AIRMAN’S WEDDING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20040, 12 September 1939, Page 3

AIRMAN’S WEDDING

DECISION DURING DANCE CEREMONY AT MESS MELBOURNE, Aug. 27. Because of the international crisis, Sergeant-Pilot Lance Newbound, of the Royal Australian Air Force, and Miss Patricia Muriel Baidock, of Malvern, were married in the Air Force sergeants’ mess at Point Cook in the early hours of this morning. The young couple had planned to be married this month. He was one of the R.A.A.F. party ordered away by plane at four hours’ notice, and all arrangements for the •wedding were postponed.

Sergeant Newbound's plane met bad weather, and had to return to Melbourne. He and his fiancee attended a dance in the sergeants’ mess 'at the Hying station. Shortly before midnight they discovered that, in the circumstances. legal provisions existed whereby they could be married. The Air Force padre, the Rev. Mr. Williams, was in bed when he was called at midnight, but lie quickly dressed and visited the mess. A justice of the peace had to be found, so friends of the bridegroom drove into Werribee ancl got Mr. T. Webster, J.P.. out of bed. Mr. Webster granted the necessary dispensation, and about an hour after midnight the wedding was solemnised.

The guests from the dance attended the wedding, which was the first celebrated in an R.A.A.F. sergeants’ mess, At. dawn to-day the bridegroom again left, while his bride went to her parents’ home.