Sad story in Goddard Road.

[The Historian]

Someone told me a very sad story about a wife who watched her husband go of to fight in WW2, he was then killed in action. Then every day for about 10 years she stood at the front gate looking in the direction of Elmers End Station waiting for him to return.

[paduard]

Reading through this sad story, I thought I might put a similar one on here – not quite so sad though.

My uncle Sid [RIP] on the Turner side of the family tree was a Sgt.Major in the Army posted in Germany after the war ended in 1945. He was in charge of supplies and stores at some depot there. Subsequently his tour of duty ended and he left the army to take up running a corner shop in Sainsbury Road, Upper Norwood; in the same street where he and my Aunt Vi [RIP] lived. Subsequently he gave it up and worked for Guiness Brewery and shortly afterwards they offered him a bungalow at Park Royal in Ealing [c.1952]. But my Aunt Vi was not inclined to go west to Ealing. My Uncle Sid then disappeared – presumably went back to Germany, but not however in the forces.

What he did we do not know, but my Aunt got the Salvation Army (who specialized at the time in locating lost persons) to look for him. Without success. The reason for the search was because a person had to be gone for 7 years in order to qualify as being presumed dead and until that was done it affected certain pension rights. This forever has remained a mystery for our family, but about 1955 my brother Michael [RIP] saw my Uncle Side at Victoria Stn. In London – but they didn’t speak because he was on the opposite platform and didn’t see my brother. There was a lady present with my Uncle and that was all my brother noticed.

As you can imagine since then it not only has been a mystery for the family but in speaking of it – it became a sort of jovial story with a few laughs thrown in. That’s about all I can relate – hope I haven’t bored you silly with this.

Paduard