Photographs charting the experiences of a performance group who entertained servicemen stationed in Bermuda during the Second World War have been shared by a visiting family.

Jonathan White and his sister, Jorja Zacher, who were in Bermuda this week after they came from Washington State, opened an extensive album to The Royal Gazette.

It contained pictures of their mother, the late Josephine Early, who was a dancer, actress, singer and musician.

Ms Early was born and raised in Bermuda, and performed with her sister, Yvonne Early, among others, as part of the United Service Organisations at the old Hamilton Hotel in Pembroke.

Mr White’s father, Stephen White, an aircraft mechanic, was stationed at the Kindley Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, during which time he met Ms Early and proposed to her.

She accepted and, in 1945, they packed their bags and emigrated to Los Angeles where the groom’s family lived at the time.

When Jonathan White visited Bermuda in 2008, he met archaeologist Edward Harris, the former executive director of the National Museum of Bermuda.

Dr Harris encouraged him to share his mother’s photographs some day, so on his latest trip, he contacted the Gazette.

Mr White, 69, recalled how his mother once shared with him the story of her life in Bermuda before and during the time she met his father.

He said: “I was about 22 years old and I had come home from college for the weekend.

“We were by ourselves and my mom said she wanted to show me something. She went in her room and from underneath her bed she pulled out this photo album, brought it out into the dining room and started showing me these photos.

“She would have been around 65 years old and she felt it was time to start passing on some of this knowledge.

“We didn’t know much about my mother’s life. I didn’t know she came from this little island called Bermuda.

“She opened the photo album and there were photos of them entertaining troops and having a good time. She said, ‘This is what my life was like before I met your father’.

“We probably talked for at least an hour going through the pictures.”

Mr White added: “There was too much to absorb, so I just listened to mom talk about her experience. I’m thinking, ‘so you were out there having a good time?’

“You never have an idea of the beginnings of your parents’ lives.

“I had no idea where Bermuda was until I was at school and saw a little dot on the map.”

Josephine and Yvonne Early, their cousin Nella Astwood and a friend, Ruth, did everything together, and nicknamed themselves the Beach Belles.

Mr White and Ms Zacher’s grandmother lived in Spanish Point with other family members. They still have a cousin, Liz Early, who lives in Somerset, whom they were visiting during their trip this week.

Mr White recalled the tales his mother told about performing during the war in grand stage shows at the Hamilton Hotel, which burnt down in 1955.

The photographs depicted large casts draped in glamorous gowns and smart suits. One theatre production paid tribute to US and British servicemen.

When they were not on stage, the Early women were “having the time of their lives” going to parties and keeping the young soldiers company.

Mr White and Ms Zacher’s parents met during these outings.

Mr White added: “It is serendipity if you think about it. You don't know how things are going to happen but they do and their lives crossed one another.

“If there wasn’t a Second World War, we wouldn’t be here talking to you now. There had to be a war for us to exist.”

Photo album