From (reporter) JOHN SHAW Port Said

October 24. 1951 – In the tiny church that is really a converted chalet in the holiday camp at Port Fouad, 20-year-old Jean Blanchard was married today, so hurriedly that she had no time to iron out the creases of the trailing white gown she had sewn back home in Hull.

It had been in her trunk since October 8 when she sailed in Her Majesty’s troopship Empress of Australia for Egypt.

In the ship were six other brides and 240 wives and children going out to live with their Servicemen-folk. While they were at sea the shooting started up and down the Canal Zone, and the British Government decided it was not safe to land them. The ship sails back to Britain tomorrow.

Then authority relented. The brides were told at noon yesterday that they could go ashore for a few hours to be married.

So Jean put on her crumpled white satin dress and the veil trimmed with orange blossom.

Flat Was Ready
As she stepped ashore, the Women’s Voluntary Service handed her a bouquet of red and yellow roses. Then in St. Peter’s within the camp, Jean saw her fiancé, airman Robert Eckersley, for the first time in two years. Poor Robert, he had a furnished flat ready in Suez for his bride, and she would not need it now. He had come from there today, 120 miles, and he carried his Sten gun to the church. “Army Orders”

He and Jean got engaged by air mail 18 months ago, and Jean brought the wedding ring with her. Rings for the other six brides were bought in Port Said – 22 carat and £2 15s each – and the bridegrooms went shopping for them with armed escorts.

Then, with best men and bridesmaids picked from folk who happened to be about, and in the same Seaview Camp church as Jean and Robert, these were married: Corporal P. Scott of the Royal Sussex Regiment, and Joan Schackell of Woodruff House; Sergeant J. Wheeler, R.E. and Peggy Guyatt of Maidstone, Kent. RAF Sergeant Morgan and Miss Norton; LAC Scanlen and Miss D. Adams.

Their Toasts
In Sainte Eugenie Roman Catholic Church Corporal P. A. Mulligan, RASC, married Miss Jean Esdale, who lives in the same street, Dowanhill Road, Catford, SE; Sergeant Sweeney married Margaret McCallister, of Downpatrick, in Northern Ireland.

There were forms to be signed in triplicate and there were showers of NAAFI confetti.

And while the old-weds – 107 families – held reunions in the troopship, the seven pairs of new-weds met in the NAAFI canteen and drank toasts in NAAFI champagne.

Then, just before their fours hours wedding-leave was up, authority relented again and there was a wedding night, after all. In NAAFI tents – with the blessings of the NAAFI girls who vacated them.

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Town Is Ready For Sent-home Wives
Plans are ready in Blackpool to take the Service families returning in the Empress of Australia and others who may be evacuated from the Suez Canal Zone.

Altogether, hotels and boarding-houses are prepared to accommodate 6,000 wives and children. Charge for wives 10 shillings to 12 shillings a day.

(The Daily Express)