Ingleby wrote to me in January 2012. My name is Ingleby Jefferson and I have just come across your website on Aruba. My interest in Aruba comes from the stationing there of the 4th Cameron Highlanders from late 1940 to February 1942. My mother-in-laws first husband was a young officer in the battalion and somehow she, newly married and aged only 20, managed to ‘follow the flag’ and was on Aruba from 18th November 1940 to 12th February 1942. She has never spoken to my wife about her time on Aruba and now it is too late for her to start – aged 92 she is in a care home and due to a series of minor strokes is more or less unable to speak. But what we have is a scrap-book and photograph album of her time there.
Yesterday I decided to do some research on the battalion’s stay on Aruba and tomorrow I intend to go to the National Archives to find the War Diary of the battalion. The aim being to put together something for subsequent generations of our family’s on life on Aruba around 1941.
I attach one photograph from the album taken at the reception at Sabaneta following the marriage of Lieutenant Harry Owen to Miss Yvonne Davis on 16th August 1941, when my mother-in-law (not in this photograph) acted as Maid of Honour.
These are other photos taken at the wedding and the reception. Some research has been as to where the bride and groom were in some of the photos. Some are easy to see that they were taken at Camp Sabaneta but others may be out side the Governors office. If there is any opinions to the contraire please let us know.
The bride and groom, can anyone identify the building they are standing by, Governors office, church? If you can let us know.
I have one other 'full'
sized photo of the wedding. This was taken during the reception at
Savaneta Camp. The awning etc, and particularly the height of the
shutters in the other photo are completely different.
I am sure it is most unlikely that we will ever get to identify more
than a few in this second photo. Mrs. Underwood is second from the left;
Mrs. Owen is one but next to the man and ?Mrs. Begg is similarly the
other side of the man. I wonder who he is? Definitely not the civilian
in the other photo. Note that the ? Governor 's wife is not in the
second photo. Which is one of the reasons I think the first photo was
somewhere in Oranjestad and that the Governor was not invited to the
reception The other man in the second photo might be the chaplain 'in
civvies' or the British consulore likely to be the former.
The other question of course is how many of the ladies were 'followers'?
One reason why I think Mrs. Begg is likely to have been on Aruba is
because if she hadn't come out, it would have been much less likely that
Mrs. Underwood would have been allowed to come. I am also pretty sure
the 'followers' would not have been officially authorized and would have
travelled out at their own expense and under their own arrangements. One
wonders how many blind eyes were turned for them to travel on the
Florida, an American transport, from Aruba to new Orleans in February
1942?!
"WEDDING TODAY.
The marriage of Miss Marguerite Davis to Lt. Harry Owens will be
solemnised this morning at eleven o'clock in the Oranjestad Protestant
Church by Rev. Capt. M. E. MacDonald. A civil ceremony conducted by
Governor Wagemaker will precede the church service.
The bride, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Cradoc Davis, of
England arrived here a week ago. She will have as her attendant Mrs.
Michael Underwood. Capt. John Weir will be best man,.
The bride will be gowned in dusty pink lace with picture hat and bouquet
of summer flowers. Mrs. Underwood will wear pale blue.
A reception at Sabaneta will follow the service."
Mrs. Underwood is standing behind the bride; next to her is the best man,
Captain Weir, and the tall officer on the right is Captain Underwood.
The officer seated on the right I am 99% certain is Lieut. Col. Begg,
the commanding officer. (The medal he is wearing is the pre-WW2 ribbon
of the MBE).
the bride and groom were leaving the reception, about o 'go away'. the normal custom would be for the bride to throw her bouquet to be caught by one of the unmarried girls attending the reception (the person catching it being likely to be married soon, having caught the bouquet). The problem here being that there were not any unmarried girls! Thus bachelor officers (including two Dutchmen) are competing to be the lucky one!
The first is of Brigadier Latham, OC Troops Jamaica, under whose command were 4 Camerons, stepping out (literally!) to inspect the battalion as part of his Annual Administative Inspection held on 13 January 1942. (In 1941 he had done the same inspection exactly a year previously). Incidentally my father was Brigadier Latham's successor-but-one.
1941 until they left on 12 February 1942.
Parade for Queen Wilhelmina's birthday on 30 August 1941
Naval detachment? If any one knows the uniforms please let us know.
Ingleby has been doing a lot of research since he found his mother-in-law's scrapbook. The writes this about the photo above.
From my researches today at our National Archives I can be 100% certain that the parade was for Queen Wilhelmina's birthday on 30 August 1941. The Cameron's of course had many soldiers on duty guarding the two refineries and provided only one 'Guard' - as we would describe it - of four officers and 96 other ranks - plus the Pipes and Drums. From another entry in the War Diary I lean towards the detachment in white being Dutch marines.
Ingleby
Police detachment? I think so as does Ingleby, but if we are wrong, please let us know.