大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Marie on behalf of Audrey and has been added to the site with her permission. Audrey fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Joan married Hal on June 24th 1940 during the Blitz in London. On our way to the church we passed where she had lived only a week before - the house had been bombed flat! During the short time that Joan had lived in London she was bombed out 3 times.
Hal was in the Army (Pay Corps) stationed in London and Joan worked at John Lewis.

She was 17, just 3 weeks off her 18th birthday when she married. One of Mother鈥檚 friends said to her 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how you can allow Joan to marry so young!鈥� Mother replied 鈥� I know if I tried to stop her they would only run away together and I鈥檇 rather see them married properly in Church with our blessing鈥�

Anyway my father already knew Hal and they were good friends. Hal was the secretary of the Wednesday Hockey Club which dad belonged to - and he and Joan had first met at The Hockey Club ball just before Christmas. It really was love at first sight and Joan had been the belle of the ball.

Not long after they were married Hal received orders to go to the South Coast on embarkation leave. He phoned my mother on our farm in Essex to say he was in Ilfracombe in Devon and had found a place to live. My mother was appalled - was Joan not there with him? Hal said he had not been able to contact Joan as the phones weren鈥檛 working. Mother, who was always an early riser, caught the first train in the morning - the 鈥渕ilk train鈥� at about 5am and raced to Joan鈥檚 flat. She found her - still in bed. Mother made her get up, wash and dress and helped her to pack. Then they rushed to Paddington Station where Mother put her on the train to Ilfracombe.

Suddenly Joan said 鈥淥h dear, I鈥檝e forgotten to pack my negligee. I left it on the back of the bathroom door. I must go back for it鈥� 鈥淣o鈥� Mother said 鈥淥ff you go to Ilfracombe - I鈥檒l get your negligee and send it to you鈥� She gave her a hug and a kiss and sent her on her way. But when she went back to the flat she found no negligee, no bathroom, no house - just a pile of rubble.

Joan made it to Ilfracombe unscathed, and spent the rest of the war working in Munitions.

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