The other day I was reading a vintage magazine I had been gifted and there was a very interesting article about “What life was like for young war brides”. It was really fascinating to read the interviews and hear them talking about knowing that while life was so uncertain at that time, they knew that they were in love and would do anything to just marry their soldier and worry about the rest later.

Then later while browsing the internet to read a bit more on this subject I stumbled upon a very interesting site called “Canadian War Brides” and as I was reading the stories, looking thru pictures I thought that this was a great idea for a blog post, that I think you would all enjoy.

Here are some of the wonderful goodies…..

Vintage Images of 1940s Canadian War Brides

War Bride Definition:

The term “war bride” refers to the estimated 48,000 young women who met and married Canadian servicemen during the Second World War. These war brides were mostly from Britain, but a few thousand were also from other areas of Europe: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Germany (Source).

Nearly 48,000 Canadian servicemen who married overseas during World War II. Between 1942 and 1947, the government brought 47 783 war brides and their 21 950 children to Canada. Relatively few came before the wars end (Source).

Meet Annie Barnes Anderson Coyle and George Alfred Brown who were married on February 10, 1945 at South Leith Parish Church, in Scotland. George was from Earlton, Ontario and Annie from Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland. Annie was in the Womens Land Army during the Second World War and George was a tank gunner with the Canadian Grenadier Guards.

1940s vintage photo of a young couple who were married in scotland on Feb 10th, 1945. George was Canadian and Annie was a Scottish War Bride. — Source: Canadian War Bride

1940’s Wedding Dresses:

In many photos (like the one above) you will see that the bride is not wearing a wedding dress as clothes rationing and shortages of materials made this very difficult (as well as shortage on time in many bride and grooms cases). Many times you will see her in a best suit or in her service uniform.

I even read about the ultimate rationing….a wedding dress (pictured below) that was worn by 15 brides in Britain. Isn’t it stunning?!

1940s wedding gown - The floor-skimming gown was made from floral-patterned pre-war silk, originally intended for making petticoats.

It was first worn by Evelyn Higginson when she married sailor Charles Butterfield on 18 September 1943. Read all about the other 14 women who wore the dress by clicking the image of the dress. — Source: Express

Here is CSM Wm. Lyster and Wren Coral Eswyn Ellinor on August 21st 1943. St. Richard’s Church, Aldwick, Sussex. So young and so in love.

1940s Canadian War Bride -CSM Wm. Lyster and Wren Coral Eswyn Ellinor on August 21st 1943. St. Richard's Church, Aldwick, Sussex. What a stunning 1940s wedding dress, veil, crown and of course the flowers. And our young soldier in his kilt uniform. — Source: ESWYN LYSTER’S STORY & HER BOOK

Right before getting married, William sent a Telegraph to Canada requesting funds from his savings. I think this is really cool piece of history.

1940s Canadian Pacific Telegraph, telegram about fund needed for getting married during WW2. — Source: ESWYN LYSTER’S STORY & HER BOOK

This wedding below looks to be several weddings, but I believe the others ladies are bridesmaids, hence the shorter veils. The middle couple is War Bride Rose Boulay and her husband Horace Boulay of Belledune, New Brunswick.

1940s Canadian War Bride wedding -War Bride Rose Boulay and her husband Horace Boulay of Belledune, New Brunswick. Stunning 1940s wedding dress and 1940s bridesmaid dresses. — Source: Canadian War Brides-FB Page

Nothing thrills me more than seeing vintage images in colour like the wedding of war bride Cathie Elliot to her very handsome Canadian Solider-Glen. They were married on Christmas Eve, 1940, Aberdeen, Scotland. As you can see she is not wearing a traditional white dress.

The paper Horseshoe. In many photos I saw of Canadians and non Canadians the women were carrying a paper horseshoe. What exactly for? For good luck! What a fun idea.

1940s vintage photo of a War Bride and her Solider-Coloured photo. war bride Cathie Elliot to her very handsome Canadian Solider-Glen. They were married on Christmas Eve, 1940, Aberdeen, Scotland. As you can see she is not wearing a traditional white dress. — Source: Canadian War Brides-FB Page

Now for the wedding of all weddings…The Marriage of English War Bride Olive Cochrane to Saskatchewan Native Lloyd Cochrane. The Bouquets in all these photos are just stunning and must weigh a ton.

1940s vintage photo of a 1940s WW2 War Bride Wedding. The image features the 1940s bride and her groom and all the wedding guests and bridesmaids. — Source: Canadian War Brides-FB Page

A war bride and child arrive at Bonaventure Station in Montreal, Quebec, on 4 March 1946. The mother and child had travelled across the ocean on board the SS Aquitania (Source).

1940s Vintage Photo: A war bride and child arrive at Bonaventure Station in Montreal, Quebec, on 4 March 1946. The mother and child had travelled across the ocean on board the SS Aquitania.

Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia

Coming to Canada

After the wedding the brides eventually had to make the trip to Canada.

Here is an image of War Brides with their Children arriving in Halifax-Pier 21. Upon their arrival they were supplied with a cookbook and then sent on their way.

Most then boarded special trains that took them to their final destinations in communities located across the country. Many of the war brides were unprepared for the conditions they found in Canada, but most stayed and adjusted to a new way of life (Source).

1940s photo of War brides and their children arriving in Halifax, Canada from overseas. — Source: Public Archives of NS

I have a feeling that making this trip to an unknown country to a family you don’t know and maybe a husband you barely remember must bring these women together in a way that nobody thought possible.

1940s Canadian War Brides Coming to their new home. 1940s Fashions on display-Coats, hair scarfs and kids. — Source: Canadian Army

Canadian war brides on board the aircraft carrier Reaper as it enters the Sydney Harbour, NS. On a fashion side, I love the hair and the peep toe shoes.

1940s vintage photo of Canadian War Brides on a bunk bed in 1940s fashions waiting to get off the boat in Sydney Harbour, NS. — Source: CBC Radio

War brides and their children en route to Canada. Photo taken in England, 17 April 1944.

Source: Canadian Encyclopedia

For further reading please check out:

Vintage Photos 1920s – 1960s (Archived Blog Posts)
World War 2 Women’s Contributions & Homefront Posts (Archived blog posts)
Vintage Wedding Blog Posts (Archived)

Liz 🙂

Who was the Bren Gun Girl?

The Bren Gun Girl according to Wikipedia was a young woman named “Veronica Foster” who became a Canadian icon representing nearly one million Canadian women who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and material during World War II. She was popularly known as “Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl” and worked for the company John Inglis Co.Ltd producing Bren light machine guns on a production line on Strachan Avenue in Toronto, Ontario (Where I live! And now called “Liberty Village”). She became popular after a series of propaganda posters were produced; most images featured her working for the war effort, but others depicted more casual settings like Foster dancing the jitterbug (just like the image we found in my book) or attending a dinner party.

She can be seen as the Canadian precursor to the American fictional propaganda tool Rosie the Riveter (Source-Wikipedia).

Veronica Foster-The Canadian Rosie the Riveter aka "The Bren Gun Girl". Posing for a photo with a bren gun while smoking. — Source: Wikipedia

Image comment: I find it interesting that she is smoking in this picture. I know in the TV Show Bomb Girls that would not be allowed but maybe it is because she is posing with a gun and not a bomb 🙂

Note from Laura-Veronica’s Daughter:

Just to clarify a small fact… my mother never smoked. The photographer wanted her to smoke because I guess it was considered sexy in those days and smoking was supposed to be the socially acceptable cool in those days. Up until a few years ago you could smoke anywhere you wanted at any time. But… my mother never smoked… just for the “Ronnie” photos.