大象传媒

This contribution to WW2 People's War website was received by the Action Desk at 大象传媒 Radio Norfolk, with the permission and on behalf of Joan Whittingham and submitted to the website by the Wymondham Learning Centre.

It took my fianc茅e Syd five weeks to reach Rawalpindi on the troopship 鈥淓mpress of India.鈥� After some time there he was posted to Kowloon, Hong Kong. Syd contracted dysentery in Kowloon and became very ill and thin. It was a sad time for us because we were separated for two years. We wrote to each other every day.

In the meantime I enjoyed my spare time in Gateshead doing embroidery. I still have the tray-cloths I worked then. After a while I was posted to Slough, Buckinghamshire, stationed at a big trading estate not far from Stoke Poges, where my father鈥檚 uncle Arthur and his family lived. I had never met them before but they made me most welcome and I still correspond with Muriel, one of the daughters.

In early1945 our troops were doing well abroad with the allies advancing on all fronts. At Slough plans were made for future celebrations in anticipation of the end of the war. I was chosen to be in the victory parade to be held in London. We practised marching daily, all our equipment kept spotless and shining ready for the big day. We were very proud to have been selected. Eventually the end of the war arrived and the parade was set for the 8th of May, V.E. day.

What a time that was. There were flags everywhere, people streaming into London till it seemed to overflow. It was a lovely sunny day. All the hundreds of personnel in the victory march were transported in lorries to various halls in London. I felt very proud marching along the streets with all the bands playing and all the different units and nationalities. It was a marvellous sight and a wonderful feeling to be there. Afterwards we went to a large hall for refreshments and then were dismissed so that we could join in the celebrations. There were lots of street parties with people enjoying sandwiches and jellies. The celebrations went on for most of the night. Trafalgar Square was a sea of people drinking and dancing. It was such fun and such a relief that war was over in Europe.

We were still at war with Japan. Syd鈥檚 sister Nancy鈥檚 husband was still fighting in the Far East. The conditions were atrocious for our troops. Many contracted tropical diseases and many of those who did return suffered from ill health for the rest of their lives. They had to contend with humid heat, and jungle warfare at which the Japanese were skilled. The torture suffered by prisoners was awful. Finally, on August 6th 1945, the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and on September 2nd the Japanese formally surrendered, bringing the war to a close.

Now the war was over the main topic of conversation among us girls was when we were likely to be demobbed. It was over a year before that happened.

Syd remained in Kowloon. On January 3rd 1947 I received a letter from him saying he was third on the waiting list for leave. I was so excited that at long last I would see him again. A few weeks later I got a telegram to say that he was home, and could I get leave?
I was given a week鈥檚 leave immediately. We had a lovely time together, visiting all the family. I kept applying for leave, as I hadn鈥檛 seen him for two years. In the end we had the whole month together which was marvellous. We stayed part of the time with my family, who had returned to Gorleston in 1946. I have a photo of the two of us walking along the beach, Syd sporting an Australian hat with one side of the brim turned up.

When Syd鈥檚 month鈥檚 leave ended he was told that he was likely to be demobbed within the next few months and was therefore not being sent back to Kowloon but to Great Missenden. Although it was good that he didn鈥檛 have to return to Hong Kong he was annoyed that all his personal belongings, including a kitbag full of all the letters I had written to him, were still out there. He never did get any of his things back.

When Syd was demobbed he was issued with the standard grey pin striped suit, white shirt, overcoat, underwear, socks and black leather shoes. I have a photo of him in that suit, which he wore for years. Clothes had to last a long time in those frugal days after the war. They were rationed until the 1950鈥檚. Syd went back to his pre-war job at the Co-op, where he had served his apprenticeship in cabinet making.

I was demobbed on March 26th, 1947. It was rather a shame, as I had been acting sergeant for a while and was due to be promoted. Unlike the men,women in the forces didn鈥檛 receive clothes when they were demobbed. All we had was our gratuity pay; about thirty pounds, varying slightly according to rank, and a rail ticket to get us home.

I returned to Gorleston. Brother John was still at school. Sister Mary was engaged to Arthur Smith, who was in the Royal Navy and based at Lowestoft. I got a job at Palmers, where Mary worked in the china department. We both bought lots of china for our prospective weddings.

Syd and I were married on December 20th 1947 at St. Andrew鈥檚 church in Gorleston. and after a lovely week on honeymoon in Felixtowe started married life as civilians in post-war Britain.

Syd died of a brain tumor on January 27th, 1963, in the year our sons Ian and David turned eleven and David seven. At thirtysix I was a widow facing an uncertain future. But that鈥檚 long after the war, and another story.

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