In 1936 the founder of Bettys, Frederick Belmont a Swiss baker and confectioner, travelled on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. Today several sections of the mirror, which was damaged during an air raid, hang in the downstairs Oak Room as a reminder of all our wartime patrons Sadly many of the young men who signed their name never returned from their dangerous missions. By the end of the war the mirror featured nearly 600 names. Whatever the origins of the mirror, the practice quickly caught on. When Frederick Belmont installed a similar mirror in his York Tea Room, he decided that the Servicemen using his bar were the real celebrities. Another tale recalls a mirror onboard the Queen Mary which featured signatures of famous celebrities. One story tells of airmen using a waitress’s engagement ring to scratch their names on the mirror. No one is entirely sure how the practice started. Here wartime ‘Bomber Boys’, often many 1000’s of miles from home, used to engrave their name before flying off on dangerous missions. Betty’s housed many mirrors, including a huge picture mirror behind the bar. One evening an incendiary bomb crashed through the roof of Betty’s, although thanks to the swift action of their own nightly fire-watcher, the building was saved. Thanks to rationing, Betty’s customers enjoyed the unusual delights of fish cakes, spam fritters, and corned beef hash. In fact when the War Office tried to requisition the Cafe as an administrative centre, opposition from Betty’s Bar devotees (many of whom were in Bomber High Command) resulted in plans being swiftly changed! The war years changed Betty’s in many other ways. ‘ Bill has gone for a Burton on Mannheim’, – ‘ John crashed into a hill on return from Le Mans’ and so on. We don’t indulge in much discussion on losses only a remark now and then. The squadrons in early 1944 apparently are taking a terrific beating in the Battle of Berlin. Sadly, the news is very bad as we hear of heavy losses throughout the group. It was a meeting place and to remain a short time one is bound to meet old friends from other squadrons. Betty’s Bar seems to be an unofficial headquarters for air crew. A day and evening in York was a real p leasure and break from our flying duties.
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