Uniforms from Couple Married Before the War
The contributor brought in two uniforms worn by his grandparents in the Second World War, which were inherited by his mother from his grandmother. The contributor's grandad, John Wilson, moved to Kilkeel at the start of the war and remained there during the war. He worked as a bank manager at Northern Bank. The contributor's grandmother, Margaret Wilson, was originally from the Portadown area, where there was an American Air Force base. The contributor's grandmother stayed in a caravan park in Kilkeel that was an old Air Force base with concrete turrets. She volunteered with the American Red Cross. The contributor noted that women were not permitted to go to dances by themselves. His grandparents had met before the war and received a telegram with permission to marry before the war.