‘War brides’ captured hearts during world wars

By Teena Monteleone

As John Wessel gazes at a photo of his parents on their wedding day, he can’t help but wonder what life was like for the young couple — especially his mother, a “war bride” who was just about to embark on a new life in a new and foreign country.

“Mom and Dad were married July 16, 1945 at Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Dad, who was in the medical unit, arrived home from war in February of 1946 and Mom joined him in April of that year,” said Wessel, who lives in Prince Albert.

His mother Grace was one of approximately 48,000 women who married Canadian servicemen overseas and then immigrated to Canada after the world wars to join their husbands.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, by the end of 1946, there had been 47,783 marriages between Canadian servicemen and women from other countries in Europe and these unions produced 21,950 children.

“One of the things I really regret is that my parents never talked about the war and I never thought to ask any questions. My understanding is that Mom worked caring for soldiers in Tunbridge Wells and there were a lot of soldiers posted there and that’s where they met and that’s all I know,” Wessel said.

The story was similar for many war brides who immigrated to Canada. They travelled across the Atlantic Ocean and then boarded trains to their final destinations.

Mary Angus-Yanke, who is part of the Canadian War Brides and Families organization, said many were not prepared for the conditions they found, especially in rural places like those in Saskatchewan.

“Most war brides came from Great Britain and urban centres like London. So when they came to Saskatchewan, the majority ended up in rural areas and so they left behind things like infrastructure they had at the time — like power and indoor plumbing — to come to Saskatchewan where we didn’t have those things yet. So it was quite a change in their lifestyle as well,” said Angus-Yanke.

It was a change in lifestyle, but post-war Europe didn’t offer many reasons to stay. Many of the women had lost family and had their homes destroyed by the war. They saw a bright future in Canada.

“Each one of them were very involved in the war in their own ways. Many of them were either involved in the military themselves or they supported the war by being a part of defence mechanisms or working factories and war offices. So they were a big part of helping to fight the war,” said Angus-Yanke.

It’s not known how many war brides are left in Canada. Most of them would now be in their late 90s to early 100s. In September, the Canadian War Brides and Families organization held a gathering in Regina. There were 10 registered war brides and two of them were from Saskatchewan.

Later this month, Angus-Yanke said war brides will be recognized in the Legislature with the announcement of a pedestal that will be placed at the cenotaph in Regina’s Victoria Park to honour them.

As Remembrance Day approaches, Wessel offered some advice for those who still have veterans from the Second World War in their family:

“Ask them some questions, if they’re willing to talk about it. That is history I will never get back and the people who could have told me stories aren’t around anymore,” said Wessel.

“There is a lot of history lost because I didn’t ask questions.”