Monday 6 October 2008

THE KOREAN WAR SCARE

Just about a year before we got married, on June 25th 1950 to be precise, North Korea invaded South Korea. By the next day, President Truman had ordered air and naval forces to go to the aid of South Korea and, by the end of July, our troops were being sent out there.
When Arthur had been demobbed from the army he was put on the ‘Z Reserve’ list. This meant, in effect, that he hadn’t entirely severed his links with His Majesty’s Armed Forces. The Ministry of War could, if they so desired, in times of emergencies and for several years hence, call upon him to go to war and fight. Not a nice thought to have hanging over us as we planned to get married.
Then, out of the blue, Arthur was taken quite ill, the doctor was sent for, and quinsies was diagnosed. This ailment takes the form of abscesses that form in the throat area near the tonsils. Nowadays, it’s a matter of pumping in antibiotics and waiting for it to go away, but nearly sixty years ago the story was a little different.
Arthur ran a very high temperature and, was in great pain. The doctor had said that, if the abscesses became too large, he would have to operate on Arthur’s throat and do some lancing.
Because of the state of his health and, no doubt, the medication he was taking, Arthur started to worry about the prospects of his being sent to Korea to fight in a not very civilised war. We were both very concerned about this as I knew full well that, if need be, the army could indeed recall Arthur to service.
Each evening I would travel directly from work, to sit with him in the dark silence of his bedroom at his parent’s house in Mildmay Park. Arthur complained about the light, so the bedroom curtains were perpetually closed and electric lights were never switched on till he recovered.
I don’t think that most of the time he was even aware that I was there, and certainly never made any comments about my presence each evening. We hardly ever spoke except for his worried mutterings about the war. I would sit and hold his hand or stroke his forehead for about four hours, then catch a late trolley bus back to Harringay. After I alighted from the bus, I still had a fifteen-minute walk alone in the dark to Oakfield Road where I lived.
This was the most awful period of our courtship and lasted for a couple of weeks. Arthur never knew at the time just how ill he was, and was amazed when I told him about my horrendous evenings with him. Incidentally, the army never did call up the ‘Z Reserve’ men and, in fact, the war was still raging long after we got married in July 1951.

5 comments:

Babs (Beetle) said...

Did he have the operation on his throat? I seem to remember asking Arthur about a scar on his neck when I was a child. Maybe it was someone else.

granny grimble said...

BABS(BEETLE)

No he didn't have to have it thank goodness! But yes, he does have a long scar on his neck, but that was from an operation that he had when he was about five or six.

GoldAnne said...

OH POOR ARTHUR ,THAT WAS SO SAD,
I CAN REMEMBER THE BOYS BEING CALLED UP, I WAS A BIT TOO YOUNG THEM, BUT USED TO WATCH BY MY BEDROOM WINDOW FOR THEM TO COME ALONG AND WAVE TO ME, AFTER BEING OUT WITH THEIR GIRLFRIENDS LOL, I WAS WEIRD WOULD WAIT FOR HOURS !!!
LOVE ANNE XXX

weechuff said...

What a horrible illness to have. I hate it when things go wrong with my throat. Thoroughly miserable! And to think that antibiotics, had they been around, would have made him feel so much better almost immediately.

suzanne cabrera said...

Granny Grimble---can I just say I love your name and seeing your cute photo! Very interesting reading here.