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War separates families, but there are those who serve yet manage to remain in contact with home; there are those who are known to have perished in the conflict and others whose families face the uncertainty of not knowing where they are or even if they are alive.
This is the story of one such Mumbles family during the Second World War.
On the Home Front
On the Home Front
by Elsie Mapp née Arnold
My husband, Billy and I already had one son, David when War was declared in 1939 and another, Robert, was born in 1942. Billy was home on sick leave in 1944, following an injury to his foot while parachuting, but was called back to become part of the force destined to land at Arnhem by glider. But from the time he went back after that last leave, I did not know what had happened to him.
He could have been alive or dead, I was not able to find out.
The Mapp family:Back row from left-David Mapp, Jeffrey Chambers, Dereck Chambers, Hazel Arnold.
Front row-Jacqueline Thomas, Robert Mapp, Valerie Chambers, Elsie Mapp (nee Arnold)
Front row-Jacqueline Thomas, Robert Mapp, Valerie Chambers, Elsie Mapp (nee Arnold)
I concentrated on bringing up the two boys, while trying to cope with the constant, terrible uncertainty. Until one day in October 1944, when Molly Palmer and Maudie Webborn, two of the village post-ladies came hurtling up the garden path clutching an official postcard.
Dated October 44, it reads -
‘I regret to have to inform you that a report has been received from the War Office to the effect that (No.) 397143 (Rank) Cpl. (Name) MAPP William Thomas (Regiment) ARMY AIR CORPS was posted as “missing” on the 25 September 1944 in North West Europe.’
Later, we were to learn that he was a POW in Stalag 8C in Germany, near the Russian border!
Some time later in 1945, still having not heard from Billy personally, I had decided to visit my Aunt Cissie in Leominster. One morning when I was down the garden with little Robert, feeding the poultry, Aunt Cissie leant excitedly out of the window waving a telegram. It said, ‘I am home. Can’t come to you. Billy.’
In great excitement, we packed our things, walked the three miles to the station to get the only train to Swansea that day. There, we were met by Mr. Davie and his taxi, which had been specially ordered by my Dad.
We arrived home to an emotional reunion, but Billy was 5 stone and many months of recuperation lay ahead.
We eventually went on to have three more children—all daughters, Margaret, who still lives in the village, Norma who is in Australia and Isabelle, now living in Yorkshire. Billy became an ambulance driver at Longfields in West Cross.
We remained together until his death on our wedding anniversary in 1991.
My Aunt, Cissie Pugh died on 15 November 2001 aged 100 years and 5 weeks.
More: The Second World War 1939 - 1945 >
More: Mumbles War Memorials > For further information on local casualties
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