大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Elizabeth Perez of Stockport Libraries on behalf of Bill Stafford and has been added to the site with his permission. Bill Stafford fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Bill Stafford鈥檚 Memoirs 5 鈥� a R.A.F. barber 鈥� Romance and Marriage in Occupied Germany

Bill had just returned to Bad Eilsen in Germany after leave in the UK鈥�..

鈥淚 took a while to settle down, after leave in the U.K, but I was kept very busy which helped. Whilst I had been away educational programmes had been introduced, so I enrolled to study French and German, for although by now I could speak them reasonably well, I was not grammatically good, and as I had made such good friends both in Brussels and Bad Eilsen. I wanted to be able to keep in touch by writing. These studies took up three evenings per week and with the dance on Friday nights, I had a full life again.

It was as I was on my way to one of these dances I was walking towards the village hall where they were held, when I came upon an Airman and a W.A.A F. who were conversing on the pavement, As I reached them the airman stopped me and asked if I was going to the dance. I replied "Yes I was" He then said that the girl he was talking to, was new to our unit, and that she did not know where the hall was, and asked if she could tag along. We introduced ourselves and off we trotted. I thought that-my new found friend was one of the most refreshingly beautiful and smartly presented W.A.A.F.s that I had come across, (and I knew them all). She wore no make-up, she did not need it, she had a wonderfully fresh complexion, with just a few freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her hair was styled perfectly with a roll that fitted neatly around and under the base of her hat. Her uniform was very clean and well pressed, and she looked immaculate. Naturally we danced! With her being a new-comer she did not know anyone at the dance and I stayed with her until the last waltz, following which I just had to show her back to her billet, didn't I? I had suddenly found out where 鈥淐loud Nine was鈥�.

We arranged to meet again and again and again and again. There was a very large oak tree a few yards to the front of my salon. When I returned from my evening classes. I would find her waiting for me under the tree. I could not get back fast enough. This could only mean one thing. We were definitely in love. As time passed we became inseparable and by now demobilisation had begun, so that we started to wonder about what was going to happen to us. The time for demob depended on one鈥檚 age coupled to one鈥檚 length of service, and as I had six and a half years plus a week or so, it looked as if I would soon have to leave my Edna who had about four and a half years service and was a year younger than me. Fate came to my rescue. If the needs of the service decreed, key personnel could have their demob delayed by up to six months. At the discretion of the C.O., Air Vice Marshall Hopps so decreed. At the same time offering to find me a job at the Officers Outfitters together with a flat in London, so that he could have his haircut by me when he was there. I was glad of the delay (Edna was worth it). The job in London I was not too sure about.

To fully appreciate what follows I must say a little about Edna's background. Edna was a highly skilled stenographer and almost from the beginning of her service, she worked directly for General Eisenhower at his headquarters, in London, and in no small way helped in the planning of Operation Overlord. I say in no small way, because for her efforts she was awarded the 鈥淥ak Leaf鈥� (mentioned in despatches) and you don't get this for nothing!!! After coming to Bad Eilsen she worked in the same capacity for all the senior high-ranking officers, from Sir Sholto down. This meant that she was, if anything, more at home with the top brass than I was myself, and I know for a fact that her work and her understanding for confidentiality was greatly appreciated. Our combined unique relationships with our officers helps to explain the very special treatment which we received during our last weeks in the R.A.F..

We had agreed that we wished to get married but we were not sure what to do; wait until we were demobbed and get married at home or try to get married before our demob, there were difficulties in both options. Perhaps the largest obstacle to be faced for a U.K. wedding was one of cost. I had acquired quite a large sum of German marks, received from my tips in the salon, which I would not be able to change into sterling, but I would be free to spend it in Germany. So we agreed to investigate the chances of getting married at Bad Eilsen. The big problem was that no one from the services had married in Germany before this. We visited the Orderly office and perused King鈥檚 regulations, the first thing we had to do was to obtain our respective C.O.鈥檚 permission, this we did with some trepidation, we were told to 鈥淐ome back later in the week.鈥�
When we did go back we were flabbergasted to have the whole affair taken completely out of our hands. We were to be given a wedding beyond our wildest dreams, and all the arrangements and costs were taken care of for us. The only cost I had to bear was the purchase of the rings (which I obtained for a pound of coffee from a local jeweller).

Sir Sholto loaned us his staff car resplendent with a Group Captain as door man and two R.A.F. Police on motor cycles as outriders. Edna left for the wedding from my good friend Herr Voigt's Home (a very large house on the hillside). She was dressed in a lovely white wedding gown with a veil and head-dress loaned to her by Herr Voigt's daughter. The wedding ceremony took place at the Schloss in Buckeburg with virtually the whole unit attending. Edna's friend Elsie was her bridesmaid and Edna's brother Norman, who was in the Army, was flown out from the U.K. in order to give her away. The Reception was in the largest room that could be found, there was seating and food for over two hundred (but this was exceeded and people were standing all over the place). The flowers for the bouquets and decorations (of which there were masses) were provided by the Parks and Gardens Manager, whose home I was staying in. Materials for the cake, champagne, wine and other booze, were flown in from Paris, and a very good time was had by all, including all our German friends who were readily accepted by everyone.

We had booked a week in Brussels for our honeymoon. A reserved compartment was arranged for us on the train and the whole unit came to the station to see us off; the railway station was packed solid with people shouting and waving and still guzzling champers. We returned from Brussels a week later to be told that our demobs had come through and that we were to leave within a few days. We departed on the same train but had to change trains halfway, Edna going via Calais and I via the Hook of Holland. We were very glad to meet again in London. It was an anxious time being parted so soon, but we had such a lot to remember, that the time flew past. The one disappointment in all of this was that we left so many friends behind and over the years we have lost touch.

Edna and I have now been married for coming up to fifty seven years and it only seems like yesterday to us. Hardly a day goes by that one of us will say 鈥淒o you remember鈥�?鈥�

Who said that Wartime Romances don't last!

Best Wishes to all who read any of these lines."
Bill Stafford (L.A.C. Barber).

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