Jean Norma WILKINSON,

• General Notes
  • Owing to the death of Walter's mother, Florence Eacott, killed by enemy rocket on 1 February 1945, just before Walter's arrival back home from a German PoW camp, Jean was asked by Walter's Aunt Gladys (Elizabeth Broom) to bake a home-coming cake for him. (Jean Wilkinson and Gladys Broom lived at 3 and 9 Mount Avenue Chingford, respectively) The cake was baked and eaten, but not in Jean's presence.
    Jean and Walter first met informally one evening in June or July 1945, at the Walthamstow Assembly Hall, when they danced together. The next occasion was on 15 August 1945, at Station Road, Chingford, at a "street party" to celebrate VJ Day - Victory over Japan - and they went from the street as guests of Bill Randall, uncle of Norman Moss, to a crowded flat over the retail dairy that Bill managed. After a long evening of celebration, Walter took Jean to her home, at about 2a.m., where they received a frosty welcome from Jean's father Norman Wilkinson. He said to Walter, "I don't know who you are, young man, but thanks for bringing my daugher home safely. I'll see that she doesn't go out at night again for many weeks to come".
    The pair were out again only a few nights later, and Norman as a father-in-law became a great 'drinking-mate' of Walter.
    Jean was 16, and was courted assiduously by Walter. She worked as a sales assistant for the Southern Electricity Board, a semi-government supply company and retail sales shop in Station Road, Chingford.
    They married when Jean was 18yrs and 3 months old. Their first child John was born 13 months later, on 13 June 1948. Their daughter Jill was born 20 March 1952. Jean re-commenced work as an administrator on a part-time basis with many different employers  when both children were at school, and was always available to them after school and when they were on holidays. Jean, Walter and Jill migrated to Australia in 1967, but John, who was very keen to join the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot, remained in England. He came to Australia much later, after serving in the Navy for 8 years, then flying helicopters for civilian employers over the North Sea oil rigs and over the Atlantic off the Nigerian coast.

Details of Jean Norma's family with Walter (Wally) Alexander EACOTT