大象传媒

MEMORIES OF A WAR-TIME BRIDE, by Adelaide Elizabeth Taylor
as told to her daughter-in law, Kay S. Taylor B.A.

OUR HEROINE AND HER HERO
Adelaide Elizabeth was born in Edmonton, North London, on 17th February 1922, the eldest child of greengrocer George Thomas Smith (1895-1976) and his wife Adelaide Grace (nee Askey) (1896-1995). Three years later her sister Georgina Elsie, known to the world as Ena, was born - the survivor of a twin pregnancy. In 1928 the family was completed with the birth of a son, George Frederick. They all lived together above their shop at 72 Church Street, close to the Rose and Crown, before moving to 3 Latymer Road in 1936 (the house was renumbered as 37 in 1967). After the Church Street shop was demolished, George operated a mobile greengrocery business, delivering throughout the area and selling fruit and vegetables from his van.

By the time war broke out in 1939 Adelaide had left school and was working at her dream job as a Court dress-maker for a prestigious company in London's Regent Street. Her mother was very strict, giving her the 7d fare to get the early 'workman's bus' to town. If Adelaide missed that bus she had to pay the additional fare herself! With hostilities with Germany underway her mother was worried that travelling into central London was far too dangerous and insisted that Adelaide get a job closer to home. So she joined Rego's, a gent's tailors on the Angel Road, Edmonton, where she was employed in making firemen's jackets. Ena left school and also got a job at Rego's, making trousers for soldiers. The garments were moved along a conveyor belt with each worker having their own specific task to perform. Making the uniforms was paid at piece-work rates so time was precious, and having to wait for repair engineers could be costly. One day Ena needed the belt changed on her machine and, as the men were too slow, she decided to do the job herself. This proved to be a foolish decision as she had an accident, which left her with a bad gash on her forehead. Despite this misfortune the sisters continued to work at Rego's until the business burnt down in 1940.

The hero of this story is Frank Harold who was born on 4th June 1919, the youngest child of the large family of boot repairer Harold Bent Taylor (1877-1959) and Alice Emma (nee Hardesty) (1878-1924). Alice died when Frank was a toddler so he was taken in and brought up by his oldest brother Jack and his new wife Jessie. Over the next few years their family grew with the births of three daughters, Jessie, Doris, and Iris - know to all as Topsy. Harold married a Mrs Hall who joined the family with her children. Young Jessie Taylor and Adelaide Smith were close friends, so it was inevitable that Adelaide would meet Jessie's 'big brother' Frank.

After school Frank took a job at the Slipper factory in Edmonton, and then as a milk roundsman before opting for a career in the Royal Navy. He volunteered for a period of 12 years on 25th October 1938 and was placed in the Portsmouth Port Division, where he began his training as a cook. At the start of the war he was serving as an assistant cook on the HMS Effingham. He soon learnt that the best way to peel large quantities of potatoes was to trail them in a sack in the churning wake of the ship. This worked a treat unless the sack broke loose and all the potatoes were lost! From the Effingham Frank moved on to the minesweepers, which earned him an extra shilling a week in danger money, and in December 1941 he was awarded his silver minesweeper's badge.

THE WAR COMES TO EDMONTON
When home on leave Frank continued to live with his brother Jack and sister-in-law Jessie. During the Blitz he made frequent visits to the Smiths to make sure that Adelaide was alright. The Smiths' home only suffered a problem once, when a land-mine dropped in nearby Graham Gardens. At the time the whole family had taken refuge in the Anderson shelter in the back garden and the force of the blast blew out the shelter door. Adelaide senior was so worried that she made everyone leave the shelter for safety. The house bore the affects of the blast with lots of cracks appearing in the walls, but these were soon repaired by Frank's step-brother. During this period George, an army veteran of the First World War, would often stop his greengrocery lorry in Church Street, when out on his rounds, so he could watch the aeroplane dog fights in the skies overhead - much to the concern of his wife.

George and Ada were very supportive of the young people taking every available opportunity to enjoy themselves, and their dining room was frequently stripped of its furniture to make room for dancing. Family friends Ted and Jimmy Donovan were regulars at these get-togethers, as was Stan Mason, the son of the Tottenham Hotspur football boss, who married one of the Donovan girls. George kept a swear box which he made sure was used by all offenders - including himself. The money he raised was given to the boys for beer money whenever they came home on leave.

A WAR-TIME WEDDING
Adelaide and Frank set their wedding day for 1st August 1942, six months after Adelaide's 20th birthday and on her parent's 22nd wedding anniversary. Although wartime rationing was in place the couple were determined to celebrate in style and had sufficient contacts through George Smith's business associates to ensure that there would be no shortages on the day. His work as a greengrocer meant he had many pals in the food trade and was able to procure everything from butter and sugar to ample quantities of fresh meat - which were stored in the fridges of the local butcher Mr Smeeton in the run up to the big day. George also knew someone who was able to provide the bride with a beautiful wedding bouquet. The three-tier iced fruit cake was made by Lewis the baker, who decorated the top tier with anchors. Unfortunately the only photograph taken of the cake did not come out as it was taken in front of a large mirror and was spoilt by the reflections. The photographer was the son of Mr Lesley who ran the toy shop at the junction of Town Road and Hertford Road and fortunately all the other photographs turned out well. The bride's parents had also acquired enough material for the wedding dress and four bridesmaids' dresses. Adelaide's friend Elsie Roddy made her a traditional white full-length dress and Adelaide herself made the bridesmaid's dresses, two in turquoise and two in lavender. Regardless of petrol rationing George laid on cars to take the bridal party the few hundred yards from the house to the church, so they could arrive in style.

The groom was reluctant to have the banns called on his ship for fear that he would be forced to sail again and miss the ceremony. This meant that he did not have the relevant certificate of proof to give to the Rev. Stanley Knight, vicar of All Saints Church, Edmonton. An understanding Rev. Knight sorted out the paperwork to enable the wedding to go ahead. (As Frank's home address was also in the parish of All Saints where the banns had been properly read the problem was easily overcome). The Navy was less understanding when Frank took an unofficial extra day's leave after the wedding, and they docked him one day's pay.

After the ceremony the guests were invited back to the Smith family home where the partying continued for three whole days (and nights), with much drinking and singing around the piano. Some of the guests had turned up at the reception with items saved out of their own rations, thinking it would help out with the wedding breakfast, only to find a veritable feast laid on. The couple did not have a honeymoon, and at the end of his week Frank had to return to duty. Although now a married woman Adelaide remained living at home with her parents, sister and brother. However the couple made the most of an opportunity to spend a while together when Frank was posted to Plymouth. They were billeted in the centre of the town with a woman who took in washing for the Navy. She rented a three bedroom cottage from the council and charged 30/- per week for them to have the dining room and a bedroom. They had to share the bathroom and kitchen and Adelaide helped her landlady with the washing, which was hung to dry on bushes around the garden. A perk of this posting was that they frequently enjoyed fresh fish off the boats.

WAR WORK ON THE HOME FRONT
With Frank back at sea Adelaide returned to Edmonton where she and Ena were working in Enfield at the Southbury Road factory of Carter Patterson producing the intermediate wings and tail planes for Halifax bombers. Adelaide was a quality control inspector and had to check and approve the first item off the production line before the men were given the go-ahead to proceed with the production run. She did not like working on the tail planes but had to do it. She did so well that she received promotion, although the men did not always appreciate her efforts as she refused to pass any job where the riveting was poor. On one occasion she was perturbed to see that the metal was bending and was unhappy with the quality of the whole production run. Despite the men's protests that it would be alright she reported her concerns to the governor who approved her actions and ordered that the entire consignment be scrapped. The men lost their production bonuses.

TOGETHER AGAIN
As a war bride Adelaide did not see much of her new husband and in desperation she wrote to both the Admiralty and the newspapers. She complained that they had no children because the Admiralty kept sending Frank away on tours of duty. Her letter to the newspaper was addressed to Mr Anon Swaffa who wrote for one of the main daily papers. She did not receive a written reply to her letters but the Navy decided to send Frank to be the chief cook at the Royal Naval hospital on the Orkneys, and Adelaide was permitted to go with him. The couple travelled up to their new home locked into an Admiralty train that was transporting injured sailors to the hospital.

Home turned out to be an isolated crofter's cottage overlooking a bay. It was a single story building with one large room, in which they lived and slept. Cooking was done on the peat fire in that room. All their water came from a well to the side of the cottage and they had a small scullery in which to wash both their clothes and themselves. The primitive toilet emptied directly into the sea. There were no roads on their part of the island and they travelled about on push bikes. The views on the island were spectacular and they often watched the seals playing in bay. Frank was friendly with the driver of the admiral's car who often picked them up to go to see entertainments at the garrison theatre. After the show everyone would socialise over a few drinks but Adelaide preferred to refuse to drink and accept chocolate instead.

While in the Orkneys they received some sad news from home. Ena had been working in a factory when it was hit by a "doodle bug". Although she was not physically injured the mental trauma she underwent was extremely severe, leaving her mentally disabled for life. Shortly after this Frank was transferred back to active duty and Adelaide faced the possibility of being stranded on the Orkneys. Frank lied by telling the Admiralty that she was pregnant in order to get permission for her to travel back with him. With Frank back at sea Adelaide moved back home to her parents until the end of the war.
Whenever they were apart Frank wrote letters home telling Adelaide of his adventures. She carefully stored these treasured letters in a pouffe茅 for safe-keeping. After the war Adelaide took pity on a poor family with no furniture and gave away the pouffe茅, forgetting to remove her letters first and so, unfortunately, an interesting part of the family's history was lost.

THE RETURN TO PEACE
The end of the war in Europe came in 1945 but celebrations for VE Night were muted in the Smith household. Ena was home from hospital but still in a state of extreme shock. A neighbour, Mrs Hewitt, organised a street party but the noise of the festivities was too much for Ena to bear. Frank was away in Hong Kong in the Pacific arena and Adelaide could not celebrate properly until he came home. It was not until August 1949 that Frank received medals in full recognition of his wartime service. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Africa Star, the Pacific Star, and the War Medal. He had already been awarded his silver Minesweeper badge in 1941. His Certificate of Service also shows that he received a share of the Royal Naval Prize Fund in September 1949.

This was not the end of naval life for the couple as Frank had signed up for 12 years back in 1938 and the Navy was in no hurry to dispense with his services. He spent some time back at the Victory Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth, but between 1946 and 1952 he served on the aircraft carrier HMS Glory, other frigates and at various naval bases. During this continued service Frank and Adelaide had been able to set up home together, renting a flat at 20 Latymer Road, opposite the Smith family home where Ena was being cared for. In September 1949 Adelaide gave birth to their long awaited child, who they named Alan George. Frank was enrolled to the Royal Fleet Reserve in April 1952 and in March 1957 he was finally released on a 'Free Discharge' and transferred to the R. N. Emergency Reserve (Special List).

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