Diary of Annie's War (30 page)

I gave up my potatoes yesterday and they have only left me five pounds a week until the 15
^th
of April. What we are to do from April until August no one knows.

The bread is now half barley meal and half swedes and it is awful stuff to eat. We hear that the swedes cannot last longer than April. The people say that February, March and April are to be our hunger months.

A great deal is written and talked of as regards the undersea boats and according to our papers England is now surrounded. I wonder if it is true and that England cannot do anything to help herself.

Arthur must have written about me being met at the frontier by the Women’s Help Association for I have had a letter saying that I should be attended to. I am sorry if they have had their trouble for nothing. Mrs. Voight is like me, ready to travel at a few hours notice, but we still have no sign of the papers.

I got a surprise today when I went to the police for they informed me that my papers were in Hannover and if I liked to go for them I could travel tomorrow. As there is so much unpleasantness over America I thought it better to risk it. But it meant being up half the night to get things in order. Belle and I ran over to Hannover and it took us from three o’clock till ten o’clock to get there and back.

It is now half past twelve at night and most of my luggage is on its way to the station thanks to Herr Roeder of the Weiner Hof. Luggage men are so difficult to obtain.

I will leave here this morning at a quarter to seven and I hope for a successful journey.

I am just writing a letter to Arthur and pray that I shall soon meet him.

And that is how Annie’s ancient diary ends…but the couple were reunited and did live happily ever after up to a point.

For during his time in Germany Arthur had been advised to invest his money in land, but at the end of the conflict and after five war loans his meadows were virtually worthless.

Arthur’s health stood up well during his internment, but Annie was not so fortunate the stresses and strains of life in Germany during the Great War left her thin and unwell upon her return.

After ‘borrowing’ money from the family they again set up home in Stockport, Cheshire with a new address at 249 Stockport Road in Cheadle Heath – where they supplemented their income by taking in lodgers.

Their return to England was greeted by a relieved family and understandably Annie’s welcome home was greater than that of Arthur’s as the nation had lost many sons in the conflict.

As things began to return to normal a quantity of splendid furniture, paintings and treasures (some given by the Kaiser) eventually arrived in Stockport from Germany, but these possessions slowly disappeared as Arthur continued to indulge his passions for fine wine and bridge.

Arthur found gainful employment on the Manchester Ship Canal – where his command of languages landed him the post of translator.

Sadly, he did not take too well to his lesser position in life though he did admit it was far less stressful than his final three years in Germany.

Annie took everything in her stride. She began working in the church and maintained that she was far happier washing the tea-towels and looking after the poor of the parish than she ever was as the
grande chatelaine
in Germany.

Of their war years in Germany she was typically understated and always said: ‘It was quite an adventure’.

Though sadly they did take their toll and although she saw the start of World War Two Annie only survived until 1940 when she passed away peacefully aged 66. Arthur – who envisaged an early end to the Second World War – survived a decade longer than his wife and finally surrendered in his sleep in 1950.

Until his dying day at the grand old age of 79 Arthur pined daily for the love of his life Annie. Now they are together forever – buried side by side in a Stockport cemetery.

All rights reserved

Copyright © Mark Drummond Rigg/Charles Yates, 2012

Annie Dröege is hereby identified as author of this work in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

The book cover picture is copyright to Annie Dröege

ISBN: 978-1-78148-125-7 in epub format

This book is published by

Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd

28-30 High Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3EL.

www.grosvenorhousepublishing.co.uk

This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the author's or publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library