Thousands of Canadian soldiers were sent to Sussex during the Second World War and some of them were a big hit with local young women.

Many romances took place and a number of these resulted in long-lasting marriages. Inevitably, others did not work out and a few ended in tragedy.

One of the saddest stories comes from Marine Drive, Rottingdean, where Ellen Short lived during the war.

Her father ran a general store in the building which was close to Rottingdean crossroads. It is now an Indian restaurant. Her mother and two sisters also lived there.

In July 1942 Ellen was 22. She had been going out with her boyfriend, Charles Stenning, for about six years.

Charles was an apprentice plumber who lived in Brighton. He joined the Navy during the war. He was promoted to petty officer and was stationed at Portsmouth.

It was a good posting for him because he could get home most weekends to see Ellen. He usually hitchhiked the 50-mile journey to save money.

Charles intended to ask Ellen to marry him when he had saved enough money. He was so much in love with her that in true Navy fashion he had her name tattooed on his arm together with a heart.

On leave for a few days, Charles went to see Ellen at her home at the first available opportunity on Wednesday, July 29. But he had a shock when he arrived.

Unbeknown to him, she had been seeing a Canadian soldier called Frederick Cathcart, who was with her that evening while her parents were out.

Frederick quickly left the house when Charles arrived, which was just as well for him. Charles was at first perplexed and then angry when he realised the truth.

They had a furious row before Ellen ran up to her bedroom in floods of tears. One of her sisters was at home and was frightened.

Distraught that the romance was over, Charles rushed into Ellen’s room and struck her a tremendous blow on her head. He strangled her with one of her stockings and disappeared.

Her body was found by her father on his return to the house and the police were called. A search was launched for Charles, the obvious suspect.

On the following Friday morning, a man answering his description was seen on the clifftop near Friar’s Bay in Peacehaven.

As two policeman approached, he ran forward and jumped over the edge of the steep cliffs to his death. Ironically, his body was recovered by members of the Canadian Army.

An inquest was held into both deaths. The coroner recorded that Ellen had been murdered and that Charles had killed himself.

I am indebted to historian David Rowland of Telscombe Cliffs, who specialises in the Second World War, for his invaluable help in undertaking the research for this article.

He said, “It is a very sad story. Every time I pass the address I think of her.”