Soldiers marrying German women

[hillgorilla]

Hi,

My Great Great Uncle (Charles Fenwick) married a German lady (Nata) I am trying to find out if he could have married her during the army of occupation. Are there any records relating to this? He had a career as a member of the household of No 11 Downing Street, London. He was orginally from the Cargill / Kinclaven area of Perthshire. I have tried lookign for military service records, but at the moment have drawn a blank conclusion.

[centurion]

Hi,

My Great Great Uncle (Charles Fenwick) married a German lady (Nata) I am trying to find out if he could have married her during the army of occupation. Are there any records relating to this? He had a career as a member of the household of No 11 Downing Street, London. He was originally from the Cargill / Kinclaven area of Perthshire. I have tried lookign for military service records, but at the moment have drawn a blank conclusion.

There are 34 MICs for soldiers (and one Red Cross Man) listed on TNA. Only one has an obvious Scottish connection this being Charles Fenwick 8984 of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was later commissioned and reached the rank of Captain

[IPT]

There is a Marylebone marriage in the December Qtr 1916 between Charles Fenwick and Natalie Sautter.

Could this be him?

[jhill]

Making acquaintance with German women would have been tricky in the period right after the Armistice. Such activity was strictly forbidden and, of course, permission to marry would have been out of the question. Perhaps things changed after a few years. I don't know.

Here is a snippet from administrative instructions of the 1st Canadian Division from December 1918 quoting the relevent 2nd Army Order.

[Rockdoc]

The other question, of course, is whether she was German or British, coming from the German-ethnic community in Britain. My step-mother was convinced her Grandmother was Irish from her maiden name of Doyle but both she and her father were actually born in Nottingham!

Keith

[hillgorilla]

There is a Marylebone marriage in the December Qtr 1916 between Charles Fenwick and Natalie Sautter.

Could this be him?

Hi,

This could be him. The names fit in. Shall have to do some asking about with reference to her surname.

[wpf1958]

The orders issued to soldiers after the second world war were much harsher and enforced in the first weeks. They were soon flouted after both wars and many relationships were established. An older friend of mine from Holland has an 'unknown' British soldier as her father with no chance of tracing who he was.

[centurion]

The orders issued to soldiers after the second world war were much harsher and enforced in the first weeks. They were soon flouted after both wars and many relationships were established. An older friend of mine from Holland has an 'unknown' British soldier as her father with no chance of tracing who he was.

There was a story about a British soldier in 1945 caught en flagrante delicto in a broom cupboard with a German cleaner (who did he think he was a tennis star?) who on being hauled up before his CO offered the defence "honest Sir, I never said a word to her".

[Forton]

From memory around 700 British soldiers married German girls during the Occupation 1918-1929. I met one veteran who bemoaned that fact that he did not marry his German sweetheart when he had the chance. He returned to marry a Welsh girl and gradually grew to hate her!

Richard