South Wales GI Brides Magazine. Number FOUR February 2011

Transcription

1 South Wales GI Brides Magazine Number FOUR February 2011

2 Welcome to Number FOUR! This month: More about Dorrie Lewis (Milford Haven) who married Dave Brown (from Tonawanda, New York State), continued from Numbers Two & Three. Hundreds of young women from Swansea and the surrounding area married American service personnel. Doreen Heath was one of them. Some more South Wales GI Brides who married men from Wisconsin, the socalled Badger State. 8 Hillside Close Barry Wales UK CF63 2QP THE CONTINUING STORY OF DORRIE AND DAVE BROWN MEETING THE CHALLENGES: Settling in We had our name on a list for an apartment, but they were hard to get so for a few months we boarded with friends. Then in December 46 we moved into a one-bedroom apartment and were able to spend our first Christmas together in our own place. I remember we were able to furnish the whole apartment with brand new furniture for $600. Looking back on the first year it must have been tough but seemed like fun and games at the time. We had a baby June 2 nd 1946 and my mother lived just long enough to know she had become a grandma. She passed away June 14 th. 2

3 We lived on and off in Tonawanda and Niagara Falls for eleven years, by then we had four children, two boys and two girls. Dave had gone back into the Navy in 1949 and was based at Niagara Falls Naval Air Station. In 1956 he was transferred to Argentia, Newfoundland for a two year tour of duty and that was the beginning of many exciting adventures that we had going from one end of the U.S.A. to the other. Tonawanda, New York was a small town on the Niagara River, between the big cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. When I arrived there in 1946 it had quite a lot of heavy industry but over the years most of the factories have closed down and it's become more of a bedroom community of Buffalo. But Tonawanda had supermarkets and lots of lovely shops where you could buy anything you wanted without worrying about coupons so to me it was a kind of paradise. I'm glad to say that nobody treated me as "different" although they did love to hear my Welsh accent, which I lost fairly early by the way!! We lived in Government housing in Niagara Falls and all of our friends were returning servicemen and families going to school under the G.I. Bill so we had lots more in common with each other than the fact that I was from Britain. I find most Americans love Brits and vice versa. (T.B.C.) 3

4 Mrs. DOREEN HEATH Doreen (Nee Marley) lives in Douglas, Arizona, USA. She met Duane Heath, her future husband, in He was a member of the 348 th Engineer Combat Battalion stationed in and around Swansea. They met on a blind date and were eventually married in 1945 in the USA. Doreen describes the impact of the US Army on the small village of Grovesend, west of Swansea: 4

5 To our surprise we all awoke one morning to learn hundreds of Yanks had moved in during the night. Great excitement came to the village for a while, the campsite was quite large and Americans were everywhere. Later they caused chaos on our bus services, as they were anxious to see more of the larger towns. It was difficult to find room on a bus once they had come off duty. American soldiers used to stay with us when they had a weekend pass, they used to come and stay because they had nowhere else to go. They were based in Grovesend on the Common and had a black camp and a white camp. It was a hard time but I did what I could for the boys. I had two brothers, one in the Air Force, one in the Army and I wouldn't like to think that they were being refused to stay, so I helped soldiers come to stay with Bed and breakfast for eleven pence a day. Marian Williams of Pontardulais was an Ambulance Sister during World War Two. Read her Some who stayed back around the village mingled with the young Welsh girls. I met one on a blind date and became friends corresponding after he d been shipped out. Off to a Flying Start I was not classed as a GI Bride, really, as it was after the war he sent an airline ticket and we were married in Washington State. There were newspaper clippings of my arrival and marriage (see below), and ten years later when I returned home to Wales, in the South Wales Evening Post. I am not familiar with the camp at Tidworth I guess I did not go through what some of the gals had to go through to get Over Here. 5

6 I have two friends in this town; they came over by ship, one from Stoke and the other from Bridge North near Manchester. I have relatives in Newport (Wales) but don t contact them much. Most of my relatives are in the Swansea area and some of them have been to visit over the years. I last went over in 1996 I still feel Welsh and have dual citizenship. Tragically Duane Heath died in a car accident in

7 Taken from a newspaper published in Yakima, Washington State, USA 7

8 I found this article in the South Wales Echo, Monday August 6 th, As it was written with the war barely over I think it was very perceptive even prescient! Did the young women really make stronger the bonds between the English-speaking peoples? Any comments, readers? (Of course the exact number of War Brides going from the UK to the USA is still a matter for debate. GB) 8

9 From Wisconsin to Wales and Back again? Saturday April 21 st, 1945 GERK FRENCH On April 11 th, 1945, at St Paul s Church, Pontyclun, Jerome Gerk, son of Mr and Mrs Walter Gerk, 2323, South Seventh Street, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA, and Peggie French, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Walter French, 1 Stuart St, Pontypridd, Glamorgan. PONTYPRIDD OBSERVER Saturday November 11 th, 1944 GERK FRENCH Private Peggy French, Auxiliary Territorial Service, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs W E French, Pontypridd and Jerome Gerk, US Merchant Marine, of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 9

10 Wednesday January 31 st, 1945 HOULE CURTIS The engagement is announced between Corporal Carl Houle, US Army, of De Pere, Wisconsin, and Margaret (Peggy) Curtis, of Oak Villa, Corbett Road, Llandough). Thursday June 21 st, 1945 HOULE CURTIS An American Army Corporal, Carlton Houle, De Pere, Wisconsin, was married at Llandough Baptist Church on Monday to Miss Margaret Curtis, daughter of Mrs Curtis, Oak Villa, Corbett Road, Llandough, (which is located between Barry and Cardiff and Penarth.) Corporal Russell Stiegel, US Army acted as best man and the groomsmen were members of the US Army. Monday March 10 th, 1947 HOULE On March 8 th, to Carl and Peggy, nee Curtis, 109 ½ N Michigan Street, De Pere, Wisconsin, USA, a daughter. 10

11 Tuesday September 4 th, 1945 BROCKWAY FETTAH The engagement is announced between Carl, US Army, eldest son of Mr and Mrs M Brockway, of Fond-du-Lac, Wisconsin, to Fay, second daughter of Mr and the late Mrs Fettah, Cardiff. Wednesday November 14 th, 1945 Contained the announcement of their wedding Thursday November 14 th, 1946 BROCKWAY FETTAH Congratulations Fay and Carl on your First Wedding Anniversary in Wisconsin, USA. Love and happiness from Dad and all at Number 2, Sevenoaks Street. Precious old Photos During WW2 it was very difficult for Brits to take photographs as film etc was in short supply for civilians. However, it was not unusual for GI s Over Here to be well supplied with the wherewithal to snap-a-way. I reckon that there must be many, many wartime photos tucked away in drawers, boxes, attics, basements and so on Over There in the USA 11

12 Thursday August 30 th, 1945 GROESBECK LENNOX The engagement is announced between Walter William, eldest son of Mrs L Groesbeck, of Racine, Wisconsin, to Jean Loudon, eldest daughter of Captain I Gordon and the late Mrs E Lennox, 38 Fidlas Road, Llanishen. Friday November 23 rd, 1945 GROESBECK LENNOX On November 22 nd, at Llanishen Church, Walter William, eldest son of Mrs L Groesbeck, of Racine, Wisconsin, to Jean Loudon, eldest daughter of Captain I Gordon and the late Mrs E Lennox, 38 Fidlas Road, Llanishen. August 26 th, 1946 GROESBECK LENNOX On August 23 rd, at Brookfield Nursing Home, Llanishen, to Jean (nee Lennox), wife of Walter Groesbeck, Racine, Wisconsin, USA, a daughter. Saturday November 16 th, 1946 HICKS THOMAS On November 2 nd at the First Methodist Church, West Allis, Henry G Hicks, of West Allis, Wisconsin, to Winifred Thomas, of 29 Quentin Street, Cardiff. HOLTON ROAD, BARRY, WALES 12