I should like to tell you a story. In November 1942, the stench of battle and death hung over the deserts of North Africa like a cloud and the battle of El Alamein was drawing to a close. A few hundred miles north along the coast, two people were staying in a small village a few feet up at the foot of one of the largest cedar groves in Lebanon and it was paradise. He was an RAF Fighter pilot who had been shot down twice and she was a young Wren, whose ship had been torpedoed. She was able to save herself and one of the sailors. The two were on leave. 7 months later, the Wren was flown by the RAF to Britain and taken to a London clinic to have her baby. She was threatened with discharge, but the pilot intervened and she was not discharged.
"WRNS OFFICER SAVES SEAMAN" . © IWM (A 12290)
Audrey Coningham, Anne's mother, in centre.
Click on image for enlarged view.
The two went their separate ways and the baby was sent to a nursery in London and at 8 months old the baby was evacuated to the country. In the summer of 1945, the war in Europe ended and the pilot went back to his wife and child. The Wren had no future husband and wrestled with the problem of what to do about the child being cared for in the country. That child was Anne.
Many years later a man in RAF uniform came to see Anne in the country. Anne did not see him again for 30 years.
There may be many such stories as a result of the war and this illustrates the difficulties faced by a lot of children. The large home in the country became Anne’s home for most of her childhood. Anne wrote about her experiences and all that happened after this difficult early start, in our archives. In many ways she felt happy at Caldecott, the large house where she went to live, and talked about her experiences in the nursery there. She said that she often kept her fears to herself and had nightmares as a child and for many years afterwards stemming from her very early life. When she was 9 years old she was adopted by one of the 2 directors of Caldecott. At the age of 11 she was sent to a Convent as a boarder, as her mother, who was Catholic, had requested this. She described this as purgatory and hated it and contemplated running away. She left the convent at the age of 15.
At Hatch, one of the episodes that Anne related was when she was running to the main house for lunch, when she fell down on the gritted drive. She screamed when she looked down on her bleeding knee, which brought out one of the carers, who picked her up and ran up the fire escape to the sick room. I was that carer. Eventually, she had to have an operation and the effect of that lasted for the rest of her life. The only good aspect of it was that at the Convent she did not have to kneel whilst saying the rosary in the school hall.
I mention the early experiences that Anne had, because they must have affected her during her life. However, none of them could inhibit the wonderful joy and honesty that she showed in her life. I continued to see her after she left Caldecott and she used to come and talk to me about her life. I once took her to the opening of a prestigious restaurant in London and the manager said to me afterwards, what a charming young girl you are taking out now Simon.
As you all know, Anne married Barry and had the reception at Caldecott and her 2 children, Georgina and Jonny, are with us today.
So, what are qualities I remember in this lovely person? She used to come to our Caldecott Association meetings, often late, and sometimes in a rather chaotic state, but as somebody said of her to me the other day, she was utterly lovable, and her giggle was such fun. She was entirely honest, unselfish and always kind. She was fun, had a great sense of humour and always considered other people. A number of ex-Caldecotts have told me how much they loved her and thought of her. We do too and shall miss her.
Simon Rodway.
12th March 2020.