32 Whole Number 227
personnel, privileges and pay cat-
egories, and so was assigned a new
“Temporary” (T) ASN. The other
envelope is from a member of the
Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, a
part of the Royal Air Force to a US
serviceman. One of the models for
the US armed forces women’s ser-
vices, 180,000 WAAF personnel
served in various capacities, in-
cluding ground crew, meteorology,
code work and intelligence.
Sometime the friendships carried
on in correspondence developed
Figure 14 was mailed in August 1945 from a serviceman in the US to his war
into romantic attachments. In to-
bride still in England. With documentations, permissions, logistics and laws all
tal, it is estimated that there were
arranged, the first official sailing of a ‘war bride’ ship finally occurred in
100,000 marriages between Brit-
January 1946.
ish women and American soldiers
as well as an additional 45,000 marriages to Cana-
The garrison town of Tidworth, Wiltshire, is on
dian troops. Of this total, approximately 70,000
theedge of Salisbury Plain Training Area. This had
women moved to America and 45,000 to Canada to
been a major military base in the UK since1897, and
start a new life with their soldier husbands. In order
throughout WWII at least nine US Army divisions
to marry a foreign national, the American soldier had
(including four Armored Divisions) were garrisoned
to get written permission from their Commanding
at Tidworth, with access to the Royal Artillery Range
Officer at least two months in advance of the wed-
for artillery and tank practice. By December 1945,
ding. The Commander’s decision would be based on
the base was converted to Tidworth Transit Camp and
interviewing the prospective bride. Occasionally se-
was made an assembly point for women and children
nior officers disapproved of war marriages and would
to be processed prior to leaving for the US from
make a couple wait several months before granting
Southampton on a ship temporarily dedicated to this
an interview
purpose. To sail to America a G.I. bride needed immi-
.
gration and marriage documentation, as well as a
Once the war was over, the process of reuniting these
sworn statement from husband that he could support
war marriage partners had to compete with many other
her, with details of his salary and evidence that she
logistical issues. At VE Day in May 1945, approxi-
would get a train ticket to final destination on disem-
mately 7.6 million service personnel were stationed
barking.. In preparation for all of this, there would
overseas. With the occurrence of VJ day in Septem-
have been much correspondence between the spouses,
ber, the military reduced the required total discharge
such as the cover in figure 14. This envelope was
points to 80, and eventually to 50 by mid December
mailed in August 1945 from a serviceman in the US
1945. In this same time period, approximately 5 mil-
to his bride still in England. Since he was in the CO-
lion troops were transported back to the US. Com-
NUS, and mailing to a civilian overseas, the airmail
pared to the WWI experience of 18 months to return
military concession rate did not apply; the sender was
2 million troops, this was a great performance. For
required to pay the standard $0.30 airmail rate to En-
the remaining 2+ million soldiers, however, it was
gland. While at Tidworth, the women had a schedule
not good enough. With many millions of men still
of orientation of what to expect in their new country,
overseas and shortages of transportation, there were
the naturalized citizenship process, finger printing,
protests in America about efforts to transport the war
luggage checks, physical exams and limited currency
brides using the limited spaces on ships while U.S.
exchange as there was not a large quantity of US cur-
soldiers were still in Europe and the Pacific islands.
rency in Great Britain.
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