大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer on behalf of Mrs Alberg and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Alberg understands the site's terms and conditions.

It must have been a year since I learned that my American cousin Ed, a Lieutenant in the American Airforce was missing having finished his last bombing mission over Dusseldorf, Germany. Although we were first cousins, when he arrived in London and visited my family, he looked so handsome in his officer's uniform - eventually we fell in love - I was 18 and he 21. Our parents had given their conscent and it was agreed that we would marry after the war had ended..However, returning from his last bombing mission he just disappeare out of my life.

Eventually, I learned that on his return to England his plane had been shot down and as a result he had been badly wounded and unbeknon to me, had been sent back to the States to a hospital for Servicemen.

Almost a year had passed, and still no news. I didn't want to see friends, and instead threw myself into work at a bank in Moorgate in the city, which I enjoyed very much and came home every evening to my parents.

That particular evening was no different to any other. At 5.15 pm I left my office and walked the short distance to Bank Station where I caught the 5.30 train. I was feeling more than a little tired and, as always, I put my case on the floor and held tight onto the strap whilst reading my evening paper. The war was over and most of the boys who had been demobbed from the forces could be picked out because they all wore the similar striped suits which had been given to them. The train, as with most evenings, was crowded and usually the men raced for the seats鈥nd so, as usual, I was left strap-hanging.

Engrossed in my paper, suddenly I heard a quietly spoken man鈥檚 voice: 鈥淓xcuse me, would you like a seat?鈥� At first I ignored the gesture, and then he repeated the question as if I hadn鈥檛 heard. I turned around, said 鈥渢hank you鈥� and sat down. I put my paper down, looked up and saw this tall dark-haired handsome stranger smiling at me. I got off the train at West Finchley Station, looked around but he had disappeared. I felt a strange disappointment.

That evening, I was restless; I had had dinner but couldn鈥檛 relax which was unusual for me after a day鈥檚 work. I suddenly remembered that there was a social club not too far away and I decided to go for the first time, as I hadn鈥檛 been out since my cousin had disappeared. Hesitantly I went up the steps, rang the bell and was surprised when this dark handsome man opened the door鈥t was the same person who had given me the seat on the train. He looked at me and said: 鈥渉aven鈥檛 we met before鈥�?鈥�

We sat talking most of the evening 鈥� he was the chairman of the club 鈥� and we finished the evening dancing together to the music of Glen Miller 鈥淭he Moonlight Serenade鈥� which is still my favourite. He asked if he could take me home, which of course I was happy to accept.

At West Finchley Station the next morning I found him waiting for me and we travelled to the city together. I left the train at Moorgate and walked the short distance to my office and felt for the first time in ages, an excitement within me.

To my delight I found that Frank was very romantic鈥he following day a cellophane box containing one red rose arrived and was handed to the messenger on the ground floor, then to the messenger on the first floor, then to the messenger on the second floor, and finally to me. By this time, the whole Bank knew about it which became quite embarrassing. I then began to receive a rose every month.

Frank, who had been serving with the Royal Air Force for 5 years waited for me every night outside the Bank and we would travel home together. Getting off the train we would walk hand near to where I lived. A few months later we were engaged and were married a year later in October 1949. In 2004, we celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary..and if one believes in destiny as I do, then it was supposed to have happened just like this.

After Frank and I were married I learned from my Aunt in the USA that Ed, who had suffered from amnesia, had been in hospital a very long time and eventually married his nurse. Apparently, several times he would try to climb out of the window thinking he was parachuting out of his plane.

Many years later, Frank and I were invited to a family party in Virginia, USA where Ed had also been invited. I didn鈥檛 know about this until; I reached New York. We hadn鈥檛 seen each other since the time he had left England and I was so excited at the thought of seeing him again. As we were looking for one another, he suddenly spotted me and ran up to put his arms around me. He asked if we could go somewhere to talk 鈥� Frank didn鈥檛 mind as he was aware of what had happened all those years ago, but Ed鈥檚 wife wasn鈥檛 too pleased and stopped us, which I thought was quite strange considering the time we hadn鈥檛 seen one another. It was so wonderful seeing him; we had so much to talk about and, of course, we had both changed and got older, but he was still the same handsome 鈥淵ank鈥� I had once loved.

A few months later, Ed phoned to say that he was coming to London with his wife, mainly to go over old ground such as the US base from where he flew his missions (32 in all) and would love to see Frank and I. We met them at his hotel, had dinner and didn鈥檛 stop talking about the war and things he had forgotten but wanted so much to remember. His wife seemed a little uncomfortable so Frank and I left earlier than we had expected which seemed wiser than going down 鈥渕emory lane鈥�.

Sadly, a few months later, Ed鈥檚 sister phoned to say that her brother had died. I was devastated because I had hoped we would see one another again 鈥� Frank understood how I felt and was very sorry about it all.

The strangest thing happened a few months ago. Ed鈥檚 son wrote to tell me that he and his mother were coming to London from the US. I was quite surprised because I had heard that she wasn鈥檛 too well and was in a wheelchair. Apparently she wanted to see me. The fact that we had never communicated or been friends seemed very strange. Frank and I met them in a hotel in London for lunch. Frank was invited by her son o go and have a drink at the bar. This left his mother and I alone. I sat with her and was shocked when she said that she wanted to speak to me alone. She told me that the reason she had come to London was to talk about Ed.

She said that she had nursed Ed in a hospital in the US after his crash landing ordeal in England. They had eventually married and had children. However, apparently Ed had often thought about me and wanted desperately to come back to London. But she had always managed to prevent him from doing so. She explained 鈥淚 knew how much you had been in love because even whilst semi conscious during his illness, he would mention your name. But I threatened to leave him if he left for London.鈥�

I stood up and looked at her with disbelief. I could not believe this to be true..it was so long ago..both of us had married鈥nd she had come over to London especially to tell me this.

When Frank came back to the table I said we had to go and wished her and her son a safe journey home.

When I returned home, I went top the bedroom, opened my jewellery box and tearfully looked at the 鈥淕raduation Ring鈥� which I had kept all those years from Ed as a symbol of our engagement鈥 held it in my hand.

Frank and I have been happily married for 55 years and pray we will be together for many more..but who knows..we try to enjoy every moment we have together.

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