大象传媒

Eddie,a Leeds tailor's cutter, and, during the war, a Gunner in 67th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery,was posted to France, as a member of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.Along with thousands of others he was evacuated from Dunkirk six months later.

Having been re-patriated he and other fellow gunners were put on a train to an unknown (to them) destination.
Imagine Eddie's surprise when he discovered that journey's end was Leeds!

Having de-trained they were marched along Wellington Street from the station to the Majestic Cinema, where they were fed and rested for a short while. Eddie was standing outside in City Square, unable to contact his fiancee Annie or any of his family, when suddenly he heard someone calling his name! It was his cousin May, who like the rest of his family knew nothing of his circumstances, except that he had been posted missing. She was so excited! She hugged and kissed him!

But Eddie was about to be moved out - marched with the others to Moortown Corner, from where they would be allocated billets with local families.

May ran home to tell the rest of the family the good news. Her brother, Harry, was a coalman, who had a car and petrol. They drove off to pick up Annie and headed off from the East End Park area up through Harehills,along Street Lane to The Corner House at Moortown.

There, Eddie had told his Billeting Officer that he was from Leeds and asked if he could not stay at home. This, he was told was not really allowed, but if he reported to his designated accomodation then probably there would be no check made of him!

Meanwhile the overjoyed family had arrived and Eddie applied for and was granted a 48hr pass and a marriage licence!!

Annie and Eddie were married at St Patrick's Church, York Road, Leeds on 22nd June 1940 and one day later Eddie was back with his regiment.

Not for another six years, when Eddie returned to Leeds, after surviving the North Africa and Italy campaigns, did they finally settle down together in their own home.

Sixty five years after these events following the Dunkirk Evacuation Eddie and Annie are still happily married.

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