My parents met when they worked for the same firm in Purfleet, Essex in post-war Britain. Their friendship developed when they both played sport for the firm’s sporting club, and subsequently started dating. 

In 1952, Dad decided to immigrate to Australia, following his brother who had left England in 1949 with his young bride, to try life in “the lucky country”. Dad and Mum continued corresponding once Dad left England. 

In 1953 Dad proposed to Mum by letter. I can only imagine his nervousness while he waited the six weeks for his letter to reach England and then another six weeks for Mum’s reply to reach him. 

She accepted his proposal, so he sent money for her to buy herself an engagement ring. I still have the engagement ring and the receipt from the London jeweller where she bought it. She then applied to immigrate to Australia too and arrived here in March 1954. They were married in April 1955, and lived the rest of their days in Australia, having a number of trips back to England to visit family and friends.

Sue 

It was during WW2 that women learnt what they were made of, and when men realized they needed women more than ever before.

Vi, a young woman of 16 years, went to work in an ammunition plant. She thought if she couldn’t shoot the enemy then she could make the bullets that did.

Every week a list of soldiers names would be put up on the notice board and all the women would gather around. The list were soldiers that needed letters, parcels and above all, encouragement from home. The ladies mulled over the names, some would pick the names that sounded religious or worldly, but Vi just wiggled her finger, shut her eyes and pointed and she picked a young soldier called Sidney. She muttered he is unlikely to look like Clark Gable but she wrote to him anyway.

She wrote often as did he. She sent things from home like Backwell tarts which were never intact when he got them and they became firm friends.

Finally a letter arrived letting her know Sidney was coming home on leave and he wanted to meet her at a popular attraction in the city. She wandered around and thought he had not shown up or worse still had seen her and ran. She hadn’t told him in her description of herself that she had short hair unlike many girls her age and wore glasses.

All the soldiers looked the same except one that she thought couldn’t possibly be him - he looked like the Hollywood film star Clark Gable. Sure enough it was Sidney and he saw Vi and fell head over heels in love!

They dated all of the 3 weeks of his leave and in the end he proposed. Vi said I will marry you the minute you return from the war which they did. They had 2 sons and lived happily ever after until Sidney died after 48 years of marriage and Vi missed him every day until she died some 18 years later.

Vi used to say wiggle your finger and point to make a decision and you may get Clark Gable just like she did!

Eileen Steel

It was 25th April 1950, and it was an overcast morning. My nan was heading to the ANZAC ceremony and coincidently so was my pop as he fought in the war. At the gathering they were seated next to each other and my nan being ever so shy and ladylike, kept to herself although she did notice the handsome man next to her.

My pop saw nan and thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Pop being Pop was never shy and openly said to nan ‘you are the prettiest picture I have ever seen’ and asked if he could accompany her to the bus stop after the ceremony. Nan wouldn’t normally even speak to a stranger, but something inside her told her to do it!

Their courtship went on and until finally pop approached Nan’s dad and asked if he could marry Nan, of course he said yes. And to this day, they are both as happy as the day they met. They have 5 children, 28 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren!

Pop rejoined the army as a medic over the years, but retired eventually and now live a quiet humble life. And that’s their love story. 

Kim Krushka

It was 1967 in Sydney, Australia, and my 18 year old mother Kathleen had decided to sneak out to meet her friends. Though terrified of heights, her only choice was to climb out her second story terrace house window. 

On her return, she had to climb back up to the window to get back inside the house without disturbing anyone… but it would not budge! 

It was only then she saw the four inch nails sticking out of the inside of the frame, and her father sitting on her bed inside, holding the hammer that had nailed them in. He was looking right at her, and to her dismay, his only words were “Get inside”.

As a result of this stunt, my Mum was grounded for two weeks. She had a date with a sailor that weekend, so she rang the Navy switchboard to get a message to him.

20 year old Robert was an electrician in the Navy. He was more used to the engine room of a patrol boat than an office, but he had agreed to fill in for a mate on the switch. When a young woman with a pretty voice rang through to cancel a date, he could not help but strike up a conversation. And they talked, and talked, and talked. He got her number, and rang her back when he was off duty, and they talked even more!

This continued for about a week, and maybe my grandfather took pity on Mum, or maybe he was just sick of her being on the phone all the time, but he agreed to let her go out on a date with Robert. 

Things went very well and by the end of their second date the following week, they both knew this was it, and Robert proposed.

They spent 41 wonderful and devoted years together and had three daughters, five grand daughters and three grandsons.

Susan Roberts, QLD