DUNKIRK HERO WEDS AT BRETFORTON
Miss Ada Maud Smith and Mr J W F Hartwell
A pretty wedding took place at St Leonard’s Church, Bretforton last Saturday, the contracting parties being Miss Ada Maud Smith, eldest daughter of Mr & Mrs George A Smith of Goldthorne, Weston Road, Bretforton, and Mr John William Frederick Hartwell, second son of Mr & Mrs John Hartwell of Brewers Lane, Badsey.
The bridegroom was, until the outbreak of the war, a member of the North Cotswold Cycling Club. He volunteered for the Army in 1939 and was in the evacuation from Dunkirk. He is still a member of HM Forces. The bride was formerly a member of the Bretforton Branch of the Girls’ Friendly Society.
The bride, who was given away by her father, looked charming in an ivory satin gown, and her embroidered veil was held in place by a headdress of orange blossom. She carried a bouquet of white tinted chrysanthemums.
Miss Hilda Smith (sister of the bride), Miss Eunice Thould (friend of the bridegroom) and Miss Mavis Smith (sister of the bride) were the bridesmaids. They wore ankle-length cerise velvet gowns with muffs to match and silver headdresses woven with cerise velvet.
The service was conducted by the Vicar of Bretforton (the Rev G S Fasham) and the organist was Mr C Hall (Badsey). The best man was Private H G Smith, a friend of the bridegroom.
The reception, held at the Memorial Hall, Bretforton, was attended by 96 guests. The happy couple received numerous gifts, including a tea service from the bridegroom’s former employers, Messrs F Savage & Son, Badsey. The bride’s gift to the bridegroom was a leather pyjama case, while his gift to the bride was a blue woollen dressing gown.
The bridegroom’s gifts to the two senior bridesmaids were silver diamante bracelets and his present to the younger attendant was a silver bracelet.