- Contributed by听
- loughton library
- People in story:听
- Mrs M Kerbey
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A7248585
- Contributed on:听
- 24 November 2005
I joined the WRNS in July 1943 and in August 1944 was posted to Harwich to the Signal Distributing Office of the Captain of the 16th Destroyer Flotilla. My husband-to-be, Bill joined the Royal Navy as a boy in 1936 and I met him when he came to the S.D.O. as a Petty Officer Yeoman of Signals, to be in charge. We were engaged in the April and planned an early wedding in case Bill was sent abroad for 3 years, as was usual in those days.
We had to coincide with a Boiler clean for the Ship鈥檚 Company to get leave which was fixed for 8th September.
It was still wartime when we were planning our wedding so things were quite difficult. We managed to find a bakery near my home in Tottenham who would provide a reception in the rooms upstairs, and a wedding cake. Then the boiler clean date was brought forward to 1st September and luckily the bakery could make that date also.
About the beginning of August, the boiler clean date was changed again to 25th August and the bakery was already booked!
We managed to find another venue for the reception, but they couldn鈥檛 provide a cake. Friends, neighbours and relations rallied round. A bit of sugar from one, dried fruit from another, fresh eggs from someone else and even a professional chef to make the cake.
On Monday 20th August, HMS Eglinton sailed to Rotterdam, taking Bill with them with no hope of leave.
War was finally over on 15th August but communications to the Continent were practically nil and Bill couldn鈥檛 let me know what was happening. Did I cancel the wedding - did I let friends know not to attend?
Bill鈥檚 commanding officer on the ship wasn鈥檛 sympathetic to his request for special leave. One day he was ashore looking very glum when the Admiral鈥檚 Flag Lieutenant said to him
鈥淵eoman, you are looking very upset, what鈥檚 the matter?鈥 When Bill explained he said 鈥淟eave it to me鈥,
and when Bill got back to the ship he was told he could have 10 days leave immediately.
Then how to get across to England. He found a Dutch Destroyer going to Portsmouth and landed there in the early hours of Friday morning, and got to my home about 8 am on the 24th August.
It was a close thing, but we were married the next day and celebrate 60 years together this year.
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