NEWS
Eltham couple George and Eileen Hawkins, both 91, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on 22nd September.
Eileen, nee Clayton, was born in Plumstead. She lived in Will Crooks Gardens and attended the Eltham Central School (now Deansfield). After leaving school she worked as a laboratory attendant and during the war was an engineer at Dolphin Square as well as being in the ARP as a first aider. She lived in Eltham, but was bombed out twice, on one occasion in The Vista where the park railings came through the roof narrowly missing her father.
but in 1929 his family moved to Meadowside, Eltham. He attended Gordon, Ealdham and Henwick schools and then began work for the Woolwich Borough Council. During the building of Eltham Baths he was a timekeeper. He was called up during the war and joined the Royal Sussex Regiment, but was captured by the Germans in May 1940 when his regiment defended the retreat to Dunkirk. He subsequently spent the next five years as a POW, working in a coal mine at Beuthen (now Bytom) in Poland. The Germans marched the prisoners out in January 1945 (one of the coldest winters on record) ahead of the Russian advance eastwards and George was then made to walk nearly 600 miles through Czechoslovakia to Bavaria in Germany where he met the Americans in April 1945.
George 32
was born in P lumst ead
George and Eileen met before the war, Eileen’s brother was secretary of the Eltham Tenants Association Community Football Club, Eileen had gone to watch a match and George was first reserve, so on the sideline he took the opportunity to invite Eileen to the Garrison theatre in Woolwich that evening! They became engaged at Christmas 1939.
SEnine Eltham couple celebrate 65 years By Christine Parry
After nearly five years of separation they were reunited on May 3rd 1945. George had been debriefed in Amersham and soldiers were being transported to London. Eileen’s boss told her that army trains were coming into Paddington, so she went there. George knew that Eileen worked in Victoria and so he went there, feeling very alone, it was the first time in several years that he had nobody to tell him what to do. He then got a taxi. The taxi driver refused any payment, having noticed the new uniform and enquired what he had been doing. George and Eileen, together with George’s
sister,
eventually met up under the clock at Charing Cross Station.
They were married in St Saviours Church, Middle Park Avenue on 22nd September 1945. Rationing meant that the food at their reception was somewhat restricted as the menu shows!
After living with an aunt in Catford for a couple of years they moved into the newly built Coldharbour estate, where they still live today. George continued to work for the council for over 40 years and Eileen was a laboratory technician at Eltham Green School for nearly 25 years.
During their retirement they have travelled the world visiting their son in New Zealand many times and daughter when she lived in America and Australia.
They celebrated their anniversary with a small family gathering.
Smile , it feels good
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44