‘Overpaid oversexed and over here!’

Joke about American troops in Britain during the war.

Living in uncertain times, there was an unusual temptation to take a risk on marriage during the war. Who could predict if your loved one would survive? If no one could tell what might happen in the future, why not seize opportunities as they came along? For the women at home, with their local men fighting abroad, it must have been exciting to meet the wealthy foreign soldiers flooding into the area. Many American and Canadian servicemen were stationed in Britain, making friendships with the locals - including romantic attachments. There were an estimated 100,000 marriages between British women and American soldiers and a further 45,000 to Canadian troops during the Second World War. Over 70,000 women sailed to America to start a new life with their husbands in 1946.

American troops talk to women and children

A large proportion of these weddings took place in the build up to D-Day. Many more would have happened if their application had been processed before the soldiers left. In order to marry, the American soldiers had to get written permission from their Commanding Officer at least two months in advance of the wedding. The Commander’s decision would be based on interviewing the prospective bride. Occasionally senior officers disapproved of war marriages and would make a couple wait several months before granting an interview. For mixed race couples the obstacles that were put in their path often prevented marriage altogether. In some states in America inter-racial marriages were illegal, and would not be recognised when the soldiers returned home.

To sail to America a G.I. bride needed:

A visa, passport, 2 copies of birth certificate, 2 copies of police record and marriage certificate
Sworn statement from husband that he could support her, with details of salary
Statement from husband's Commander supporting salary details
£10 in cash and no more
Statement from husband's family if he were not yet home that they were willing and able to house her
Discharge papers if she had served in military
Evidence that she would get a train ticket to final destination on disembarking

There were protests in America about the women being given the limited spaces on ships while U.S. soldiers were still in Europe. In particular there was anger that the American War Department paid for some 60,000 of these crossings, even though there were a lot of obstacles for the women to navigate around before they could get approval. There was a feeling amongst some that foreign women were travelling at the expense of soldiers away from home.

Women made the decision to leave knowing that there was a good chance they might never see their parents and loved ones in this country again. Family were not even allowed to travel on the special trains put aside for transport of War Brides to say goodbye. Aware that they might face a frosty reception, with short notice and hasty goodbyes, women packed their bags for transportation camps around the country, prior to sailing on one of the 30 vessels dedicated to the purpose.

Tidworth Transit Camp on Salisbury Plain was made an assembly point for brides and babies to be processed and shipped to the United States. Women came from all over the country to this base prior to leaving from Southampton on one of the ships temporarily dedicated to the purpose. In the early days conditions at the camp were terrible. American soldiers, resentful because they were keen to get home themselves, ran the camp with German and Italian prisoners of war as workers. There were tales of humiliating and unnecessary medical examinations of the women. No facilities were available to help with the care of babies such as a laundry or hot water. Many women and babies contracted ‘camp fever’, diarrhoea and sickness, which was rumoured to be fatal to some of the children.

The first official sailing of a ‘war bride’ ship was on 26th January 1946 on the S.S. Argentina. She sailed from Southampton with 452 women aboard. For the women of Tidworth Camp it was a relief to be away from the harsh conditions, although the crossing was far from pleasant. The Argentina ran into an enormous storm, camp sickness had travelled with the passengers and the ship had not yet been refitted for civilian passengers. The accommodation was very basic. The food on board though was a very welcome break from years of rationing for those that still had the stomach to eat it! Large famous liners also participated in these crossings, including the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and Aquitania.

The war brides had taken a chance on uncertain futures in America and Canada. The majority of women did make successful lives in their new homes. For some though the reality of life with husbands in peacetime was not what they expected. Many hadn’t even seen their husbands in civilian clothes. For others their partners were still in Europe so they travelled to meet and live with strangers, not always facing a warm welcome. Although there are no figures available on the amount of brides that came home again, for many the price of leaving everything familiar behind was too high.

Nursing in the Royal Navy

Womens Royal Naval Service

War brides