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Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2001-01 > 0978777225


From: "Debbie Beavis" <>
Subject: [WARBRIDES] Non-US/Canadian Warbrides?
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 10:33:45 -0000


Firstly, a welcome to our new subscribers, and a slightly belated 'Happy New
Year' to everyone.

Because of the vast numbers who travelled to the United States and Canada,
it is sometimes overlooked that lots of girls travelled to other
destinations, or returned to the UK with their British service-man husband.

There are now 90 of you on the list, and a quick head count of the ISPs
shows 5 Australian and 2 NZ, one Belgian and 1 Netherlands email addresses
but of course there may be others hiding in there behind .com and .net etc.

We would love to hear more from _all_ of you, but let's have some more
stories about those women whose new homes were elsewhere than in America or
Canada too!

I'd be interested in knowing what ships were used to transport the Australia
and New Zealand bound girls. I came across a passenger list for the
Rangitata leaving Tilbury on 16 April 1946, and that ship was bursting at
the seams with young women and babies. Were they warbrides? I think they
must have been. I also found the Dominion Monarch sailing to South Africa
with, I think, several dozen more. Does anyone know what other ships were
used?

I was looking for the Oranje list for the ship arriving with girls from
Malta - for various reasons which I won't go into here, there shouldn't have
been a passenger list for that ship if it only travelled from Malta. I did
find an arrival for Oranje in December 1946 but haven't had time to look at
it.

There must be lots of stories there too, and it would be good if you could
share them with us. What other countries took significant numbers of women?
Where else did the women come from who arrived here with British servicemen?
Can we open up this discussion? I'd be very interested in your thoughts.

Debbie Beavis
Warbrides-L

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