Here come the war brides: a love story 65 years on (original) (raw)

By Scott Ellis

April 18, 2010 — 12.00am

RUTH DOWSETT was just 18 and living in war-time Melbourne when she tripped over a visiting American soldier at her local ice rink.

That was 1942, the young GI's name was Bill Frost: "And I've been keeping him on ice ever since."

The Frosts at home in Mooloolaba.Credit: Paul Harris

She said: "We were together just 31 days, spread out over three years before we got married.

"Bill was shipped home to the United States when the war ended, I followed six months later on a war brides ship and we've been together, living both in America and Australia, ever since."

Mrs Frost's story is typical of up to 15,000 Australian women who met and fell in love with US servicemen who were either stationed or on furlough here during World War II.

This week, when the Hollywood war drama The Pacific returns to our screens, it's the brides' story that will take centre stage as the mini-series produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg travels to Melbourne, showing how the "overpaid, oversexed and over here" American soldiers relaxed while on rest and recreation leave in 1943. It's a whirlwind of drinking, parties and luring naive young women into bed, according to the series.

Robyn Arrowsmith, a historian who spent nine years researching Australia's war brides, said between 12,000 and 15,000 women had fallen in love with visiting American servicemen, then followed them home to the US. “There was this stereotype about the war brides that they were all good-time girls with loose morals," she said.

"And while it's true there were the fast romances and one-night stands, there were a lot of genuine romances as well."

In this week's episode of The Pacific, Claire van der Boom plays Stella, a quiet young woman who falls in love – and quickly into bed – with American soldier Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale).

"Some couples were together just three days before they decided to get married," Mrs Frost said.

Once the war was over, "Operation War Bride" was organised, with small flotillas of cruise ships packed with the new wives – and in some cases their new babies – for transport to the US. Hazel Walker, now living in Phoenix, Arizona, met her American husband, Private First Class Eddie Walker, in 1942, while she was 21 and he was stationed in Brisbane.

Newly married and with a baby in tow, Hazel shipped out to America before the war ended. The couple were married for more than 50 years, before Eddie passed away.

"I know they make movies about these boys who'd meet a girl, climb into bed with them, marry them within two weeks and then divorce but the great majority of them were not like that," she said.

"We had a long and happy life together and, as hard as it was to leave Australia, it was worth it."

In 2007 the Australian war brides were honoured at a reception at the Australian embassy in Washington.

More than 90 women travelled to the capital from around the country to attend. Mrs Arrowsmith was among those who addressed the reception. "It took a long time for them to be recognised but finally they were and it was just an amazing occasion," she said.

Most Viewed in Culture

Loading