大象传媒

This contribution was provided at a 大象传媒 Radio Norfolk Event (Wartime Friendships, Comradeship and Romance). The story has been written and submitted to the website by Tim Edwards (Volunteer Story Gatherer) with the full permission and on behalf of Mrs. Jean Horsley (nee Graveling).

I lived at Cromer on the coast in a large old house that was part of a farm. I remember one day when the Army suddenly surrounded the house exclaiming that they had 鈥渟een the Germans out at sea鈥�. The Army blocked access to the cliff-top and the beach had been barred to us from the start of the War. After some time the frantic excitement died down and nothing actually came of the 鈥業nvasion鈥�. That was testament to how much people were on-edge and fearful of being invaded, especially along the coastline.

My Father wasn鈥檛 going to let the army leave without getting them to help out on the farm. He often had them topping and tailing the sugar-beet and they would bring their 鈥榣eftovers鈥� to be used for pigswill. We all ate well during the war, despite the rationing because we lived on the farm.

During the worst days of the Blitz we thought that we would have received some evacuees, so we spent some time dividing the big old house up into separate quarters. The evacuees never turned up, but later the wives of Officers who were stationed nearby did stay with us.

Other people who came to stay for the duration were my two old grandmothers. The elderly ladies would not only occupy the same room, but they slept in the same bed. My brother used to think that this was very funny and some nights he would surprise them. Before they went to bed he would sneak into their room and hide under the bed. When they had settled for a nights sleep he would move and lift the bed from underneath it whilst they tried to sleep, sometimes their screams would wake the whole house.

When the air raid siren would scream in the night we would congregate at the strongest part of the house. We had no air raid shelter, so, all dressed for bed we would stand in our nightgowns and pyjamas underneath the huge solid staircase that provided us with safety and strength.

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