War Brides. Melynda Jarratt

to leave our babies for no longer than one hour at a time. This permitted us to do other things, such as having our meals in peace or doing the hand washing which was hanging up all over the cabin and the bathroom. There were twelve women with their babies and young children which made for a lot of washing. It was a tight squeeze and a rush to get to the bathroom.

      When we felt the ship leaving port, most of us were on deck. It was very difficult seeing the shores of England gradually disappear from sight and not knowing when we would see our loved ones again or what to expect in our new homeland.

      We all gasped when we went into the dining room for the first time and saw all the food on the tables with the beautiful white bread and fresh rolls that were light as a feather. Our steward said that he had never seen anyone eat as much bread as us War Brides. No wonder. We hadn’t seen white bread in almost six years!

      The captain spoke to us over the PA system on our first day out. He told us that there were some returning servicemen on board, that we were not allowed to roam all over the ship and should remain in our own quarters. He also warned that anyone found in the company of a serviceman or a member of the crew would not be allowed to set foot on Canadian soil. We later heard that about ten War Brides were not allowed to land.

      The Queen Mary made a record crossing and we arrived in Halifax harbour on 23 July 1946. It was very foggy and we were unable to see a thing until the fog suddenly lifted like a curtain and we saw the crowds on the wharf. We were told to return to our cabins and it was announced over the PA system that those travelling to the Maritimes would be the first to disembark.

      I had to ask our steward whether the Magdalen Islands were in the Maritimes. As he did not know, he took me along to the chart room where the officer there pointed out the Islands on a huge wall map. They were located in the Gulf of St Lawrence off Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He was quite surprised when he learned that I was from London and going to such an isolated place. He told me that he felt very sorry for me but wished me luck, which was not very encouraging.

      Jeanne and I were the first passengers to disembark; a sailor carried our hand luggage while another carried the baby down the gangway. People came out of the crowd to greet us while a band played in the background. There were also huge banners that said ‘Welcome to our War Brides’.

      Suddenly through the crowds I saw my brother-in-law Aurelius making his way towards us. I asked if Conrad was with him and he laughingly pointed to someone at my side. It was Conrad. I had not recognized him in his civilian clothing.

      We stayed overnight in Halifax and the next day we took a bus to Souris, Prince Edward Island where we boarded the SS Lovat to the Magdalen Islands, arriving early the following morning.