大象传媒

Introduction

This article has been submitted on behalf of Angelina O鈥橞rien (n茅e Marcoulatou) from Whitehaven, Cumbria, but who is originally from Greece. During the war, Angelina met and then married her husband Pat O鈥橞rien in Athens, Greece. In this account, Angelina explains how she came to meet Pat, their wedding day and eventually leaving Greece and moving to Britain to start married life with Pat.

Angelina has dictated this story to one of her daughters, Mrs P. Hazel Block. Hazel has written the story on behalf of her mother with the assistance of a family friend, Joseph Ritson, who has posted it to the 大象传媒 鈥淧eople鈥檚 War鈥� website. Angelina, Hazel and Joseph have read and understood the terms of the 大象传媒 鈥淧eople鈥榮 War鈥� website.

It all began with a job application

Pat O鈥橞rien had arrived in Athens, Greece with the British troops in October 1944 to amidst great scenes of jubilation at their arrival. Pat then got a job working for the Anglo-Greek Information Service. It was while Pat was working there, in January 1945, that Angelina Marcoulatou applied for a job. Pat must have liked Angelina, as he later revealed to her he had generally only been employing Greeks with short names that were easy to spell! So that was how Angelina and Pat first met.

Angelina later moved to work in a NAAFI near the seaside and often spoke to Pat. They had their first date on his 30th birthday in May 1945. By then, with the war drawing to a close, Pat had been away from home for almost 6 long years. Any single soldiers who wanted to get married were sent home for 2 months, to give them time to think it over. Straight away, Pat and Angelina knew they had fallen in love with each other and they decided to get married.

The cook was due to leave at that time and didn鈥檛 want to go. Pat applied for his leave and he went home for 2 months, during which time he was demobbec. But as they say, true love will always find a way! Pat swiftly signed up with the 14th/20th King鈥檚 Hussars in the Regular Army and returned to Athens, and Angelina. They now began to arrange their marriage.

When Pat broke the news to his Commanding Officer, he was already able to tell the C.O he had already been home, thought about it and had made his decision. While he had been at home, pat had been very busy planning and arranging everything. His family rallied round and Pat not only returned with the wedding rings, but also material, a coat for Angelina and some red clogs! This was not bad going in the days of rationing! Angelina had the clogs made into shoes with soles made from tyres, and was very proud of them.

Three times married

Angelina鈥檚 father, who was called Panaghyi Marcoulatos, went to see Pat鈥檚 Commanding Officer to see what kind of man his youngest daughter wanted to marry. Father was given an excellent report and thankfully, he left much relieved! Father gave his blessing to the marriage.

Next, Angelina鈥檚 brother Nico went to see the Archbishop Damaskinos to make sure they could marry in the local Greek Orthodox Church. This permission and blessing was also granted. There were different laws, customs and practices to comply with, especially with Pat still being in the Army. Angelina and Pat married at the Greek Orthodox Church. Then, they married at an English church and finally they had a military wedding. So, as Angelina likes to say:

鈥淲e were well and truly married!鈥�

On the day Angelina and Pat were married, 31 December 1945, there was a General Strike in Athens. To make sure Angelina got to the Church, all of them, Pat鈥檚 General sent his jeep for Angelina. Her brother Nico had had to walk miles and pay over the odds for a bouquet of flowers. With all the frenzied excitement of being married, Angelina was so nervous she forgot to take the cellophane off the flowers and the bouquet rustled down the aisle! Pat鈥檚 Army pals clubbed together to get a suckling pig for the wedding feast. It was a tremendously momentous day!

Settling down to married life in Whitehaven

In August 1946 Pat had arranged for Angelina to leave Greece and return to his hometown of Whitehaven, Cumberland (now Cumbria). Angelina travelled overland with other Army wives. Pat left Greece the day after Angelina on a troopship and he had managed to arrange two weeks leave for when Angelina arrived at what was to be their new home.

Unfortunately, Angelina鈥檚 overland journey through war ravaged Europe took four weeks. They had to fly to southern Italy, then take the train through Italy, Austria, Germany and France. Finally, Angelina had to travel to Whitehaven a coastal town in northern England.

When Angelina arrived in Whitehaven she found that she had missed meeting two of Pat鈥檚 sisters, who had just left the town with the husbands they had met and married in the war. Both of them had married Danish fishermen who had left Denmark when the Germans had invaded their country and had fished from the port of Whitehaven during the war. Pat鈥榮 sister Winnie had married Holger Smed and Mary, Pat鈥榮 youngest sister had married Hans Kirk. The extended family was very cosmopolitan!

The new life in England was very different for Angelina, especially the language, culture, religion and food. But, Angelina found out that all the West Cumbrian people were very warm and friendly. To begin with, Angelina lodged with Pat鈥檚 sister Ann Jagger and her family while Pat was posted to West Germany.

Pat was eventually released early from the Army on condition he went back down the mines. Pat told Angelina he remembers this very well. He had bought a 鈥楧aily Mirror鈥� and it was August 1947, just after the William Pit disaster at Whitehaven that happened on 15 August. It told him there had been 104 men killed down one of the town鈥檚 mines. Then he saw, on the front page of the newspaper, a picture of the rescue workers during the rescue including his brother Dennis.

When he arrived home, Angelina remembers Pat telling her that 28 ex-servicemen had been killed in the William Pit disaster. Some of them had survived Japanese Prisoner of War camps, all of them had been right through the war and then they had perished in one of the worst mining disasters Whitehaven had ever seen. You just took it as it went.

Conclusion

This story is just a small part of Angelina鈥檚 experiences that she is currently writing with the help of her daughter Hazel. In the near future Angelina hopes to have three books published: 鈥淎nghela鈥�, 鈥淎ngeliki鈥� and 鈥淎ngelina鈥�. This will be about her life in 3 different countries: Russia, Greece and Britain.

On 31 December 2005 Angelina and Pat celebrated their 60th (Diamond) wedding anniversary with family and friends. Among the many flowers, gifts, card and well wishes they received was a telegram from the Queen and a Papal Blessing from Pope Benedict XVI. This was just one of many happy occasions Angelina and Pat have shared during their years together. Pat and Angelina have 3 children: Mary, Hazel, and John and 3 grandchildren: Mandy and Darren Boardman and Katy Block.

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