Margaret S. Kydd

War bride: left Liverpool, England aboard the ship, Athlone Castle, May 2, 1945. Arrived at Pier 21, in Halifax, May 12, 1945.

This is my story.

At age 18 I met 29 year old, Staff Sergeant, William F. (Bill) Kydd, RCOC, while skating at a rink in Richmond, Surrey, England. At the time, I was working at General Post Office (GPO) Radio Research, Mill Hill, tuning radio crystals for aircraft. Quartz crystal came from Brazil. I worked in the finishing lab, where the edges of the crystal were sputtered with gold and then tuned in an oscillator until they reached a specific frequency.

Bill and I continued to see one another and were planning to be married on June 13, 1944, about a year after our meeting. Bill had 48 hours leave but he couldn’t confirm his being there for our wedding as D-Day had taken place and he was in a banned area, unable to make contact with me. I could do nothing but wait and hope he would arrive. Sure enough, he did and we were married, as planned on the 13th at St. Peter's Church, in West Harrow, Middlesex. The first 'buzz bombs' were dropped over London that night.

We spent our two days honeymoon at the White Hart Hotel, in Sonning-on-Thames.

Bill crossed to France on D+13 and we were apart for 10 months. During his 10 days leave, in April 1945, we made arrangements for me to come to Canada. We felt if we waited until after the war, my departure could be delayed for a long time while troops were transported home.

On April 29th, 1945, my father accompanied me to the local train station in Harrow. He could take me no further as the war was still on and no one could know my point of departure. Little did I know this would be the last time I would see this wonderful man, whom I adored. My brother-in-law, Captain Hewson Kydd, accompanied me to London’s Euston Station, where I took the train to Liverpool.

In the early days of May, I boarded the Athlone Castle and spent the next ten days crossing the Atlantic, escorted by convoy most of the way as there were still German submarines patrolling the waters. The food was good, the ship was clean and we were treated well by the ship's crew. We had a very good crossing, except for one day when there were thirty-five foot swells. We were not allowed on one side of the ship in case we were washed overboard. Staff wet the tablecloths and put up the table ledges to prevent dishes and food from sliding off. Many were seasick this day. Actually, some people spent most of the trip in the sick bay as the up and down movement of the ship bothered them terribly.

I shared my cabin with a number of other war brides, all excited to be reunited with our husbands and anxiously anticipating life in Canada. We were at sea during V-E day and although happy the war was over, it was difficult celebrating this day without my husband and my parents, with whom I had experienced the horrors of war while living in London.

The Athlone Castle was the first ship to arrive in Halifax after V-E day. Brass bands greeted us as we docked at Pier 21. It was an exciting time and we were young and adventurous and looking forward to beginning our lives in this vast country.

I took the train to Windsor, Nova Scotia, where I visited with the first of my new sisters-in-law, Cecile Kydd, and her family. Next stop was with Bill’s younger sister, Dorothy Dickie, and family who lived in Amherst, Nova Scotia and then on to Kingston, Ontario to meet and stay with Bill’s second sister, Mary Bailey, and family. My last stop was in Barrie, Ontario where I met Bill’s mother and father, who were wonderfully kind and loving people. My parents-in-law and I stayed with Bill’s grandmother while in Barrie. All of my new family members were so welcoming and couldn’t do enough for me. I felt very much at home and enjoyed their company very much.

On the 28th of August, my birthday, I was reunited with Bill in Toronto. He was on leave and we spent this time in Barrie with family and traveled to Thousand Islands and Niagara Falls with Bill’s sister, Mary and her husband, Ken.

When Bill’s leave ended, we lived with his aunt and uncle in Toronto until he was discharged from service-which took several weeks-on October 11, 1945. Bill then reported back to his pre- war employer, CIBC, and was posted to Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Bill traveled to Nova Scotia by train and I by car accompanied by Bill’s parents.

We were blessed with three lovely children, seven terrific grandchildren and one great grandchild. Bill and I enjoyed 58 wonderful years together, before his passing on August 26, 2002.

Although I missed my family and friends in England, I adjusted to my new home quickly and happily. I was amazed by the size of Canada and its wide-open spaces. Buying food without food ration was a privilege. As a treat when I first arrived in Canada, my relatives would take me to an ice cream parlor, where I would always order a banana split, because I went years without even seeing a banana! Having the freedom to buy housewares and clothes without rationing was a great pleasure too. My husband and his wonderful family were very good to me, which enabled me to settle in quickly and with much ease.

My first trip back to England was in 1949. My first born, Allan, and I sailed on the Aquitania. Sadly, four months before, my father had passed away unexpectedly. We were very close and his loss was tremendous. We enjoyed time with my mother and many relatives and friends. I was happy to visit England but Canada had indeed become my home. Bill and I moved our family to Bridgewater, Nova Scotia in 1957 and this is where I remain today.