大象传媒

This photograph was taken on a beautiful Summer's day in 1951; a happy occasion as family members join together to celebrate a Wedding.

But what of ww2 do you ask? Just open your eyes, and realise what actually lies beyond this seemingly ordinary family group.

To the right of the Groom is his older brother,who acted as Best Man;with their eldest sister on the extreme right as Matron of Honour. The Groom's younger sister remained at home looking after her young family. The Groom lays his hand gently on the shoulder of his nephew, who is the Page Boy. To the left of the Bride is her older brother (who gave her away in marriage that day); her older Sister stands on the extreme left as Matron of Honour with her daughter (niece to both Bride and Groom) as the Flower Girl who stands in front of her Mother. It was an innocent day with no dark shadows of the past decade.

The Matron of Honour (extreme right)
The Groom's elder sister had to have her precious ringlets cut to enable her to wear the brown felt hat, to annouce that she had joined the ranks of the Land Army during ww2. She worked on farms within the Vale of Glamorgan, and the Groom could well remember the times he took his sister on their rare visits together to the cinema. In darkness, the Usherette would take their tickets and shine her torch indicating the direction of their seats. Clunk! Thud! went each step downwards to the front, hatless, but with a woollen jumper, jodphur like trousers, and with the sound of her heavy hob nailed boots heralding the fact that Land Army personnel were in the building. The younger brother wished that the floor would open up and swallow him. She followed her wartime career until the time she married a local farm worker (who had remained in a reserved occupation) in February, 1940 at Llandaff. Sadly, the couple lost their first child in 1941; and when their second son arrived safely in August 1944, his Father gave him the name Stanley as his middle name. His brother, Stanley, had fallen in battle on the beaches of France, and this ensured that his name would live on. The Groom could remember holding the baby in his arms, eyes full of tears on the death of his brother in law, as he acknowledged that this child, who was now 13 months old, would continue his life with only his Mother and himself to guide him.

The Best Man
The Best Man after having led a Spartan like existence as a youth labouring on farms in West Wales, joined the RAF in 1936, he was quickly promoted, but always remained close to those friends among what was referred to as the 'lower ranks' of that day. He met his wife at a Wedding in Odiham, Hampshire in September 1938; and they celebrated their Marriage on 4th April 1942 at Mitchum Lane Baptist Church, Streatham, in London.

His escape from Dunkirk in 1944 was miraculous in itself due to the fact that he was rescued near Boulogne, and his journey to England was fraught with danger as he was aboard an ammunitions ship. He arrived back in Britain in just the clothes he wore - leaving all his belongings (including a photograph of his wife) behind on French soil. Amidst the horror of crashed planes, and darkened areas; he led a convoy of vehicles, all trucks carrying Hydrogen Gas from the South of England up to Inverness in Scotland, facing the blackout, and with no road signs. For this action he received a Letter of Commendation from the Air Ministry for a job well done. But he never talked in great detail about his ww2 experiences.

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