T H E C O V E N A N T E R
marry if we so wished. Statistics showed Market near Ipswich. I very quickly wrote
that one in every three soldiers wanted to him and he replied and sent me details
to marry their German sweethearts. The of how and where to apply. This resulted
strength of this together with a strong Press in me writing to the Home Office (Aliens
sympathy brought about the lifting of the Department) London who in turn sent
Fraternisation Ban. me the necessary paperwork to complete
At long last we were allowed to openly and to send to Waltraut in Germany.
speak, walk arm in arm, enter houses She completed her part and took all the
and attend dances but the marriage ban
remained in place. Having had a serious
courtship with Waltraut for several months
I was one of the first in my Company to
parade down the town centre with my
fraulein sweetheart in broad daylight.
Needless to say we ran the gautlet of jibes,
jeers and even spitting by some German
‘die-hards’ and German Prisoners of War.
I felt badly for Waltraut who bore the
brunt of this abuse and I tried to assure her
that it would fade and disappear in time.
The weeks that followed saw us almost
inseparable. Finally the time came for me
to be demobilised. I was devastated at the
thought of leaving Waltraut behind in
Germany and worried that she would be
vulnerable to those keen to take advantage
of a young girl without my protection.
On May 16th, 1946 I was demobbed but
I made a solemn promise to Waltruat that I
would do all in my power to have her join
me in England. Back in the U.K. I wrote
to Waltraut every day. Not long after my
return a notice in the Press read: Vicar gives
advice on how to marry a German girl and
promises ‘I will help you’ - a certain Rev.
Sgt RJ Coleman, 2nd battalion Bad Gandersheim,
G.W. Hargrave-Thomas, Vicar of Needham
Germany 1945
Support Company Senior Ranks, 2nd Battalion Viennenburg, Germany 1944
16
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