Yes... the late 1940's was, of course, a different age in many ways. As I say, it's intriguing to read through these letters that Arthur kept from that time. But one thing that seems not to be any different (if these letters are a dependable guide) is the way that people interacted on a personal level.
Arthur had a small story to tell about one of his colleagues when he was Station Commander at Old Sarum in the 1950's. It concerned a, then, Lt Colonel of the Middlesex Regiment, whose first name was 'Chris'.
The first overseas possession that the British lost to the Japanese was Hong Kong, which fell in December 1941, after a fortnight's desperate attempt at its defense. This man, Chris, was there as part of the defending force. He was duly taken prisoner and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. When the war in the Far East came to a close in August 1945, thanks to the American deployment of atomic weapons, he was set-free and evacuated to Australia. Having recuperated there, he opted to take a boat back to the UK rather than fly. On that journey home, the ship stopped at Ceylon for a day to refuel, re-provision and transfer passengers. He went ashore and decided to take a taxi to the
Galle Face Hotel ('gorl face'), a well-known venue for Westerners, that Arthur knew and indeed still functions as an up-market hotel, beautifully set, by the sea. The reason for his decision to go there was partly that it was his birthday and a celebratory drink was definitely in order, all things considered.
He strolled into the bar and glanced around for a table. Seated across the way were a couple of women, chatting, with glasses in their hands. At that moment, one of them looked towards him, and the colour drained from her face. Their eyes locked and she choked out just a single word. 'CHRIS!'
By an extraordinary coincidence, the woman who had recognised him was none other than his wife, who he had last seen almost four years ago when they were separated by the Japanese and subsequently interned in different countries. After their release, Red Cross records were incomplete and they knew nothing of each other's fate. At the moment he had walked in to the bar, she was just reflecting, ruefully, that it was his birthday and she doubted that she'd ever get to see him again!
There must have been many of moments of huge relief and happiness when husbands and wives were reunited after the war. Maybe this story stands out as being one of the more remarkable!
Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka (Don Arndt photo)