大象传媒

In the spring of 1943, Harold was actually given leave to come home and before he boarded the ship at Columbo, he sent me a telegram in code. When the telegram came I was on duty at the hospital and my mother rang through to tell me and I was very excited. They came by an escorted troop ship all the way round Capetown where they stopped for a few weeks. I started making plans for the wedding, all clothes were on coupons, mother gave me all hers and my father's (and he never knew). Broadbents, the local department store, made my dress and I borrowed my sister's veil, which was good as new.

The ship landed in Liverpool on 1 September 1943 and what a shock to Harold to see his city bombed beyond all recognition. I was on a week's holiday at my sister's when the phone rang quite late one night. It was he. Harold had rung Southport and mother gave him the number. We met the next day and neither of us could hardly believe it, it seemed very strange.

Presents were opened and then I took Harold round visiting Ormskirk, the Carrs of course. We arranged the wedding for 18 September at Christ Church, Lord Street, Southport and we managed to get the minster from Lydiate to officiate. My parents booked the reception at the Scarisbrick Hotel and they did us proud, considering that catering wasn't easy in those days with the rationing, etc. We were married on a lovely summer's day and all went well.

Harold had a month's leave so we had a fortnight honeymoon at Llandudno, and when we returned we lived with my parents. Harold's next station was Bicester near Oxford and I went back to the hospital, after all we were still at war and Harold was in the RAF.

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