大象传媒

I am Norwich born, and well remember the day war was declared. I don鈥檛 think the horror of war came home to me until the night my father and I stood at the bedroom window and watched city railway station being bombed and go up in flames, - no sound of anti aircraft, I don鈥檛 believe any were in place. We lived in Angel Road next to Waterloo Park, then one night we had a raid and bombs landed behind our back garden fence, we were lucky they did not go off, I only just made it to the shelter.

I well remember clearing up the mess as all the bedroom ceilings came down. Father got a large sack which we filled with the debris. When we tried to get it down the stairs, the bottom fell out and the stairs were blocked. We remember that with amusement but it was far from funny at the time.

The next day we had to move out and we went to Dakin Road. That night we had another raid; as usual I was the last one out of bed. I well remember being dragged down the stairs by my father once again, we only just made it when a landmine devastated the area of Millers Lane. Many people were killed that night, the roof went off our house, and we had no alternative but to go back to Angel Road and the bombs in the back garden, which fortunately were soon removed.

Life went on. People managed, and played their part. Father was an Air Raid Warden. In 1943 I joined the army (ATS) and served in Egypt and Palestine until 1945.

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