War Brides

[ejcmartin]

I wondering if any Pals would know of any research or books on the subject of war brides of the Great War. I realize it was not nearly as prevalent as in WWII, but my Grandmother living in the UK married a Canadian soldier and settled in Canada. Amazingly enough he turned out to be less than a model husband and she left him with 4 children and returned the UK. She then found being a single mother was not accepted in her circle and family so she headed back to Canada and eventually met my Grandfather a gentleman farmer and former officer in the SLI. The result of that union was my Mum.

[avidgenie]

I am currently researching the war brides who came to Canada after WWI. My grandmother was just one of the thousands of war brides who arrived in Canada during and after WWI. Some of what I have learned is posted at the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group at http://www.cefresearch.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1622. You can read the letter my grandmother wrote on her journey to Canada at http://www.canadianwarbrides.com/clark-grace.asp

[Esskay]

An interesting angle on one who came to Australia!!

http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/15.asp

Cheers

Sue

[Esskay]

And a serious one now - just found the previous one when I was searching for this lady - Queenie Sunderland - died 2003 at the age of 106 and 5 months - I read the book about her story a while back - it was a lovely read - as is this obit:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/27/1056683906826.html

Cheers

Sue

[staffsreg]

What a fascinating life Queenie lived...

Wonderful.

Can you imagine how she felt when arriving at Ted's home and meeting 17 brothers and sisters plus parents and friends!!

What a girl!

Ivan

[ejcmartin]

I wonder on the shock some of these women went through especially those that went off to rural areas of the "colonies". My Grandmother left a comfortable life in England to settle in rural Alberta. She travelled by boat and landed in Quebec then head by train across Canada.

I remember her telling me a story about riding her pony to her teaching position in the cold winter's morning with the snow up to her thighs. Getting to the little one room school house she had to light the iron stove to heat up the school before the children would arrive. Northern Alberta can be cold with temperatures of -40C not uncommon.

[avidgenie]

My grandmother also left a very comfortable lifestyle in England to live on a farm in southern Saskatchewan. She used to travel by horse and buggy to give music lessons in the district. Later the family moved to northern Saskatchewan where they lived until 1942.

You might wish to read the books written by war bride Peggy Holmes. She wrote three books on her experiences in Alberta: It Could Have Been Worse, Never a Dull Moment and Still Soaring. You can hear her talk about her life at http://archives.cbc.ca/IDCC-1-71-1542-1035...war/war_brides/

Do you know what boat your grandmother came to Canada on?

[Terry_Reeves]

My grandmother, although not a war bride, also made the trip to Saskatchewan - in 1920. She followed her husband out there, making the sea voyage and the overland journey with my mother, who was then just a few months old and her three year old sister.

TR

[avidgenie]

Terry, that would be quite a journey with two young children. As my grandmother said in her letter so many people were seasick on the journey. It was hard enough just looking after herself.

[avidgenie]

Does anyone know what the British press was saying about the war brides when they left the UK in 1919? One war bride who arrived at St. John, New Brunswick in May 1919, said the following in a newspaper report: "We were told in England that Canadian women would greet us with bad eggs, but instead we have been treated like royalty."

Has anyone come across such reports in the newspaper?

[Sue Light]

Annette

This is from The Times, dated 4th August 1919 - no signs of rotten eggs here.

Sorry it's in two parts, but for some reason I was struggling to shrink it.

Sue

[Sue Light]

And the rest:

[avidgenie]

Hi Sue,

Thank you for this wonderful report from the London newspaper. I have a few about the Khaki University but this one gives me a bit more information.

Many thanks,

[ejcmartin]

It is amazing the foresight to provide such a course. I wonder if my Grandmother attended? Leaving the home of a prosperous shopkeeper in a quiet English village to butcher animals, she had more courage than I think I could ever muster.

[avidgenie]

According to war historian Tim Cook in his article, From destruction to construction: The Khaki University of Canada, 1917-1919 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa36...i_n9025988/pg_1 on page 18. "In all, 250 women enrolled in the home economics course."

This number does not seem like a lot given that there was reportedly over 32,000 British women who married Canadian soldiers (or should I say Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers). It does not include the countless number of women who travelled to Canada after the war to be married either.