Captain Adrian H Gardner Beruit 1943

[alan o]

Are we sure that the court martial offence was bigamy?

The incident date was given as 4 May 1943 - I don't think we've found a marriage in May 1943.

I am not sure about that date and it may be a transcription error.  There is a newspaper announcement of the marriage as 14 Aug 44.  He is still married to his first wife who is in Wiltshire.  He commits bigamy again circa 1947 and twice more at the end of his life!

[alan o]

Interesting thread. Can't help with when Audrey returned to the UK, however a couple of newspaper items that may be of interest:

I don't think it has been mentioned that the child of Adrian and Ruth GARDNER born 1942 only lived for 2 days.

"GARDNER - On July 27, 1942, at "Piersfield", 102, Manor Road, Wallington, Surrey, to RUTH (nee Pothecary), wife of ADRIAN GARDNER, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) - a daughter (ELIZABETH ANN), who only survived two days."
Friday,  July 31, 1942
Publication: The Times

Also an adventure for 18 year old Adrian when a cadet with the Tonbridge School when he and 2 others were taken up in a balloon which became untethered and drifted some 50 miles. A long article here:
   Saturday,  Aug. 6, 1932
Publication: Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette

Thank you.  I knew the child died soon after birth from FreeBMD but did not know it was only 2 days.

Tonbridge School record him as a former Cameronian in a school update some years after the war so that is indeed him.

[alan o]

If Audrey married a serviceman, wouldn't she have used military transport?

That is a good point and may be why I can't find a return date.  Her departure from UK is recorded as she was a civil servant but if she travelled back as family of a serviceman then that may explain it.

[Andy J2022]

If Audrey married a serviceman, wouldn't she have used military transport?

Her departure from UK is recorded as she was a civil servant but if she travelled back as family of a serviceman then that may explain it.

Don't forget that in that era, for the middle classes, once a woman married she was no longer expected to work, and so the fact that she had once been a civil servant would be irrelevant, and she would be Mrs AHG Gardner if travelling alone, or wife of Captain Gardner if accompanying him.

[alan o]

As he was likely to have been in a Military Prison custody from Jan 1945 (at the latest) I suspect she was travelling on her own.  I am not certain whether she went back to UK before his trial in an 44 or after it.  Would the Military recognise her as a 'wife' having just courtmartialed her 'husband' as a bigamist? I doubt it.