GERMAN BRIDES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 31 December 1925, Page 6

GERMAN BRIDES

AND SCOTS GROOMS

COLOGNE. ROMANCES NEARLY ALL FAILURES

.'That in the majority of cases the marriages contracted between Scottish soldiers and German women have proved failures is an interesting fact revealed by Inspector Campbell, of the British Women's Auxiliary Service, an Edinburgh lady, who has been in charge, of the Women's Force of Constabulary sent to Cologne on the invitation of the British Army Council to do patrol work in the/ area on the Rhine occupied by our troops. Inspector Campbell has had two years; experience of police work in Cologne, and has,just returned with the force of women police whom she commanded there, after having witnessed the establishment of a similar body of German women for the training of whom she was responsible. 'The nature of our work brought us into the closest contact witli British soldiers arid their German wives," she said, "and there Were few cases of such marriages in which our assistance and advice were not invited. Sometimes it was the soldier who asked us to intervene on his" behalf; at other times it was the Fraulein whom he married. "Our time was mainly occupied in doing patrol work, but we also had a great number of matrimonial inquiries to deal with. If we were convinced that nothing but happiness was likely to result from the friendship which a British soldier had formed with a German girl we did nothing to impede marriage apart from impressing on both parties that, while their wedded existence might be liappy enough, in Cologne, a different tale might have to be told when the soldier was required to evacuate that area. Naturally, wo did not interfere in such cases until we were invited to do so, or the circumstances were, such that a little enlightenment was necessary for one or other of the parties. "How many hours of my time were spent in acting as a kind of Cupid's messenger it would be difficult for me to say. Often soldiers would bring letters to me which they had received from German sweethearts and ask me to, translate them, and at other times I should be visited for a similar purpose by a young Fraulein. "But 1 can say from my experience k 6l mien matters that in the bulk of cases where marriages were contracted between, shy, young Scottish soldiers and German women, they have proved anything but ideal matches. In a largo number of instances the men have known little or nothing about, their wives.

"Several cases came under my notice of Q.erman" women Who, having married Scottish soldiers, had gone to Scotland to reside with their husbands, but. because of the antipathy shown to them. had , been obliged to return to, their parents. They were unwanted in Scotland or any other part of Britain, and the Germans themselves had no sympathy wibH them. I never heard of a. ease in wnjclt the German wife of such a union was subjected to any indignity or insulted in atiy way, but generally they were made to feel that they we're not wanted by people whir had lost husbands, sons and brothers in the war. Of course, that same thing would have manifested itself in Germany under similar circumstances if the boot had been on the other foot. "Of late there have not been so many unions between Scottish soldiers and German girls, for (he simple reason that with the stabilisation of the mark. German girls have not had (lie same incentive to marry. When the British troops first took up residence in Cologne they found themselves so much richer than the rest of the inhabitants that they were a decided catch rnatrimoiiialJ.Y-.

One of the most interesting experiences which befel Inspector Campbell in ! the, course of her social work in Cologne i was a meeting with a German aclveh- I tnress, who spake, with the broadest of ■ Scottish accents. This young lady was j encountered late one night without an identity card without which no one ; could be abroad in Cologne after a ccv- j tain liour, and when asked for this slie ' replied, "I've left it at hame." Continuing to affect the Scottish nc- ; cent .when asked about herself, she slat- • ed that she belonged to Scotland, and i was resident with her aunt in Cologne. | "As we were not satisfied with her replies," Inspector Campbell said, "we I decided to accompany her home. She | readily acquiesced, and proceeded to j conduct Us there. But she took us a. very, long way round, so that by the | time we readied her borne, not only j were we leg-weary, but we had lost our j last tram back. j . "Being a very garrulous type of per- | son, she conversed freely, using the Scottish accent so well that we could have sworn she was a native. "Where do you live in Scotland?" I asked. "I come frae Falkirk," she replied. ,She added that she was one of seventeen children. . "When eventually we reached, her home she asked us if we would remain outside. Wo did so, and as the minutes began ta roll on without 'her returning j we became suspicious, and made inquiries. Apparently the girl had entered , the front door of her home and made j her way out the- back. "We had consequently to abandon our inquiries that night, but the following j morning another officer was detailed to i make investigations about her, and discovered that, sho was a real adventuress. It seemed that she had picked up her Scottish accent from soldiers, of whose company she was obviously verv fond. and had actually visited oiio of them in Falkirk. Not only was 'it the accent that made us think she was Scottish, but her story was told as if it had come from a Scottish mind. This lady eluded us to the very..end." Inspector Campbell said that the unit j which she represented in Cologne was first of all invited to stay there for six months by the British Army Council, but the work which they did'was found to. be so valuable that' their stay was prolonged for two years. She is convinced that when the British occupation of the Rhine ceases there will be universal regret on the part of the Hermans, who have nothing but the warmest praise to bestow for the manner in which they have borne themselves in fulfilling. their difficult task.