War wedding sisters mark milestone

After a double wedding in 1939, two sisters celebrated a combined 140 years of married life.

Doris and Margaret Wiles decided to marry their sweethearts just after Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 70 years ago, because they were terrified that they or their partners would be killed.

In October that year, 24-year-old Margaret and 22-year-old Doris married their fiancees at a chapel in Manchester.

Macclesfield resident Doris, now 92, said: "We thought we may be killed, so wanted to get married as soon as possible. My sister and her husband thought the same, so we decided to have a double wedding."

Margaret, 94, from Baguley, Wythenshawe, added: "We are very, very close - we were like twins. It was nice for us to get married on the same day."

She married Clarence Corbishley, who was 26 at the time. Soon after their first son Michael was born, Clarence was called up to the RAF and was away for more than five years.

Doris and 25-year-old mechanical engineer Lawrence Gregson tied the knot and moved to Macclesfied shortly afterwards, where he worked building Lancaster Bombers.

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