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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Sarah Housden of Norfolk Adult Education’s reminiscence team on behalf of Gladys Heley and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was 25 when the war started, and had my second son Gerald in 1942. Gerald was born during an air raid at 1.30am. The midwife lived in Aerodrome Crescent which was not far from me. She came to me and made me drink Pethydine saying that it would either bring the baby on, or delay it. It tasted dreadful, but delayed the labour. The midwife was also dealing with another lady nearby at the same time, who was having her 10th child.

A plane came over dropping incendiary bombs, and another friend of mine who was expecting a baby got a bomb right through her roof. She lost her pram, the cot and all the things she had bought for the new baby.

My husband was a lorry driver for Watlings in Surrey Street. He used to bring his lorry home every night and the four of us would get in the back and drive out to Mulbarton Common to spend the night. He had a mattress in the back which we would sleep on, and the baby would sleep in the pram.

My husband was in the Home Guard. When he went out on duty I would just lie on the pantry floor with the children, where we felt safe.

The first night of bombing in Norwich there were no guns for protection, but they then put one up at Nelson Barracks which was close to where we lived. There were barrage balloons all around it.

After we were bombed out of Furze Road, we moved to Hilary Avenue. We paid about 17 shillings a week rent. We worked hard to dig out the air raid shelter we were given, and then filled sandbags which we placed all around it. We had quite a few raids dropping incendiaries during the day, and you could see the planes come right down low.

Everybody pulled together — neighbours and friends would help each other out. One night while we were living on Furze Road, we all went up to a lady at the top of the road and sat around the fire. We shared food and looked after each other.

I was able to keep the children in decent clothes by making some for them myself. Also, my Dad was a tailor, and he made little suits for the boys.

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