John’s Changed Destiny

Pamela's War

This flow follows John Fellows from determined suitor to disappointed trainee, overseas serviceman, husband, and absent father.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Persistent Suitor The Persistent Suitor from "Pamela's War". The Persistent Suitor A New Claim John Fellows visits The Woodman Hotel while engaged to another woman. He quickly decides that Pamela is the person he wants.

The Persistent Suitor from "Pamela's War". The Persistent Suitor A New Claim John Fellows visits The Woodman Hotel while engaged to another woman. He quickly decides that Pamela is the person he wants.

The Persistent Suitor A New Claim John Fellows visits The Woodman Hotel while engaged to another woman. He quickly decides that Pamela is the person he wants. A Difficult Beginning Pamela barely knows him and still mourns David. John’s persistence is therefore both hopeful and intrusive, forcing her to imagine a future before she is ready. Courtship begins under emotional imbalance.

The Bombing Proposal The Bombing Proposal from "Pamela's War". The Bombing Proposal Shared Survival John visits Pamela on a borrowed motorcycle just before a raid.

The Bombing Proposal from "Pamela's War". The Bombing Proposal Shared Survival John visits Pamela on a borrowed motorcycle just before a raid.

The Bombing Proposal Shared Survival John visits Pamela on a borrowed motorcycle just before a raid. They shelter together when the communal shelter cannot be opened. Proposal Under Shock After the bombing, John asks Pamela to marry him. She initially refuses because surviving danger does not mean knowing a person. The crisis creates intimacy but not immediate consent.

Flight Ambition Flight Ambition from "Pamela's War". Flight Ambition Training Begins John Fellows leaves for RAF training in Scotland, hoping to become a pilot.

Flight Ambition from "Pamela's War". Flight Ambition Training Begins John Fellows leaves for RAF training in Scotland, hoping to become a pilot.

Flight Ambition Training Begins John Fellows leaves for RAF training in Scotland, hoping to become a pilot. His ambition reflects the era’s ideal of courage and speed. A Family of Service His relatives also serve through engineering, combat, rescue, and logistics. John wants not merely to contribute but to fly into danger. Military identity becomes a personal aspiration.

Colour Blindness Colour Blindness from "Pamela's War". Colour Blindness The Failed Test An eye examination reveals that John Fellows cannot distinguish green from blue.

Colour Blindness from "Pamela's War". Colour Blindness The Failed Test An eye examination reveals that John Fellows cannot distinguish green from blue.

Colour Blindness The Failed Test An eye examination reveals that John Fellows cannot distinguish green from blue. The defect could make piloting lethal, so his dream is rejected. Sand Instead of Snow He is posted to Anglesey and then Aden rather than Canada. The reassignment preserves his life but leaves him mourning the career he wanted. Survival arrives as a form of disappointment.

Desert Husband Desert Husband from "Pamela's War". Desert Husband Marriage Before Departure John and Pamela marry in November 1943 before his overseas posting.

Desert Husband from "Pamela's War". Desert Husband Marriage Before Departure John and Pamela marry in November 1943 before his overseas posting.

Desert Husband Marriage Before Departure John and Pamela marry in November 1943 before his overseas posting. Their marriage begins with brief leave and immediate separation. Remote Partnership John serves in Aden while Pamela works, joins the Land Army, gives birth, and lives with her parents. Their marriage is sustained through absence rather than shared domesticity. The war makes distance part of marital identity.

after David’s death

after the move to Birmingham

1943

late 1943

1943 to 1945