
Isabelle Hall
One often hears stories of war brides during World War II when Canadian servicemen brought home brides they met overseas. In Okotoks, the exact opposite occurred. We had reverse war brides. Here are three stories of Okotoks women who met and married international pilots who were training at the DeWinton Elementary Flight Training School and who returned with them to their husband’s homes, often staying with their new in-laws until the war was over.
Audrey McNeill was still a student at Okotoks Upper School when she met Jack Johnstone in 1942. He was with the Royal Air Force stationed at DeWinton. Jack was born in Scotland and came to Canada under the Commonwealth Air Training scheme. Audrey and Jack were married in Okotoks in June 1943 and in April, 1944 their daughter was born. In May, Jack was sent overseas. Audrey and the baby soon followed. “We set sail for Britain and after 15 nerve-wracking days in a convoy at sea, arrived safely in Liverpool, England. I lived with Jack’s parents in Scotland for a while then after V-E day moved to England to be with Jack. We returned to Okotoks in 1948.”
Another Okotoks girl who found love at the DeWinton airport was Isabelle Hall. In July 1942, at the age of 17, Isabelle and her best friend Connie (Eastcott) went to the DeWinton Airport to apply for their first jobs, which they got, washing airplanes. While working there Isabelle met the boy who was to become her husband, Abby Stevens, from Hamilton, Ontario who was an instructor at the school. The two were married in St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Okotoks on December 4, 1943 and then moved to Hamilton, Ontario in June, 1944.
Marian Hood, daughter of Okotoks stationmaster Ben Hood and his wife Edith, met Reginald Eastwood of England while Reginald was serving as a flight instructor at the DeWinton Elementary Flying Training School. They married in Banff in August, 1943 and then moved to England to live in 1944. After retiring from the air force, Reginald founded the very successful Angus Steakhouse chain. Reginald and Marian had two children, Peter and Penelope.
And now for the rest of the story… In 1979 their daughter Penelope married Norton Knatchbull, grandson of Lord Mountbatten. Norton’s best man was Prince Charles. Norton and Penelope Knatchbull assumed the titles of Lord and Lady Romsey, later becoming Lord and Lady Brabourne and in 2017 they were bestowed the titles of Earl and Countess Mountbatten.