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This story has been submitted to the People’s War website by Peter Quinn of the Lancs Home Guard on behalf of Peter Rowley, Florence’s son-in-law and has been added to the site with his permission…

During the war, my mother-in-law, Florence Wilde had two sons away on active service. She decided to entertain the American soldiers from Weeton Camp at her home in Bloomfield Road, Blackpool.
She did this right the way through the war and befriended hundreds of American G I’s.
In recognition of her kindness, she was invited to Burtonwood Camp by the U S Army and was introduced to Irving Berlin, Bob Hope and General Widdel-Smith the commanding officer.
She afterwards set up a G I’s Association to assist parents visiting their daughters who had married soldiers and gone to live in the USA.

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