Christmas is a time when families get together - but years of war made things tough with enforced separation.

Wolverhampton soldier and his German war widow bride had to bear initial hostility

nostalgia pic. Wolverhampton. Three Holloway brothers from Wolverhampton who met for the first time in 12 years in late 1945. This is a print which was in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton. Handwritten in ink on the back is: 'James, William, and Albert Holloway, sons of Mr and Mrs R H Holloway, 21 B Martin Street, off Parkfield Road, Wolverhampton, met this week for the first time in 12 years.' It has a datestamp of November 1, 1945, which was the publication date in the Express and Star, a Thursday, when it appeared with the following story. 'These three brothers - James, William and Albert - sons of Mr and Mrs R H Holloway, 21B Martin Street, off Parkfield Road, Wolverhampton, met this week for the first time in 12 years. Their last reunion was at Christmas 1933. William, the eldest, has been in the Manchester Regiment 13 years, of which 12 have been spent in Jamaica, Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine, and Singapore, where for three and a half years he was a prisoner. James, who has served just over five years in the REME, has been abroad since August 1944, in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. The youngest, Albert, who belongs to the RASC, has put in over six years' service. James was known as Jim Holloway and William, Bill Holloway. It has no copyright information. Wolverhampton soldiers reunion. Reunions. Library code: Wolverhampton nostalgia 2024.

So imagine the joy of the Holloway family of Wolverhampton shortly before Christmas in 1945 when the three brothers were reunited after 12 years.

This photo from our archives shows James, William and Albert, the sons of Robert and Caroline Holloway, of 21B Martin Street, off Parkfield Road. They were together again for the first time since Christmas in 1933.

William - Bill - the eldest of the three at 32, had been in the Manchester Regiment for 13 years, of which 12 had been spent in Jamaica, Egypt, Cyprus, Palestine, and Singapore, where he was captured by the Japanese when the island fell in 1942.

Bill, a Private in the 1st Battalion of the regiment, spent three and a half years as a prisoner so, while he outwardly appears healthy in the picture, it hides the fact that he had gone through a nightmare experience.

James - known as Jim - who was 28, had been for three years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and had been abroad since August 1944, in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany, where after the war he met and fell in love with a German war widow with a baby daughter.

In 1947 he brought her back to Wolverhampton to marry, but with anti-German sentiment still strong, things were initially tough for the couple.

The youngest, 26-year-old Albert, who belonged to the Royal Army Service Corps, had put in four years' service. The brothers also had a sister, Lilian, and another brother, Harry.