Nellie's war time memento returned (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Nellie's war time memento returned

NELLIE Darlow's wartime sweetheart would write to her from wherever he was posted during the Second World War, whether it was Singapore or the Mediterranean coast. In return she posted him a snap of herself, taken in her NAAFI uniform.

Somehow the pictures ended up in the Tesco Metro store in Cirencester, where they were handed into staff just before Christmas.

This week the Standard reunited Mrs Darlow with her missing mementoes and she spoke to reporter Jenni Silver about her memories of when they were taken.

Nellie James, as she was then, was originally posted to South Cerney from Glastonbury as a NAAFI cook.

Despite being constrained by rationing, Nellie managed to dish up treats for the troops throughout the war, first at the South Cerney airfield and then later at Bibury.

One day she was out with friends in the Elizabeth Cafe in Cirencester when she noticed a young serviceman called Will Darlow.

She said: "I was in there having lunch and he came in. We got talking and it went from there."

Nellie and Will married towards the end of the war, on February 12, 1945 in a small service at Wells. It was a low-key affair because Will had just 48 hours before he had to be posted abroad.

And so the newlyweds were separated once more as Will continued his service and Nellie returned to her friends and the NAAFI.

She said: "We all worked hard but we had fun in between. I used to walk to Coates from Cirencester to see Will's mother. There were no buses in those days and it was a long way but I didn't mind it."

After the war Nellie and Will settled in his home village of Coates where they had four sons and a daughter.

Nowadays Nellie is kept busy by her 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

She thanked the Standard for reuniting her with her lost photos. She said: "It's nice to have them back, especially the postcard. I used to get different letters from all over the place but I didn't keep them all."