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 Barbara Hedley and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

In December 1940 the family home was bombed at Carrow Hill, my father had arrived home from a night shift at Carrow Works, he was a Policeman and fireman, but that particular night his duties included plane observing for German planes at the 鈥淪potters Tower鈥� in the Bracondale School Grounds.
My Mother, Father, 3 Brothers and myself were lucky to survive as the house was almost destroyed. Next door to us a girl of 18 was killed, furniture from upstairs fell on her. Her Grandfather was blown outside in his bed and survived.
Various other raids I remember to the end of the War.
April 1942 I commenced Nurse training at the City of Norwich Isolation Hospital (Infectious Diseases). We experienced the Norwich Raids which were very frightening as students of 17 鈥� 18 years. At the time several air raid shelters were built in the grounds for safety of the patients, these were divided up separately, 4 patients to a shelter, for either diphtheria, scarlet fever and so on. Lots of help was available including soldiers billeted nearby.
West Norwich Hospital was bombed, several people were killed, roads around were closed because of the bomb craters, this meant we were confined to the hospital for several days. Whilst I was at the Isolation Hospital it could be quite frightening when raids were taking place as most of the wards were glass and at night especially; if the moon was full the area was well lit up and useful for the German planes to spot this target.
One night one of my duties at the hospital was to stay inside and help nurse a very sick girl of 13 with diphtheria. I can remember sitting by her bed when the air raid warning sounded, my orders were to wear my tin hat for protection鈥︹��.I felt as safe as houses (a Norfolk saying). This girl鈥檚 father was a famous boxer known to Norwich as 鈥淕inger Sadd鈥�.
April 1944 I moved onto the Norfolk and Norwich for further training, although air raids were a little less at the time one of the Nurses鈥� Homes was bombed and a little later some of the wards were transferred to Drayton, The David Rice Hospital. I was fortunate to do duties there, this was heaven after the previous ordeals, but we still had to come back to the N and N for lectures and exams. If we missed the bus we had to walk unless we were lucky enough to get a lift.
I was Sister on Female Surgical Ward at Wayland Hospital for 5 years before leaving to get married.

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