Yes, 11 November 1918 always has memories for us. I remember working in Lloyds Bank in Birmingham at that time and when 11 o’clock struck my colleague and I were so excited we just threw a whole pile of cheques into the air and rushed out with thousands doing likewise into Market Square in front of the Town Hall. There was a seething mass of people cheering, shouting and many crying from relief. We came back later and had our cheques to deal with again but we were happy. I left soon after that and came back to London trying to find a home to live in. Bobby had been wounded three times and suffered concussion, twice from air crashes. Very worrying in those 4 years – three weeks of which he was missing – that was grim. But he did come back alive so we have been lucky.
Robert and Constance Law's wedding day
This is an excerpt from a letter sent by Constance Law to a friend in November 1949. Although the war bought tragedy, it shows how the armistice bought solace and joy for many people.
Constance and her husband, Robert, were engaged and married in 1915 and lived in Beverley Road, Highams Park.
Things were good at first, and although Robert’s plans to work on a rubber plantation in Malaysia fell through due to a heart attack in 1912, he worked as an accountant in the city.
Robert was a also a volunteer with the London Scottish who met for weekly training sessions.
In August 1914 he attended training camps in southern England; by September he was in France and then on October 31 he was involved in the Battle of Messines.
The kilted army suffered substantial losses when over half of their men died, and Robert was wounded.
He recovered only to be shot again in the battle of Loos – the bullet entered his shoulder near the spine and was extracted from his abdomen.
He was sent to recuperate in Jersey, later training as an officer with the Durham Light Infantry and Oxford before becoming an observer with the fledgling Royal Flying Corps.
But after two crash landings, he was transferred to a quartermaster duties in Birmingham until the end of the war.
His granddaughter, Rosemary Lever, is proud of his contribution.
The bullet which entered his shoulder near the spine and was removed from his stomach is no bigger than a key, and she still has it.
It marks his selfless sacrifice and his story ultimately has a happy ending – a rare feat in those days.
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