to the website on behalf of Margaret Whitaker with her permission and she fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My sister鈥檚 fianc茅, a Ryde man, was serving in the Middle East in the Hampshire Regiment under General Montgomery. After leaving North Africa and driving the Germans out of Italy, they reached Austria. Towards the end of the War, the Regiment was granted the Freedom of the City of Winchester and he was one of those chosen to come home for the ceremony. As he had been away for about three years, they decided to get married during his three weeks in GB, before returning to Austria.

My sister borrowed a beautiful dress for herself 鈥� sent over by the Americans for war brides. However, she had a problem getting dresses for her three younger sisters, who were expecting to be bridesmaids. She borrowed clothing coupons from the family and at Pack鈥檚 shop (still there in Ryde), bought three blue satin nightdresses with puffed sleeves. We then purchased 30 yards of butter muslin and some satin ribbon, both off ration. We dyed the muslin with 鈥淔airy鈥� brand dyes. A friend then covered the nightdresses with the muslin, which she made into overdresses, and hid the joins with the ribbon.

The reception was held at the now-demolished 鈥淛ohnnies Duver Club鈥� at Seaview. Towards the end of the reception her new husband said, 鈥淗urry up or we鈥檒l miss the paddle steamer to Portsmouth.鈥� She said, 鈥淚 will when I can get the bridesmaids to take off their dresses 鈥� I need the nightdresses to take with me!鈥�

My own wedding, in June 1942, was very memorable 鈥� but not for the usual reasons!

The reception was held at Henley鈥檚 restaurant at Seaview. The owner was allowed a little extra food for weddings, such as dried egg, half-a-pound of margarine and a little cheese. He said he could manage a salad, potatoes and bread, etc., and a sweet of ice cream. The cake proved difficult, however, as I think the allowance was about half-a-pound of sultanas. A WRNS friend鈥檚 mother spared half-a-pound of prunes, which we cut into tiny pieces to represent currants, and I think the baker found a very small amount of glace cherries! The 鈥渁lmond鈥� paste was made with mainly semolina, flavoured with almond essence, as ground almonds were impossible to find during the War. Icing sugar, even if we had some, was not allowed to be used, so my baker covered the cake in rice paper and sealed the joins with artificial flowers! The cake had to be eaten fairly quickly as, understandably, it wouldn鈥檛 keep.

I slept the night before in the cellar as it was very lively overhead. (There was an ack-ack battery at Nettlestone a mile away.) Two days later, in Southampton, my new father-in-law saw a stick of bombs coming towards him and dropped dead from a heart attack. What a shock!

By this time in the War, the shops were very empty and gifts were often hand-made. We were given thirteen knitted or material-made tea cosies. I鈥檓 still using the last one now! Expectations were not so great then as they are now, but even then they were not the most exciting gifts.

When civilians resident on the Isle of Wight, as well as local service personnel, wished to visit the Island, a permit had to be obtained. When my parents travelled here for my wedding they were told by the police at Portsmouth the actual time of the boat they had to catch and the one on which they were to return 鈥� the same day!

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