After the War - David Yemen

Wedding of David Yemen and Mary Burton
Douglas Hicks (far left) acted as best man
Source: The Yemen family

David Yemen and fiancé Mary Burton had planned to be married in March 1945.  Unfortunately March would come and go with Yemen first at Dulag Luft then Stalag XIIID and finally at Stalag XIIA where he would spend the last weeks of the war with crewmate Gerard Kelleher. 

Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945 which is likely the same day Yemen and Kelleher arrived back in England from Germany.  Yemen and his fiancé quickly got to work on their wedding plans and the two were married (with Doug Hicks as best man) on May 21, 1945. 

Yemen returned to Canada via the French ocean liner S.S. Ile de France, docking at Pier 21 in Halifax on July 14, 1945.  Back in Mansfield, England, Mary was still awaiting approval of her settlement arrangements.  A pregnant Mary would finally arrive in Canada in January 1946 via ship to Halifax and onwards to Saskatchewan by train where she and David would settle in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  Their first child, Fran was born April 10, 1946 and the couple would go on to have five more: Dorothy, Linda, Peter, Bill, and Joe.

David Yemen passed away on May 30, 1986 in Yorkton at the age of 71.