Molly Wheeler

Molly Wheeler started with Herbert & Sons as a Telephone Operator in Edmonton in 1939, and it was here that she met her husband-to-be Eddie, who during a spell of leave from the RAF phoned the Company 'for old time's sake', and on the spur of the moment asked her out.

 

In January 1942 Eddie was granted seven days leave, and rushed to meet his girlfriend Molly at Kings Cross Station.  They stayed with her parents in Walthamstow, but without enough beds in the house, Eddie had to sleep in the Anderson air raid shelter.  Eddie proposed to Molly that week and she accepted, although her parents said they were 'bloody fools'.  They obtained a marriage licence at Leyton Registry Office, and were married the next day on 22nd January.  But not 24 hours later, Eddie had to return to RAF Lichfield and was flying training missions the following day.  In October, Eddie was posted to Instructor duties, so Molly left Herberts and they took lodgings in Church Broughton near Derby, which lasted until he was posted to his second tour of duty in March 1943 and Molly returned to London.

 

In summer 1943, the two moved into a windmill in Bourn, then to Nottinghamshire where their first daughter, Valerie, was born in August 1944.  Later, Molly returned alone to a flat in Wood Green with the baby, while Eddie went to Brackla in the North of Scotland.  In September 1944, V2 rockets were first launched against the UK and Molly and Valerie had a lucky escape when a V2 rocket landed close to them, killing 16 people.  Molly had to shield the pram from the shattering of a large plate glass window, and ran all the way home covered in debris.

 

Their second daughter, Barbara, was born in December 1945, and Eddie was demobbed in January 1946. Molly worked at the Bank of England and St. Margarets Hospital until 1968, when they moved to Haverhill.

 

Molly then worked for us again for a short time, before leaving to work as a dental receptionist and Ward Clerk at Addenbrookes Hospital until she retired in 1980.  Molly kept very busy in her retirement, working at Dr. Barnado's shop and joining the Haverhill Operatics group and the Ladies Circle.  She was a fun-loving, outgoing person and an excellent cook.  But in the last few years Molly lost her zest for life due to bad health, but never lost her amazing memory and could always remember jokes from way back.  She was one of life's characters.

 

Molly died in Addenbrookes on 10th December 2008.