Would our soldiers get leave in WW2?

[Lidfam]

It has always been my assumption that my relative served in both World Wars. WW1 is not in question as I have lots of documentary eveidence for him, however all I have from WW2 is a couple of telegram type greetings messages, which only give his first name (so it is remotely possible to be from another man with the same name) in May 1943 and November 1943. The reason i am having doubts, is that there is no evidence anywhere to suggest that he fought in the War, and during the time he would have been away, he was being listed as householder in the street directories here, and also as the license holder for the pub he ran. He even moved to another pub in 1943, while he was away at War with himself given as the lisence holder.
It is possible that his wife and sons could have managed the pub without him, however would it be usual to carry on giving his name as though he were still present, or am I looking in the wrong direction, and he probably never went to War at all? My only real source would be his service records, if they exist however , they will cost me £30 and I only want to go there as a last resort. The other possibility is that he had home leave, and the pub transfer was completed  while he was home, which would have co-incided with the North Africa campaign finishing, and before the invasion of Italy. Any ideas would be very much appreciated.
                                                                   Dale

[Regorian]

There certainly was UK Leave in WWI. Two Australian cousins from the Western Front visited my grandmothers family in Uffington, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) at least once.

Probably not in WWII as the theatres of war were further away. However, my mothers brother was in 7th Armoured Division, North Africa and Italy. The Division returned to UK in spring of 1944 for retraining and re-equipping for Normandy. My mother went out to the garden to check up on me in my pram and who should walk up the drive but her brother.   

[starcat]

I know my father came home on leave during WW2 although i dont know from where, he still wore his uniform when ever he went out & he told a story of a woman on a bus who tried to give him money she was so gratefull for his service.

[spiderboy]

Probably not a lot of help!
I can confirm that my father was serving in the RAF during WW2 and whilst stationed in the UK did come home on leave but once he was posted to Europe (France, Belgium and Germany) it was a different matter and we didn't see him until he came back to the UK.

[ansteynomad]

My father joined up in 1939 and he certainly had leave in May 1940, because he married my mother on 11 May.  The story is that he came home on the Friday, got married on the Saturday and went back to his unit on the Sunday night.  I do think however that this was pretty much it then until he was demobbed in 1947, as he served in Ireland, Sierra Leone and in France and Germany until 1945 and then stayed in the army to help mop up afterwards.

[ScouseBoy]

My father served  in Alexandria for four years during WW2.  He probably got  local leave during that time, but  I am pretty sure that he didn't get any leave to be able to return to UK.

It would have taken too long for the journey by sea.

[chris_49]

My father got leave from the RAF during WWII - once early on after his father had just died, and then again when he was recuperating after a plane crash. I believe he had at least one other holiday later on.
 

[chris_49]

Oh and my mother married her first husband, who was in the army during WWII and was on leave - but I know the honeymoon had to be very short. (She never saw him again).

[ScouseBoy]

There was something called Survivors leave,   If you had been on a ship which was sunk or damaged, and then you were rescued, then you would get Survivors leave.