A True WWII Love Story continued...

After being hit by the car Dad ended up at a military hospital outside of Sydney. He tried to get in contact with Mom but the best he could do was to leave a message at her job as they didn't have a phone at the house.

Since the hospital was a train and bus ride from Sydney Mom wouldn’t be able to visit until the weekend. My Grandmother, Madeline, being a good Christian woman decided to take a day trip to visit the injured service man. Dad was more than a little surprised to see this prim and proper lady, complete with hat and gloves, arrive with a basket of magazines and other goodies. This was especially unexpected, as Grandma Madeline didn’t much care for the idea of Mom and Dad seeing each other. She thought that with his yellowish skin (from the malaria pills), dark tan and sun-bleached red hair that perhaps he was an Indian or Native American as we say now. On top of that, he was an American and a Catholic. Not exactly the sort of suitor she wanted for her daughter!

Mom did get out to visit him on the weekends and after 3 weeks, he was able to leave the hospital on crutches. Being on leave for a few more weeks due to the crutches Dad was free to continue his pursuit of Mom. Fortunately, Grandpa Bert liked Dad. He had a military background himself serving in WWI and WWII and being a man’s man they got along fine. So Mom was allowed to go to a few movies and dinners with Dad always taking Ruthy along as a chaperone. I don’t know if she was of any use, all she did was walk a few steps behind them and giggle endlessly!

All too soon, Dad was well enough to return to active duty and letters became their only means of communication.

Coming next: Poems and Love Letters