'Born in Essex on February 23, 1926, I, Daphne Agnes Crowe, walked to school seven miles every day, but finally took the bus when I went to school in the next town. After leaving school, I worked in a factory, but didn’t like it. I went to Wembley to take care of a young boy and do housework. After leaving there, I decided to enlist in one of the services, and chose the Army ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Services).'



'I did my training at Oswestry in Wales, and from there I was sent to a camp in Essex, then, on to Newmarket for a short while to help prepare officers’ quarters for a visit from the Princess Royal. After that, I was sent to Cambridge and stayed at a house in town for a few days. One of the girls took me to see the town, and we stopped in a pub where I had a drink called a Shandy – my first drink. I believe it was half beer and half ginger beer. This girl introduced me to a man named Joe. I didn’t see him again until a couple of weeks later, when this girl and I went out again.'



'This time she met an American friend and they decided to go dancing. I had planned to go back to camp. When I got outside, there was Joe. We got talking and he offered to walk me back to camp. What he did not know is that I had been moved to a place called Leesprings on Trumpington Road – quite a walk from town. We started seeing each other just as friends, until three weeks later, when he gave me a peck on the cheek. He used to take me out to the base in Duxford for a good meal once a week.'



'One time, he wasn’t able to leave to get me back to camp, so I borrowed this old bike. He insisted that I call him when I got there. I did fifteen to twenty minutes later and he didn’t think that I was there, so I hung up the phone and had him call me back. Well, I guess he was glad that I was there.'



'I would fly along that road so fast to get home from then on. The next time we had a few words about that. I left him standing there and went back inside. I was about to get undressed when a friend asked if I wanted to go to a party at an American base. I said “Yes, why not?” I walked right passed Joe, got in a taxi, and off we went. I had a great time. Only one drink, then we got a ride back to camp in a jeep. Guess who was still waiting for me? I had to get back into my room so we only spoke a few words and that was to meet the next day.'



'Things got back to normal, and three days later we were in the movies and Joe said to me, “Give me your hand.” When I did, he slipped a ring on my finger, and said “We are getting married.” That was around the holidays.'



'In early 1944, we had a meeting with the priest. He asked us some questions; one was, “do you ever fight?” I said “No,” Joe said “Yes, it was only the one time,” and that he had “let that pass.” Joe made all of the arrangements, and we were married in the registry office on May 22, 1944, with some girls from camp. We did not have any family present, and we were both in uniform. This was a few months before the Red Cross loaned out wedding dresses, so we missed out on that.



Joe’s old friend drove us up to London to a hotel on Piccadilly. It was all boarded up due to the bombing, but was the only place that we could get. I had my first glass of Port that day. Joe signed the register, and after I signed my name, I said, “Oh look Joe, I signed the wrong name.” It was my maiden name; that caused a bit of a stir. All the people were standing around, so then out came the proof that we were married – talk about a blushing bride.'



'We spent a week there, and then it was back to camp and our regular routines. On one of our days off, we saw a fair and decided to take a ride on the carousel. We got on a horse, laughing and having fun. The wind was blowing and Joe’s hat flew off. Two MP’s picked it up, and when we went to get it, they said to Joe, “you should be ashamed of yourself, making a spectacle of yourself with that woman!” Joe said, “That woman happens to be my wife,” and I guess that Joe told his boss about what happened. We never saw those MP’s again, and I can only assume that they got transferred.'



'Our favorite place was a pub called “The Criterion.” It was up a little alley near the market square. We always had the same place, the corner near the bar. I was the only female there. Although I didn’t make much money, I used to put some on the bar when I could. The bunch of regular GI’s we spent time with respected me for that.'



'During one of Joe’s missions over Germany, he landed in France on the way back and went to a store to buy me a bottle of perfume, Chanel No.5. He was half an hour late getting back to base; they thought he had been shot down. I never did know if he got punished for that. He had some close calls on these missions and almost didn’t make it back, but he always said that he had to get back to me. That’s what I call real love.'



'Joe had finished his tour of duty and could have gone home, but he took on another duty flying a Colonel or General around in a small plane – no more Thunderbolt fighter planes. In the meantime, I got my discharge for “Family Reasons,” and Joe started on the papers for me to go to the States. One day, the officer he flew around asked him why he didn’t want to go home, and Joe told him that he wanted to make sure I got there first. The officer said, “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have had her there in no time!” It wasn’t long before I got a cable giving me instructions to be ready to leave.'



'I was not allowed to tell anyone of the plans made, not even my family. The war was still on at this time. I was to go to the American Embassy in London, and then take the train to Liverpool, where I would board the ship called the Mauretania.'



'When we left the harbor, we had Destroyer escorts part way out to the sea. After a while, they left us and we were on our own. We had life boat drill often. The sea was so rough, and I was so seasick that I couldn’t get out of the bunk for three days. When we arrived at New York, I remember seeing the ferry boat full of passengers going to the Statue of Liberty. They were singing “Don’t Fence Me In.”'



'We were all taken to a building in the city where Joe’s parents were waiting to pick me up. They took me to their home in Jackson Heights, New York. They made me feel welcome. Joe had twin stepbrothers, who were ten at the time, who kept peeking around the corner at me. His family had prepared so much food that I could hardly eat it. I was only 108 pounds, and Joe had told his mother to put some weight on me as I was too thin. I could only eat a small amount.'



'Joe finally came home and I was so happy to see him. I was overwhelmed meeting all of his relatives without him, though they were all very nice to me. We got sent to Atlantic City for some rest and relaxation for two weeks. Joe had to attend some meetings, and put me on a beach chair and said that he would be back soon. It was several hours later when he returned, and I had stayed in the bright sun all that time with no shade at all. We went back to the hotel to get cleaned up, as we were to meet his friend and his wife for dinner. Joe was shaving and I was combing my hair over his shoulder when I passed out on the floor. I had such sunburn. I did not make it to dinner, but I insisted that Joe went. I was so sore; I couldn’t bear the sheets on me. They wanted Joe to stay in the Air Force, but he wanted to get out so he got his discharge. We stayed with his family until he got his old job back.'



'Our first daughter, Carol Ann, was born in October of 1945, and around this time, we bought a small house on Long Island. Our second daughter was born in 1947. Joe worked at a small airport called Roosevelt Field. Texaco came and had a hangar there, and Joe got a job with them as a co-pilot. At that time, it was a small outfit, but in time they built a new hangar at Teterboro airport. We had to move to New Jersey to be closer to his work, and had a cute, new house near a school in a small town called Park Ridge. The pilot that Joe flew with retired, so a completely new crew was brought in (new Chief Pilot, etc.). Joe was kept on as a mechanic on the executive aircraft, and went on a lot of the trips. He knew that jet from one end to the other. One day, Joe brought home a Piper Cub plane which needed work. He did it over, like new. We flew it as often as we could, but eventually sold it and bought a four seater Tri Pacer. We finally gave up on flying.'



'I became an American citizen in 1952, and our son Joseph Anthony Jr. was born in November of that year. He graduated from the high school in Park Ridge, and after a few minor jobs, went to work in Georgia as an aircraft mechanic. He had done two years in the Air Force, and did a tour in Vietnam. Joseph went back to aircraft again and, like his dad, was excellent at his job. He spent several years in Saudi Arabia with the Royal Family, and after coming back to America and moving around to a few places, finally settled in Dallas and became an aircraft consultant.''



'Joe Sr. retired from Texaco due to health problems. We used to sit on the floor and sing along with Vera Lynn. I still have her records. Our son James Lee was born in September of 1959. He was the only one of our children who did not go through the school in Park Ridge, as we had moved to upstate New York. A while after he graduated from there, he joined the Marine Corps. Meanwhile, Joe and I went into boating. We joined the yacht club and became a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. We would go out on patrol in the Hudson River to assist any boaters in distress. We had a lot of wonderful friends there, but after a few years the cold weather got too much for us.'



'We moved to Florida to be near our daughter, who was a nurse. After several years, she got ill with Leukemia. She went through with all of the treatments, but it came back worse. She decided to end the chemotherapy, and the doctor told her that she had three months to live. He was correct, and she passed away at the age of fifty-four. We moved farther north near our son James and his family at the time. The town, at that point, was a lovely, small place, very quiet and peaceful. Now it has changed; there is more traffic and businesses.'



'Our son Joseph Jr. came down with a rash all over his body, which turned out to be a very rare skin cancer, of which there was no cure. The treatments he had did not work, and he ended up in a nursing home. He passed away at only fifty-two years old.'



'Some years later, Joe Sr. began having health problems and ended up in the hospital. He passed away from a heart attack at the age of ninety-one. He is at rest in the National Cemetery here is Bushnell, FLA, where I shall join him when the time comes. Our daughter Patricia and her family still live in New Jersey. They love the change of seasons, and would never move down here to Florida, as they do not like the Florida weather. She was very active in the dog business, raising and showing Yorkshire Terriers, and finally became a judge at the shows.'



'Joe Sr. took one trip back to England with me. My family took us out to Duxford Air Base, where Joe was based. The place was closed down at the time, but when the man in charge heard that Joe flew as a combat pilot there, he let us in. Joe remembered all of the places that were used to plan the missions and other activities. It brought back a lot of memories. We visited the American Cemetery, which was very peaceful. The chapel was beautiful, and I said a silent prayer for everyone resting there.'



'On our fiftieth wedding anniversary, we renewed our vows in the church with a reception for family and friends. When it was time to cut the cake, the server asked Joe if he would like to give a piece to me first. He said yes, and when she gave him some he promptly ate it – that had everyone laughing. I did get a piece of cake. There are so many memories – too many to write them all down. At ninety years of age, I am well taken care of, and even though I live alone, I am content.'



'Regards to everyone.'



Daphne Crowe Scheibler