A Wartime Engagement and Marriage.

Mr Matthew H Blamey interviewed by Margaret le Cras 5/5/2005
Recording transcribed by John David 8/6/2005

Another person [Julie?] also present

I………. We are sitting with Mr Blamey who is going to explain to us about his Guernsey family.
Mr Blamey. My future wife went to England just before the Occupation with just Mrs Caldwell, Madge Caldwell was the headmaster of Beechwood school, later on, and vice-principal of Elizabeth College. But as he had to take all these school boys he wanted some help, so he got his wife’s niece to help, and they took them over to Oldham. After that my future wife went to relatives at Rugby, she wasn’t very happy there, and then she went to Sutton in Surrey, which is where I met her. Now I explain that her father was a deputy before the war, he was the first president of the States’ Electricity, he was vice-president of the Telephone Department,
I………. And what was his name?
Mr Blamey. Hill Cottingham. And various other committees he was on, and when the war started he joined the Essential Commodities, and he was in charge of coal and flour. As a result of that he went to France and Jersey on behalf of the States, sometimes with Frank Falla. Of course a lot of Red Cross messages passed between him, his wife, and my future wife, here’s one which you might like to…
I………. Did he stay here the whole of the war?
Mr Blamey. No.
I………. He wasn’t sent to Biberach or…
A voice. Just explain the situation at this stage.
Mr Blamey. Being a deputy and in the Government, he was put on the list to be deported, and his wife, and they went down to the Gaumont Cinema, having disposed of their food and so on, and as it happened they were sitting there a German officer came in and said “Hill Cottingham, what are you doing here? If I’d seen your name on the list, I would have crossed it off. You’re in the government, you’re wanted.” And he gave him an order. He said, “When they all go off to the ship, you stay behind”. In due course an armed German sentry appeared, he said “Come”, and the next thing he knew was, he was bowling down his own front drive, so he never went. But his sister-in-law, my mother-in-law’s sister, her husband, as he’d been a Captain in the Singapore Defence Force, he was deported to Biberach, so some of the family went to Biberach, some to England, and some stayed here.
I………. So when did you come to Guernsey?
Mr Blamey. It’s in the Red Cross Messages. You’ll see what happened. There’s one of the messages
I………. It says “Delighted, received message of 20th May. Congratulations Griffs honour. All well here including George. Cott spent three weeks in France and Jersey. Love All.
Mr Blamey. You see.
I………. You have got a number of them, haven’t you?
Mr Blamey. I’ve got a large number, these are selected ones. This one is something that passed the Germans. I think you’ll understand it. That’s the first part of the message.
I………. ‘John stayed with Meg. Did usual. Stayed with Crow family. Had happy birthday, very lucky, Love Mary.’
Mr Blamey. Mary is the name of my wife.
I………. So that must have been a bit coded?
Mr Blamey. It is.
I………. ‘Delighted with happy items, no news of Masons, Garden productive, Daddy misses his little Mary’.
Mr Blamey. You know what a little Mary is.
I………. Ah well. Love to everyone.
Mr Blamey. We [ ] realised they were hungry. That was that one, now there’s the next one,
I………. ‘Announce the engagement.’ Well, very good.
Mr Blamey. To me, of course.
I………. That’s right. That’s lovely
Mr Blamey. During the war
I………. Eighteenth of November 1942.
Mr Blamey. Yes. I’ve forgotten what it says on the back.
I………. ‘Overjoyed darling. Received message at last. Congratulations, love to you both. Try send letters or photo through Jack or Phillip Martel. Hope present wedding.’
Mr Blamey. Now, it says through Jack. Now, Jack Griffiths was of course the brother of my mother-in-law. He was in Biberach. Phillip Martel, of course, was landed — you know the story? So they managed to send the photograph through
I………. They sent the photograph through? That is good, isn’t it.
Mr Blamey. Here’s another one, of my wife, here. That’s my future wife, and Mrs Caldwell, who of course was, went with the Beechwood School, to Hucklow, was her aunt, you see. Now how far have we got?
I………. Well it’s lovely that you have got so many of these Red Cross messages.
Mr Blamey. I’ve got about a dozen more. These are selected ones. That’s the one from me to my future parents in law.
I………. ‘Hope Mary’s message Griffiths contented … Both very happy. See you at the wedding. All present touring respective relations.’ Oh, that’s lovely. And that’s in December 1942.
Mr Blamey. I’ve forgotten what’s on the back. Oh, that’s the reply from my mother-in-law.
I………. Oh, that’s lovely. So its all a proper little history…
Mr Blamey. And that’s the next one. Which answers your question where I came into it.
I………. And the Hill Cottingham’s lived in the Village de Putron?
Mr Blamey. Yes.
Voice Is that when you were married?
Mr Blamey. Yes. The war seemed to be going on and on and on so we thought we’d better get married.
I………. So you did, well done…
Mr Blamey. And she had permission of her uncle, that she was living with, who of course was the brother of my mother-in-law. So, if you want copies of those, I’ve done some for you
I………. That’s very kind. I’ll pass them on to Mr Matt. Harvey, of the Museum. I think you’ll find there’s copies of the photographs there. Tucked in, in the right order.
Voice You carry on with your story, now, Matt, and ….
Mr Blamey. Well, that answers your question about what my father-in-law and family were doing. The other interesting thing was, that apart from being in charge of Coal and Flour, he was also chairman of the Victoria Homes, and the vicar of Holy Trinity was trapped in England, so it meant that Holy Trinity had no Vicar, so my father-in-law was Churchwarden, so it was arranged with the committee and the Dean that he became sequestrator of Holy Trinity Church from 1940 to 1945, which meant, of course, that he was the administrator and looked after the finances and the upkeep of the Church and so on. That’s unusual
I………. A very busy time. Would they have had Germans worshipping at Trinity?
Mr Blamey. I’m sure they did. Yes. And because of all those activities that’s why he and his wife elected to stay in Guernsey, and nearly got deported. So I met my future wife, Mary, when she was living with a relative in Sutton, Surrey. Another interesting thing was, one of my sons-in-law, his father was a regular soldier, before the war, he got bored with his regimental life at the beginning of the war, because of course nothing happened, so he joined the commandos, and he was one of the ones that landed on Sark.
I………. How many were there that landed on Sark?
Mr Blamey. About a dozen, something like that, and they took a German prisoner back to England with them for questioning. But of course in August 1945 I managed to get over here to meet to meet my parents-in-law, I didn’t know them.
I………. Did you get on?
Mr Blamey. Very well. Very well. They were very nice people.
I………. Oh, good. They must have been ever so pleased to see her back.
Mr Blamey. Yes
I………. You were a bonus!
Mr Blamey. Yes. That’s why I say I was imported!
Voice You didn’t settle, though , Matt, it was a couple of years yet before you settled in Guernsey.
Mr Blamey. We settled in Guernsey in Christmas 1948. I got a job here, and retired thirty years ago.
I………. That’s lovely, isn’t it. You obviously have enjoyed the island?
Mr Blamey. Yes, and I’ve lived in the Village de Putron all the time, At first in a rented house, then I bought one, then my mother and father-in-law retired, and Mary wanted to move back into her childhood home, so we did.
I………. And you were happy to?
Mr Blamey. Oh, yes. I now have a daughter living in my house, and when I came here, the family sold the house that I was in, we have been here six years now.
I………. You are certainly very comfortable, aren’t you, and everybody I’ve met are absolutely charming. You’ve done very well.
Mr Blamey. Yes, well it’s a very nice big room, I think Julie will confirm that.
I………. Well, thank you very much for giving me your time this morning…
Mr Blamey. Good, I hope it helps.
I………. I’m sure it will.

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