大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jenny Christian of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library on behalf of Evelyn Knights and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

The day War was declared, I was working at the old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and several of us girls were having our lunch and listening to the radio when Neville Chamberlain made his speech and said our country was at War. 11am.

Many of the girls were in tears as a Brother or near relation were in the peace time Army, Navy, RAF.

Shortly after, the sirens sounded. The noise was frightening to say the least. An air raid shelter was outside our entrance and if the siren sounded at night, which it did quite a lot, we all had to get up and go down to the shelter. If you did not go down, Home Sister or the House Keeper came to your bedroom and got you out. The shelter was very cold.

大象传媒ing day started at 6.30am, breakfast on the Wards 7 0鈥檆lock I think, we all felt quite tired although only 17 years old.

The first bombs fell on Norwich July 9th 1940, Boulton Paul鈥檚, as the workers were leaving at 6pm. Some of us saw the German plane come in very low, there were lots of casualties. The Outpatients Department and corridors were full of injured.

Caleys factory was hit in another raid and an air raid shelter was hit in Chapel Field Gardens, most of the people were left inside and covered in, there was a terrible smell of gas. As the War progressed the raids got worse.

The day that planes and gliders were going over in the early morning we had no idea what was happening until radio gave a few details. Whilst watching television over the weekend of June 6th 2004 with the 60th Anniversary of D-Day one realises how brave they all were. God Bless Them All.

My late Husband served in India and Burma, after 4 years he returned safely.

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