大象传媒

I am in my 98th year so hope you will have the patience to read and learn of what I know and saw in the First World War in Lowestoft where I was born 12/12/1906.

I clearly remember the shells (called bombardment) by the German boats and heard the shells screaming overhead. We sat around an empty grate and heard those which exploded into the Church fields over St Margarets church and got to know of others which fell short outside the gate of a chimney sweep living at the bottom of light house score.

Now, the said chimney sweep named Happy Wecham thought he would claim said shell, so fetching a bucket of water to cool the shell down, with a yard broom he rolled into his garden proposing to charge folks to view it!

Another vivid memory of mine was when the HMS Halcyon returned to the south pier naval base with her funnels blasted following a chase after a German boat across the North Sea. We heard quite a lot about this from the naval officers who were billeted on us and from the wireless boys from Yarmouth Road station including some sons of notables.

The most vivid memory of all was when I was called to the front gate to witness the German Zeppelin on fire and gliding over Pakefield heading towards Southwold, loaded with bombs. Twelve crew on board were burned to death when the ship came down between Aldeburgh and Saxmundham. The dead were buried in named graves in a small village church nearby. The Zeppelin looked like a longish burning cigar intensely glowing red but with no flames outside. I was told it was shot into by one of the sons of Cadbury from a light aeroplane. I do not know of anyone else that can record the shooting and burning down of the German Zeppelin. (The Grat?)

The aeroplanes scrapped with the German Taubs overhead. We got to know the engine sounds then as we did in the Second World War. We, as kids, were told never to mention the Pulham Pig being built but I have seen in flight the R33 and R101and knew of Sir S. Branken who was killed on one.

This is a brief transcript of a letter sent into the Lowestoft Record Office by Miss Rudd.

Whilst I have tried to be a faithful to the original, some of the terms and references were unfamiliar to me, hence if the information is important to you, it would be advisable to contact the Record Office to view the original stored on file.

Tricia Colyer, Searchroom Assistant/ Sunday Officer

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.