How Mom got into the RAF

My father was born in Wales and was brought up there, in London and in Western Pennsylvania (lots of Welsh folks were in Pennsylvania due to the coal mining). My mother's family were mostly Welsh, too, and had been in Pennsylvania for a long time for the same reason: they were mostly coal miners. My father was still a British citizen and was in the Royal Air Force during World War 2. His assignment changed between Britain and Canada a few times during the war. He always said he felt safer at his base in Wales than when he visited my grandmother in London at that time. Of course, he felt even safer when he was stationed in Canada and when he would go to visit relatives in Western Pennsylvania. His uncle had married my mother's aunt so that is how my parents met. My mother's father didn't like my father, though. He was a foreigner and in a foreign military and likely to get shipped out at any time. Grandpa didn't trust him, I think. But every time Dad got leave, he'd go out with Mom and they fell in love.

He came for yet another visit during one leave and asked Mom to marry him. She knew her father wouldn't agree so they decided to elope. The story goes that when they did, my grandfather headed for the train station (some of the stories say he had a gun) but Mom and Dad went to the bus station. They got to Buffalo, NY and got married there. But by now, Dad's leave had run out and he was AWOL (Away Without Leave). But, lucky for him, he was in the Royal Air Force Police (insignia shown above). and knew the guards at the gate. So, he was able to get on the base but he had to find a place for the two of them to live and needed more money to support his new wife. They always needed office help on the base so my mother worked there. Actually, I don't know if she joined the RAF. [Added later - She may have just been a "civilian contractor" - kind of like the Haiburton of the Second World War.] I will have to check on that.

Anyway, my grandfather was not at all happy about this but by the time my parents got time to go back to visit, things had settled down and my father, who was a very outgoing, likable guy, became one of my grandfather's favorite people (he was one of four sons-in-law). Perhaps I'll tell some stories about my father next month.