大象传媒

Thsi story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Dot Cushing with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

During the war I stayed at home with my mother in Holmer. Most of the time I worked in a munitions factory.
My husband-to-be, William John Cushing, had to go to war and was not back until the war ended. He was conscripted in 1940. I went to the station when he caught the train to Berwick on Tweed for his basic training. He then went on to Comptom Verney for more training, ready for his service in the Royal Engineers.
William,, or Bill as we called him, was worried that I might have to go to war. Unmarried women had to enlist in the forces. For this reason we decided not to wait until the war ended before getting married. We had to prepare quickly as we did not know when Bill would be given his one weeks leave to get married. I had a week off work too - my only week off work throughout the war !
Although I wanted a white wedding dress, we couldn't afford it and we didn't have time to makeone. I had an ordinary dress, which I bought in Worcester, in a delphinium blue colour. I had a lovely brown hat and brown shoes. We got a large bouquet of white carnations, tied with a long white ribbon, from the florist. I still have the photo of Bill and me at the church door.
I lived in a row of six cottages. All the neighbours pitched in with ingredients for the cake. My Mum made a one tier cake - it was all we could manage, but it was nicely iced.
We had home made wine at the reception. We had dandelion wine, elderberry wine and parsnip wine. We couldn't buy wine in the shops, or beer or spirits.
We were married in 1944 in Holmer and had the reception in the village hall. It was only a wooden hut then. Most people were able to attend. My brother was in the Navy on HMS Hood. He couldn't get leave to come to the wedding.
Afterwards we had a short honeymoon in Tenby in Wales. We stayed for three or four days with an Aunt and Uncle who lived there
Then it was back to war for Bill and back to the factory for me. We wrote letters every day. Bill was in India when the war ended. He went there to fight the Japs, but the Japs turned tail and ran! He brought me back a pair of wooden elephants, which I stiil have today.

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