An Ocean Apart: A War Bride's Tale

The citizens of Belfast, Northern Ireland were keenly aware of the war raging in Europe and elsewhere. They duly put up their blackout curtain, formed fire-watch patrols and stood patiently in endless queues with their ration booklets. They never expected that the German Luftwaffe would attack their remote island. That complacency was shattered early in April of 1941.
In late April of 1942, Richard Harrison, a laboratory technician with the U.S. Army Medical Corps, boarded an army transport ship in-route to Northern Ireland. Six weeks later he and Elizabeth met at a dance in a Belfast ballroom.
Except for two furloughs, both in 1943, Richard and Elizabeth were separated for nearly three years. Their letters and the occasional telegram were their only connection.
This is their story.