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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1986-11-05, Page 3Romance found during war BY (HEATHER McILW ItAITH It was not unlike any other meeting of boy and girl, extent that the , marriage that resulted united two nations. Peg Coombs and Barbara Scott, now of Egmondville and Seaforth, represent two of the thousands of British and European girls who met and married Canadian servicemen during the Second World War. "It's just like the kids nowadays," said' Mrs. Coombs. "You find one and that's that." PEG COO M BS Marguerite (Peg) Jones was born at Lancashire in Oldham, one of two children born to Lillian and Jack Jones, At the age of two she moved to Beccles in East Anglia (on the North Sea). It was there, on February 19, 1941, that she met and fell in love with Cleave Coombs, a Canadian serving with the Royal Canadian Engineers. They got engaged March 3, and were married June 7. "That was when we lived day by day. We were at a dance and he asked me to dance and that was that. Nearly all the girls met their man at a dance," said Mrs. Coombs. Because their marriage took place in .the midst of the war, the couple, were forced to go their separate ways, seeing each other only on the occasional weekend. Mrs. Coombs continued to work at the printing company of Clowes and Sons, doing essential work for the war effort, and continued to live at home, with her mother. "I had a brother in the Air Force in Burma and mother was alone, so I felt I pretty much "I just recently burned those letters.... I didn't want anyone else reading them." had to stay at home. So I continued on with Special, destined for 'Toronto. Yt was in my work, and Cleave went on with his 'Toronto that they were met by their business, which was to build bridges for the husbands. tanks, and to lay pipeline," she said. "The way they reunited us was special," And although they were apart the lines of said Mrs. Scott. communication remained open. "The husbands were in a room on one side "W e wrote to each other every day. I don't of the station, and the brides in another, They know what we found to talk about - what we would call out our names and we'd go through did at work, and how many bombs dropped to a middle loom. Because it was private we the night before, I suppose," she said. could meet and kiss," she said. "in fact I just recently, burned those letters. Used to having their food rationed , one of I'm getting up in years and decided I didn't the most dnotabl things about Scott ir Mrs. want anyone else reading them." o BARBARA SCOTT Coombs, was the food, and the large • Barbara Scott was born in Portsmith, but quantities of it. because she was a daughter of a member of "I'll never forget the first breakfast on the the British army, her life after that was train. I asked for shredded wheat and the divided between such places as Singapore, porter asked me d, we wantede111baconcn and eeggs. I Scotland and England. When her father was killed in France in He then said yes. When he brought me the 1939 Mrs. Scott moved with her family to bacon and eggs 1 kept waiting for another South W ales, and it was there she stayed plate so I could serve myself. But he told me it until coming to Canada in 1946. was all for me. I had never seen se many eggs in August 1945, while on holidays in and bacon," recalled Mrs. Scott. Portsmith, Barbara met and fell in love with And remember the sight of white bread her husband, Gordon Scott, at that time a after six years?" she asked Mrs. Coombs. craftsman in the Royal Canadian Electrical "When my mother saw me off in England Mechanical Engineers unit. she called out to the boat, 'how's everything', BEST FRIENDS Barbara Scott and Peg Coombs have been the best of friends since "W a (a girlfriend and D were walking 'white Y think everyone on board called out coming to the Seaforth area from England after the war. Both married Canadian servicemen. along the throwing pebbl s was sittinge he the w"It was better than the black guck," added (Mcllwralth photo) beach pebbles at me. When hit " me, he came over to apologize," she said. Mrs, Coombs. "Then they'd say dessert was apple pie, "When the parcels and letters from home After they met Mrs. Scott, who had applied "W area my first t banana split added Mrs. t Crich's." and we'd say pie? It's meat pie, and apple arrived I'd just have to touch them and I'd to the ATS, or British Women's Army, wasthey grand,"tart." cry. accepted. Coombs. Other things the women noticed was that It was hard because the letters would say, luckyas bampeta and was in camp,andwe Once theyarrived inSeaforthdfar n lifestyle styleond- people always seemed to ask them the time, the whole family was together because cousin wereable bmeeet we were when w close and than bothey found a Mrs. Scent tt it was for the simple reason, that they pave it Mary got married, but you weren't there," were able to meet. And when we couldn't than they were used to. For Mrs. Scott it was backwards. For example, instead of saying it added Mrs. Scott. hone," she said. adapting to life en a farm, when she was Used was 25 to 11, they'd say it was five and 20 to. GORDON AND BARBARA SCOTT, 1946 THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMBER 5, 1986 — A3 meet there was the tehep "We'd stand in line and the phone would to living in the city. ring and someone would yell out Scott, then, "We did have lights, but we had an 11. I remember when my first child was born hurry up, my boyfriend is calling me." outhouse, cooked on a coal stove and had s. W e had a furnace, but Gordon's uncle bought me a buggie for the Barbara and Gordon were married in if you turned ton yof ou had to open the doors to baby. But when I wrote and told my mother January 1946.dshe was very perturbed and said my baby was ' Wen, but Gordonplannet was getting omri n let to "And yououehad out," she recalled. not going to go around in a buggy and that she that soon, but going home in to heat the water on the ve a bath." would send money for a pram. in England a March, so wedMrs. thought it was either then or stove hadto a to get used to cooking on a buggy is similar to a sleigh," said Mrs. Scott. never," said Mrs. Scott."There were lots of things to get used to, Mrs. Scott followed her husband to Canada Woveh Itmwasliaper stoveot belly stovea and whence I just going into the post office to get some in MAugust C on board the er, w o p stains I'd automatically ask for British Mrs. Coombs, however, who had been wrote home and told them that...." added stamps," she added. married nearly five years by the time the war M. Coombs. But despite differences women ended, waited 10 months before she was able Both women said learning to use the say thethe change er a thing bothbout the to be reunited with her husband. She arrived English language as it is used in Canada, also say t e rho wouldn't took. do,ghowever, in Canada in April 1946. took some time, and often served as a source admitursthe decision to move They wase a "When i was supposed to come over there of embarrassment. tough one. decision Leaving behind Ito Canada es and was a very long waiting list. I'd been married "For instance we were told not to ask a way of efe they be used to,he ro follow theird by that time five years, but they were sending someone to knock us up in the morning,"said husbands to Canada, was a heartrending one. En the ones first who had children," she said. Mrs. Scott, explaining in gland there is a "The night before my ship left England I Because Mrs. Coombs arrived at the man called a knocker -upper, who was paid to got up twice in the middle of the night to leave Halifax dock during the winter her first ensure the factory workers were awake and be go But once I was on leave impressions of Canada were, she admits, ready to go to work in the mornings. I hostel and fine," home. one I negative. "Lots of words we used, had differentrs. Coombs. a board I was days there was Mrs. suchm thing as bs. it was dreary, oh, so dreary," she said. meanings end go in to buy bis4cttits and they'd give getting on a plane and six hours later being "But now i love the piaci." home, said Mrs. Scott. Mrs. Scott, who arrived in August formed a us soda biscuits when what we wanted were „And there was the uncertainty - of not more positive fleet impressiereef Cangda-, , Cookies," saie,Mrs. Scott. knowing when you might see your family hewean ergWeebetter fled. standthe. •. ,"We'd go odi for'. dinner nd' an sone again, or if you would, and of not knowing sun was shining," she recalled. would ask us if we want4H dessert, and we'd g After docking in Halifax the brides were say dessert. what's dessert? because we call what it was you Were corning to." added Mrs. h dded put onto a train, nidmamed the War Bride i Coombs. For Mrs. Scott the transition was fairly easy. Her mother-in-law, a war bride herself from the First World War, knew how she was feeling and was a good friend to her. Mrs. Coombs found her feelings were understood less, and the homesickness so unbearable that she and her husband Cleave returned to England in 1947 determined to make it their home, While there their son Christopher was bom, and at the request of his paternal grandmother, they returned to Canada,. this time bringing with them Mrs. Coombs' mother. They have lived in Egmondville ever since. "If i had it to do all over again there is nothing I'd do differently. I'd do it all over again, even marry the same man," said Mrs. Coombs. "Canada is home anyways and the Legion is our outlet." "Seaforth has definitely 'proven itself as a friendly town," said Mrs. Scott. "And the Legion has been our life." Perhaps the only reminder of their pre -Canada life is the fire alarm. which sounds identical to the air raid siren. "Even now when it goes off in the middle of the night it sends chills down my spine," said Mrs. Scott. i hope to God none of our children ever have to go through it." added Mrs. Coombs. t Afters, sea neighboring farmers during Teachers urged to support W hen Huron's elementary school teachers registered recently for a PD day in Exeter, they had been advised that the theme for dinner was "eat the food your neighbor grows." 1t was part of the "agriculture in the classroom" topic for the day's session and ended up being a highlight of the program. Few on hand were prepared for the huge array of food prepared by members of the various Women's Institute branches of Huron South who managed to include a majority of the foods grown in Huron County as part of the menu. The menu included beef, pork, turkey and larnb, along with eggs, potatoes. peas, turnips, oaxerl are, salao oeans, butter, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli and peppers. A dessert table that stretched almost the entire width of the South Huron rec centre auditorium featured applesauce cake, blue- berry loaf, carrot loaf, cherry loaf, pumpkin loaf, soybean cake, turnip cake and zucchini ABCA seeks conservationists The Atrsable-Bayfield Conservation Au- thority wants help in finding local conserva- tionists. From these nominations the Ausa- ble-Bayfield Conservation Authority will select the winners of its annual Conservation Awards. There are two award categories - one for an individual and the other for a group. The purpose of the Conservation Awards is to recognize important conservation efforts and achievements within the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority's watersheds. Last year's winners were Wayne Woods and the Claybird Gun Club. Their position as conservationists is permanently displayed on the plaques at the Ausable-Bayfield Conser- vation Authority's Administration Centre. So, if you know or know of some good conservationists let the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority knnby No a brief 21, 1986. Names, descriptions of the censervation work will assist the Conservation Authority in choosing the winners. loaf. A fruit cocktail included most of the assortment of fruit grown in the county and milk was readily available. Dolores Shapton was coordinator for the banquet. but she explained that members of the area Institutes had given many, many hours of time in organizing the food and preparing it. Some 80 firms and marketing boards in Huron had provided donations and exhibits for the event. Director of education Bob Allen spoke briefly at the session and noted that he had an inordinate number of teachers come up to him and remark on what a great program had been provided. He said he hoped it would be perpetuated in the classrooms. Maxine Miller and Brenda McIntosh co-chaired the event. Kits for helping teachers relate agricul- tural topics in their classrooms were presented by Shirley Cooper on behalf of the Women's Institutes. Among the groups cooperating in the program were the County Board of Educe- tionf Agriculture, Huron South tanners. Induced were a 594,250 tractor, a $161,253 combine unit, and in the auditorium a arm grain drying model was set up that had a price tag of 8286.000 and included a combine, tractor. grain wagon, auguers, dryer and storage PO1ITICA.LCLOUT "Farmers don't have a lot of friends today." CFPL TV farm broadcaster Ross Daily noted during the teachers' professional development day. and went on to explain that teachers can play an important role in helping students understand the history of agncul- ture as well as exploring the future of that industry. Saying that agriculture "is in no insignifi- cant amount of trouble". Mr. Daily told his audience of Huron elementary teachers that over the past 70 years farmers have dwindled in numbers and lost most of heir friends because they no longer carry muds political clout. Today's young people understand nothing about agriculture, he continues, suggesting they were harmed by that because they are fed processed food and have little idea of where food comes from. W. Federation o gg is are, He backed up that opinion by quoting a Huron Is, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, District Federation of iv omen`s cnnyumEreslho said he didn't care how much Teachers' Association and Huron District fanners received for their produce, because Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation. he bought all his food at a supermarket and Various displays were set up in the not from fanners. auditorium of Exeter Public School and three Mr. Daily noted that a tremendous gulf has sessions were held in various locations at the developed between rural and non -rural school for teachers to see and hear about residents and many children, and even teaching aids available on the topic of adults, don't know where milk comes from. agriculture. The problem is even aggro ltated in Local farm equipment dealers had ma- areas because of spedalization and young - chin ery displayed on the parking lot at the rec sters raised on hog farms may not know how centre and each item had a price tag to give milk or eggs are produced. teachers some indication of the cost faced by He listed several reasons why feathers should educate students about agriculture, among them being the heritage because it teaches what society has been and how important agriculture once was when one in two people were engaged in it. Teachers should also advise students that food is essential to life and they should be taught the difference between natural and processeu food as many people now think nothing of spending S5 a pound for foods that have no nutritive value and won't pay 83.50 a pound for a steak. The farm broadcaster also suggested students should have knowledge of animals and how food is produced. He said by discussions children enjoy on the concept of food production, chemical use in agriculture. (and free trade future markets genetics, breeding, dttstri u- $ hool system (Continued from Page At numbering more than 1,000 will be invited to take part in the day -long conference, The HCBE Communications Committee was formed earlier this year. The 20 member committee represents all employee groups of P.D. day tion and the quality of rural life The teachers were told that many of those topics were prime moral and social issues that will have impact on the future generations Ile challenged teachers to break the myth thal farmers are millionaires. explaining that while many farm operations deal in large sums of money. those operations are not owned by many of the farmers. "Being surrounded by wealth doesn't mean it is wealth you control." he explained. Mr. Daily said students were quick learners and could explore many facets of agriculture in their classrooms. but they are currently being kept away from it. He concluded by noting that the teachers had an opportunity to make students aware of agriculture and the challenges it faces. "You are the guys who cera do itf hope you will rnnsicler it the board tt is charged with the responsibil- ity of examining communications issues on behalf of the boards. Among the specific initiatives and goals for the committee is the development of promotional material for public use and the creation of a school board slogan. COMMUNITY CALENDAR If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area residents, phone the recreation office at 627.0682 or the Expositor at 527.0240, or mail the information to Community Calendar, The Huron Expositor, Box 69, Seeforth, Ontario, NOK 1WO wall in advance of the scheduled date. Space for the Community Calendar Is donated by The Huron Expositor. Wed, November 5 Saturday Cont'd Fact finder (Continued from Page A1) 1979. In the intervening years, he held positions of elementary teacher, secondary teacher, principal and inspector before his appointment as Director in 1969. Since retirement, hehas been involved in studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and has been providing a consulting service to education and business. His ,field of specialization is Human Relations and their application to effective management. previous fact finding appointments in- clude: Espanola Elementary, Horftepayynne R.C.S.S., RenfrewR.C.S.S., OxfordRC.S,S. and Perth County Secondary. This appoifittnentis made under Section 14 oflective N Act,Boathe Sdtool AetRevised Statues oand Teachers f Ontar Negotiations-, io, 1980. 1-3 p.m. Moms and Tots Skating 1:30-4 p.m, Senior Shuffleboard 410-5:30 p.m. Ringette 5:30-6:30 p.m. Atom Practice 610-7 p.m. Minor Broomball 7-8 p.m. Centenaire Practice 8-9 p.m. Fitness is Fun 8-10 p.m. Volleyball at High School 8-9 p.m. Minor Broomball '9.11:30 o.m. Ladies Broomball Thursday, November 6 930-1010 a.m. Fitness is Fun 4:15-5:15 p.m. Atom 11 Pra trice 5:15-615 p.m. Bantam Practice 6:30-7:30 p.m. Minor Broomballch 7-9 p.m. Typingat High 710-12:00 Mens Broomball Friday, November 7 4-5 p.m. Senior Houseleague Practice 5-6 p.m. Junior Houseleague Practice 6-7 p.m. Novice Practice Saturday, November 8 OP CL17BRE-0( NIZED Arnold Stlnnlesen and Gordon Phllflpe of the Seaforth Optimist Club pose with plaques received from the Ontario Canoe Association. "the Optimist Club was recognized ter having the best canoe race In Ontario. (Bastard photo) 7:30-8:30 a.m. Oilers vs Bruins 830-9:30 a.m. Canadians vs North Stars 9:30=10.30 a.m. Flames vs Leafs 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Jets vs Whalers 11:30-1210 p.m. Flyers vs Penguins 12:30-1:30 p.m. Mites 1:30-2:30 p.m. Petites vs Forest tRingette) l 1.30-2:30 p.m. Story Hour at the Library 210-4 p.m. Public Skating 4-5 p.m. Novice vs Milverton 6:15 8 p.m. Milverton Mitchell 6:15-8 p.m. Pee Wee vs Sunday, November 9 1:30-410 p.m. Centenaires vs Mitchell 5-6 p.m. Tweens vs St. Marys 6-7 p.m. Ringette Practice (Petites) 7-810 p.m. Bruins vs Rangers 8:30-10 p.m. Canadians vs Flyers Monday, November 10 8 p.m. Hospital Auxiliary Meeting at Seaforth Hospital Cafeteria. Note: Date Change. 410-810 p.m. Figure Skating 7:30-910 p.m. Wood Refinishing at High School 710-9;30 p.m. Calligraphy at High School Tuesday, November 11 910-10:30 p.m. Fitness is Fun 10-6:30 p.m. Pee Wee Practice 610-8 p.m. Bantams 8-10 p.m. Mitchell vs Midgets Wed, November 12 6:15 p.m. Seaforth Horticultural, Society potluck supper and annual meeting, Seaforth Pubic School. Please bring plate and cutlery and potluck dish. Guest speaker M. Harrower, Blyth. Topic: window greenhouses. Everyone welcome.