大象传媒

This contribution to WW2 People鈥檚 War was provided at an Event at Hethersett Library attended by the 大象传媒 Radio Norfolk Action Desk. The story has been written and submitted to the website with the permission and on behalf of Evelyn Cozens.

When War was declared I was member of the Red Cross or VAD - Voluntary Aid Detachment - as we were known. One of our duties was at Thorpe Station, there we manned a hut in the station yard as a canteen to supply forces getting onto or getting off the trains, we used to cook poached eggs and beans on toast for 4d and our hours were 6pm 鈥榯il 10. Together with others from our detachment I met evacuees at the Station when they disembarked from London. They were very pathetic and bewildered looking with their gas masks round their necks. Our VAD Commandant was called Mrs Fox, when the sirens started she used to put her tin hat on and told everyone there was no need for concern, we would all be alright.
I lived with my parents on St. Matthews Road in Norwich and on one occasion returned home to be told by my Mother that we had had two Territorial Soldiers compulsorily billeted on us, as there was no spare bedroom they had to sleep on the floor in the front room of the house. My Mum was expected to feed them on 拢1 a week each, even with their ration cards which wasn鈥檛 always easy, but my Father was a greengrocer.
The family fruit business was called Sexton Bros and my Father and my two brothers had to rise at 5am to go to Norwich Market to buy produce. We received consignments of mangoes and lots of bananas when there would be queues of people waiting, at other times there would be severe shortages. It was impossible to keep everyone happy all the time, sometimes people would get quite irate, but we couldn鈥檛 wave a magic wand. I worked in one of the shops although I was liable for call up, but my Father applied for exemption as we came under food. Meanwhile in the shop and on the dance floor romance blossomed with Ernest Cozens, one of the soldiers billeted at our house. Before I knew it we were engaged with my parent鈥檚 blessing and got married in September 1942.
Ernest was sent away to the Isles of Bute for tough Army training, but missed two call ups, one to Madagascar and one to Norway. He knew he was being trained for some offensive, but didn鈥檛 know what and so we arranged for his letters to come to the shop in the event of him being sent overseas. The morning came when we heard that British Troops had landed on the beaches of Normandy.
Ernest was in the Royal Engineers and he and his fellow Norfolk boys landed at 4am on June 6th D Day. Canadians troops were in the group with long hunting knives at the ready. In the landing craft none of them wanted to get out, an Officer in charge stood with a revolver threatening to shoot anyone who disobeyed. Ernest later on recounted 鈥淭hey gave us kippers on the troop ship, what about being killed on kippers?!鈥�

At the time of the Normandy invasion I discovered I was pregnant, not the best time to have a baby. I carried on working for 6 months as we were so short staffed in the grocer鈥檚 shop. Our Son was born in September 1944 just two years after our wedding. By then Ernest was in Holland and was fortunate enough to have his name drawn out of the hat first so he was able to come home and see his Son for the first time. Whilst he was home on leave he became stricken with a very serious case of viral jaundice and taken to Addenbrooke鈥檚 Hospital, where there were a lot of other seriously ill soldiers on the same ward, some of whom even died.
Following a long spell in hospital Ernest was transferred as a pay clerk to the Royal Engineers Catering Corps. His kit bag having been left with his Company was forwarded to him when he was demobbed. To my amazement it contained a number of items including a cake slice and a pair of pastry forks which I think came from a bombed restaurant. Apparently many of the lads had taken 鈥渢rophies鈥� from blitzed properties when going through France. Included in Ernest鈥檚 kit bag was a beautifully executed map, probably done by a draughtsman or architect together with the diary he had maintained himself which contained details of day to day events, from the time the 288 Field Company Royal Engineers departed from these shores until the end of the campaign.
For our 2nd Wedding Anniversary I was sent a lovely card by the artist of the map who had been in the company of Ernest whilst in France. It was a most touching gesture. We were very fortunate as a couple, apart from the yellow jaundice which did have a tendency to reoccur, Ernest came through the War and we enjoyed a normal life together, including a successful business life in agriculture.
I鈥檓 a Widow now, in my late eighties and when I go by bus to Morrisons, the large superstore, we stop by at Thorpe Station to pick up people off the train and I look to the spot all those years ago where our tea hut was located during the war. Young girls doing our small piece for the war effort, cooking poached eggs, looking after soldiers and evacuees, but despite often being very tired after doing our normal work during the day we always strived to have caring and friendly smiles on our faces.

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