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The story was submitted by Mike Claxton and entered onto the site by the Peoples War regional outreach officer.

During an air raid on Norwich on the night of 5th / 6th May 1943 an enemy aircraft dropped two landmines. Neither exploded. One landed at Blue Tile Farm Kerdiston and the other, having broken its parachute coupling, fell in a lane at Themelthorpe. With no parachute attached, it buried itself.

My Aunt, Mrs Edith Claxton, was the village ARP Warden and First Aider. She organised the evacuation of houses adjacent to the parachute as it was initially accepted that that the mine lay beneath it. At first light it was found that only the broken coupling was attached. She then organised a search of the village for evidence of the mine. The entry hole at the side of the lane — some ¼ mile away — was found mid-morning on Tuesday 6th. It was also realised that Mr John Gibbons, a local farmer, had driven his heard of cattle virtually over the top of it earlier that morning following milking.

Mrs Claxton took the duty of guarding the site pending the arrival of the Naval Mine Disposal Team. They arrived during the afternoon, and decided that as it could be a delayed action weapon it would be left in situ until a clear 24 hours had elapsed following its arrival. If it was still ‘intact’ by the morning of Wednesday 7th May they would commence digging.

It did not detonate and digging was duly commenced. At lunchtime they must have almost reached it at a depth of 8 feet when it was heard ticking. The site was evacuated in the direction of a humpback railway bridge some 70 yards away down the lane.

It was later said that as the last team member was atop the bridge the mine exploded and the resulting blast threw him past his team mates. None sustained as much as a scratch.

Mrs Claxton was mentioned in dispatches on 16 July 1943 as commended for brave conduct in civil defence. On 13 June 1945 she was invited to Buckingham palace to receive a British Red Cross Certificate for Distinguished War Service from H.M The Queen.

All relevant letters from various naval, county council, Red Cross departments and the actual invitations and certificates are now framed and displayed at our home.

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