WWII Heroes: We Were Just Doing Our Jobs

by Minton, Linda E.

  England

  Britain and Germany were engaged in an air battle involving the German Luftwaffe and the British RAF (Royal Air Force). Germany bombed the city of London and surrounding areas for weeks. Many British parents elected to move their children out of the large cities into the countryside for their protection. Prime Minister Winston Churchill refused to negotiate with the German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war against Germany and Japan.

  Russia

  Joseph Stalin was the leader of Russia during this time. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded Russia, and by September 22, 1941, the Germans had taken Leningrad. However, the Russian winter stopped the German advance short of Moscow. The Big Three—Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt—worked together to defeat Nazi Germany. During the Yalta Conference, the world leaders worked out a plan for the postwar reorganization of Germany.

  France

  France was occupied by the German army from 1940-1944 when the United States freed the capital city during the Liberation of Paris. Troops landed on the shores of Normandy during the invasion on June 6, 1944. The French underground worked with the Allies to sabotage German war efforts during the occupation of their country.

  China

  China, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, helped to keep the Japanese from advancing on land. September 3 is Victory Day in China, when the Chinese celebrate the end of WWII. Ret. Capt. Chennault and the Flying Tigers, a group of volunteer pilots, helped fight the Japanese invasion of China.

  Stories from Allied countries

  The next two stories are about English and Australian women who married American servicemen. After the war they moved to the United States to live with their American husbands. The women outlined their hardships and victories as they adapted to a new country.

  Beryl Chatterton

  “Everyone had to do their duty for the war.”

  WWII began in the United Kingdom in September 1939. Beryl Stacey, born on November 25, 1932, was six years old. Her first memories are of being evacuated from her home in Birmingham, England, and sent to Ludlow to spend some time away from the nightly bombing. Her mother, Winifred May, went to school and took her and her younger sister away. Beryl said, “Kids had tags on them at the train station. Some of them were being sent to family members and others to people who were required to take in the children. Everyone had to do their duty for the war.

  Beryl spent about two years in Ludlow, from 1939 to 1941. It was about three hours away, with bus and train connections. Beryl’s dad would visit on the weekends and do some fishing in the river nearby. Beryl’s mom also came with Beryl and her sister to Ludlow. She liked the farms and the country. They stayed in different places; one was an ordinary row house, and another was a really old house, with a thatched roof and no electricity. They had to use candles to see at night. They went to school in Ludlow, where Beryl learned to knit.

  When Beryl returned to Birmingham, she went to a new school. She remembered riding her bike to school, which was quite a long way. She didn’t have enough money to ride the bus. She attended Erdington Grammar School for Girls, wore a uniform, and studied French and Latin.

  In Birmingham Beryl and her family lived across the street from the Wolsey-Morris Motor Company. Before the war the company produced the Austin and Morris cars. After the war started, they converted to wartime goods, such as tanks and gun casings. She said, “When they were finished with the tanks, they would bring them out a huge gate and roll them down the street. It was a huge rumble on the street. The factory was a target by the Germans. They had smoke screens, ugly cylinders that burned fuel, that produced smoke in front of the factory during air raids. They were set at intervals and were smelly and messy, but they blurred things in front of the factory. The smoke screens were used for quite a few years.

  Barrage balloons were also used in many of the large cities in England. They were used in Birmingham and London to prevent aircraft from hitting targets on the ground. There were lots of them in Birmingham, perhaps one hundred. They were tethered to the ground, fifty to sixty feet long, and shaped like fish or whales.

  Beryl’s mom worked part time in the factory, on the assembly line. She wore a turban or colorful scarf to work. It was important to keep her hair out of the way. Her dad worked for GEC (General Electric Company). He had a very important job as a tool and die maker. He made prototype models of whatever they were doing.

  What were the bombings like for you?

  The bombings went on a good part of the night. There were no bombings on their house, but the block behind them was hit by a bomb. Unfortunately the whole block was taken out. When the air raid signal sounded, they went to the shelter. Each home had an Anderson shelter in the backyard. A kit was provided of corrugated steel. They had four bunk beds and a table in the shelter. It was approximately six feet by six feet. One year, Father Christmas came while they were in the shelter. Beryl’s father put sod over the top of their shelter. She remembered hearing the sounds of the enemy planes. She said, “I was too young to realize the danger.”

  Explain how rationing was used in England?

  Rationing books were used in England, just like in the United States, and each person could have one egg, two ounces of sugar, two ounces of butter, and milk each week. Oranges and bananas were unheard of during that time. There were long lines to wait for meat, bread, and fish. When it was gone, it was gone and no restocking. At Christmas they would save up dried fruit to make a fruit cake. Shoes, candy, and gasoline were rationed. Rationing went on for three or four years after the war was over. Beryl remembered going to Clark shoe store, which is now over one hundred years old.

  Her family had a friend who worked at the Cadbury chocolate factory. This friend would visit Beryl with substandard candies, or seconds, that they could buy, or maybe she gave them some. Beryl wasn’t sure.

  They had to carry their gas masks with them all the time.

  They smelled very bad! They would have gas masks at drills at school. Beryl’s dad was an air raid warden and wore a tin helmet.

  A couple of things she remembered about the blackouts were that the windows had to be taped crisscrossed to keep the glass from shattering. Also, they had blackout curtains to keep the light from shining outside. There were buckets of sand outside the door to put out fires if there was a fire caused by the bombing.

  The Women’s Institute, or WI, was active during that time. Many women would drive ambulances and roll bandages. They helped with nursing in the hospitals. There were food trucks that served tea and donuts to both American and British servicemen.

  Black marketing was common during that time. Beryl’s uncle owned a news agent shop. Because he was merchant, he could exchange some tobacco for other scarce items. “Dad came home with a pound of bacon,” said Beryl.

  “In 1939 they said the war would be over by Christmas,” said Beryl. “It lasted for six years.” When she was twelve or thirteen years old, there was an announcement at school that they should go to the assembly hall. The war was over! Many people held block parties, and there were flags, buntings, and big parties.

  At age twenty-three Beryl married Matthew John Chatterton, on September 22, 1956, and they moved to the United States that November. They sailed on the Queen Mary to New York City. Ellis Island was closed by that time. They had four children—Karen, Paul, Laura, and Kevin. Beryl’s husband was a pattern maker. The Ford Motor Company sponsored John to come to the United States; however, he never worked for Ford. He ended up working for Chrysler and GM. Beryl and John were divorced in 1978.

  Back in England John had delivered newspapers early in the morning, being careful not to fall in the bomb craters from the previous night’s bombing. No streetlights were allowed, and he had to be careful of unexploded bombs too. He also had the job of knocking on doors and waking people up in the morning. So later, when he worked at Fisher Body in Marion, Indiana, he said he “knocked up ladies in the morning.” He got kidded
about that remark! Some things changed in the American English translation.

  What did the English people think about the Americans in England?

  She quoted a well-known phrase—“overpaid, oversexed, over here”—but said “the feeling was about fifty-fifty about the US involvement in the war. The further away you were from the big cities, the stronger the anti-US feeling, and the less sophisticated the people.” Since England was a conservative people, they felt that the Americans were brash. The British men resented the Americans when it came to women. Many British women liked American men.

  AUSTRALIA

  The Sydney Harbor Bridge, located in Sydney Harbor, is nicknamed the Coathanger because of its arch design

  Part 9

  Australia

  Sydney

  One of the most striking features of Sydney Harbor is the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which opened March 19, 1932. The bridge is nicknamed the Coathanger because of its arch design. It is open to foot traffic today as well as vehicles. It is the world’s tallest steel arch bridge. During WWII there were parapets and antiaircraft guns installed on the pylons of the bridge. There is a marvelous view of the city of Sydney and the harbor from the bridge.

  Since there was fear of invasion by the Japanese, America helped to protect Australia and set up a base there for fighting in the Pacific area. It was also used as a place for American servicemen and servicewomen to use for rest and recreation. Many American service personnel were stationed in the cities of Townsville, Cairns, and Brisbane.

  In March 1942 MacArthur, supreme commander of the Allied forces, arrived in Australia from the Philippines. He travelled by train to Melbourne, a city to the south of Sydney.

  The only fatalities that occurred in Sydney during WWII were in 1942, when the USS Chicago was docked in the harbor. A Japanese midget sub came into Sydney Harbor and fired at the heavy cruiser; however, it missed the Chicago and hit a ferryboat, killing twenty people.

  Grace Hotel, Sydney

  The Grace Building was headquarters for Gen. Douglas MacArthur from 1942 to 1945, when the war ended. He stayed here after Pearl Harbor. It is a very ornate art deco hotel in downtown Sydney. General MacArthur travelled from the Philippines, after the fall of the island to the Japanese, to Australia in a PT boat. There were believed to be underground tunnels in the Grace Hotel so MacArthur could be evacuated if need be.

  Mac Arthur made his famous speech, “I came through, and I shall return,” at Terowie railway station in South Australia.

  War Brides

  After World War II, there were “over 8,000 war brides from Australia and New Zealand.” During the trip from Australia, the women, many of them with infants or small children, were assisted by the Red Cross, the US military, and the US State Department. The amount of “total war brides was 65,000 women who married American soldiers.” Many of these women came to America to join their GI husbands, whom they married during the war.

  The SS Mariposa was a luxury liner built in 1931. In March 1946 the Mariposa carried war brides to the United States after making stops in New Zealand and Hawaii.

  Patricia Hawn, Australian war bride, said, “Many of the war brides returned to their original homes. They could not adapt to living in another country. They missed their family and went back home.” Pat returned to her first home, Australia, only one time after she left in 1946. She visited for two months after her children were old enough to take care of themselves without her.

  Canberra

  Aussies are a very patriotic people and are still thankful to America for its support during World War II. One of Canberra’s wonderful military museums is the Australian War Memorial. It is a beautiful memorial to those deceased during all wars involving Australia.

  Canberra, Australia

  Patricia Marcelle Hawn—WWII War Bride

  “The Japanese were going to invade Australia with a ship and troops. The United States sunk the ship.”

  Pat Hawn, from Queensland, Australia, was born on March 9, 1924 on a country farm in Coulson. She had two sisters, one six years older and one six years younger. She grew up during the Depression and early war days of WWII.

  Pat’s best friend growing up was a young Aboriginal girl. Pat cannot remember her name after all these years, but she said she was tall and a good runner. Her best friend lived in the rental house on the family farm. “In the evening the Aborigines would sing to my mother from the edge of the property, not getting too close to the house.” Pat’s mother, whose maiden name was Parker, immigrated to Australia from England. Pat said, “Mother moved to Australia to get away from the cold weather in England.”

  Pat remembered times were difficult for many people during the war because of rationing and restricted items. She said she and her family used ration coupons for food, but not for new clothes. Her family was lucky because they had cream, butter, and vegetables, since they lived on a farm. She rode a black pony, Melba, around the farm and to school. Her home did not have air-conditioning or phones. Her family didn’t own a car either.

  Pat recalled a visit from the archbishop of Canterbury, who came to visit Queensland from England. She remembered his beautiful robes and that he visited Boonah, a province of Queensland about an hour from Brisbane.

  Pat was cleaning houses in Brisbane for a living, and one evening she went to a dance that would change her life and her country! It was the custom of Australia to host dances in either a school, if you lived out in the country, or in the hotels in the city. Girls went to these dances for entertainment, to listen to American music and to dance on a Saturday night.

  Patricia mentioned some of the dances of the time. There was the waltz. Lancers was a military line dance from India. In England it was danced at the Lancers Ball. It featured lines of men and women. The Chartize was also a dance she mentioned. The last dance would be to “God Save the Queen.” The soldiers would salute and honor their country. “The Australians were loyal to the British throne because they were good to us,” she said.

  Since it was 1943 or 1944, there were many American soldiers at the dance. Pat noticed there was a “good-looking guy standing beside me.” They started talking, and he asked, “Do you like the music?” They went out in the hall and had refreshments. She didn’t think she would ever see him again. He said he couldn’t dance, but he got her name and called her. His name was Nelson Hawn; he was an MP and was at the dance patrolling the other soldiers to make sure they were behaving. Nelson had his captain introduce him to Pat, so everything would be proper.

  Nelson and Patricia dated for about six months, and then they were married. Nelson was shipped out to the Philippines the day before their first child, Nelson Jr., was born.

  In the Philippines Nelson was shot by a sniper, and the bullet lodged near his heart. He received a Purple Heart. Nelson was sent home to America, and Patricia took Nelson Jr. and lived with her parents. She needed permission to come to America.

  How did Nelson and the Americans happened to be in Australia?

  “The Japanese were going to invade Australia with a ship and troops. The US sunk the ship. The Japanese bombed Darwin, Australia, in the Northern Territory, near the top of Australia. Australia’s military was weak in arms and not prepared for war. They bombed England and decided to clean us out too.”

  It would be two years before Patricia would board the SS Mariposa to make the two-week trip across the Pacific Ocean to America. Pat remembered the hula dancers in Hawaii and how much she enjoyed seeing Hawaii for a few hours. Baby Nelson was about two years old and had dual citizenship.

  Many days while on the ship, Pat went out on deck and sat enjoying the beautiful Pacific Ocean. This sailing was very peaceful and calm. She watched the sun come up and go down on the ocean. Beautiful! One day Nelson Jr. got away from her and was later found eating

  bread and jelly with some American girls. He had jelly all over his face! During the trip, Pat heard music but didn’t get to do any dancing. There was an American group onboard tha
t sang and danced for the women.

  There were three ladies in Pat’s cabin on the ship. She did not stay in contact with any of them. The meals on the ship were very tasty. After being restricted in what she could get in Australia, American food was very good!

  Arriving in the United States

  The Mariposa arrived in San Francisco, California, and Pat was “overwhelmed with this country.” She said, “We went under the Golden Gate Bridge and docked in San Francisco. It took all day to get everyone off the ship and through immigration. They divided us up by trains and by where we needed to go. So I went from San Francisco to Chicago, Illinois. It was about four days on the train to get to Chicago. The next day we went on to Clarksville, Indiana.” Finally she was back together with Nelson.

  Married life

  There were hard times, but Nelson got a job. It was not a good one because he didn’t have a lot of education. Pat and Nelson had three children—Nelson, Jim, and Marcelle. She was very proud of her children after her days during the Depression in Australia. Pat worked in a drugstore then the Clark County Bank. Once the bank was robbed of $4,000. She was terrorized. “I will never forget that as long as I live.”

  In conclusion Pat stated, “No more wonderful thing than people who live in this country [the United States].” She became a US citizen as soon as she could on her arrival from Australia.

  Part 10

  Faith in the Foxhole

  Many soldiers felt God was there or had a hand in protecting them from harm. Many of the WWII servicemen thanked God as their strength during dangerous times—when bombs were falling, in a foxhole, when times were bleak. Bob Sisk, a WWII vet, said, “God was looking out for me.”