Exhibition honours New Brunswick’s war brides

An exhibit in New Brunswick is honouring Canada’s war brides.

A new exhibit honouring British and European war brides who arrived in New Brunswick during the Second World War has just opened to the public at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown.

“War Brides of New Brunswick” at the New Brunswick Military History Museum also marks the 80th anniversary this month of the first dedicated sailing of war brides to Canada.

The RMS Mauretania arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax from Liverpool on Feb. 10, 1946.

Melynda Jarratt, curator at New Brunswick Military History Museum, says the new exhibit is a cultivation of decades of her own work and study on the subject.

“Once those ladies got here to New Brunswick, they embarked on a new life,” says Jarratt. “It’s a story of passion, romance and love.”

The exhibit includes artifacts, photographs and stories from some of New Brunswick’s 1,800 war brides.

Most of New Brunswick’s war brides, and their 900 children, arrived in 1946 from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Italy and France.

“No matter their background or personal circumstances, the war brides brought with them wartime experiences and cultural baggage that shaped the lives of their families and communities for generations to come,” says Jarratt. “In the end, they became good, contributing Canadian citizens and their legacy is found in the thousands of descendants who are very proud of the War Bride in their family tree.”

The exhibit runs until Dec. 17.

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