大象传媒

27th April 1942 2321 hours - a time that Norwich will never forget - THE BLITZ
By April 1942 Norwich has been the victim of so many hit and run attacks that perhaps we had become complacent. As always that night our Airdale Dog began to howl which she always did prior to the siren and at 2321hrs, sure enough the siren sounded, but all the family stayed in bed as we felt sure it was just another raid passing over on their way to the Midlands. Next was the "Crash warning" and again no one stirred. Suddenly we became aware of a large number of aircraft engines and father decided that we should get up and dressed and make our way to the air raid shelter in the garden.
When we reached the back door we were stunned to see the whole garden lit up by aircraft flares and before we could move the German aircraft began diving on the City. The noise was tremendous, the roar of engines, the whistle of the bombs and the huge bang as they exploded. We all stood there paralysed until in a gap father shouted out for us to run now and we sprinted the 50 feet to the shelter, closely followed by our next door neighbours. The noise was now unbelievable and the ground shook, especially when a large land mine was dropped on to Eaton Park. At intervals father would vanish up to the top to check if our house was still standing while we stayed below in a stunned silence at what was the worst ever attack we had known and our City had virtually no defence. After two hours it was all over and we came out of the shelter. Mother, being in the Red Cross went immediately to her duty point in the local Rest Centre, while my father and I walked down to the Police Box at the junction of Colman and Unthank Road to talk with the Policeman on duty and we learnt that the news was bad. Later we heard that over 50 tons of bombs had been dropped with 162 people killed and over 600 injured.
I was convinced that no one would go to School the next day, so before breakfast on the Tuesday two of us went to Eaton Park to see if could collect some bomb splinter souvenirs. We climbed down the massive crater of the mine and also walked over several small holes, collecting some good souvenirs. On our way back we were surprised to find the Park gates now locked and guarded by a soldier. He was amazed to see us in the Park and shattered us by saying that the Park was closed due to unexploded bombs - they were the small holes we had walked over !
Tuesday was quiet to our surprise but it was good to see some AA guns arrive. Wednesday it was back to school, cycling through the rubble of the City centre, only to find that the school had opened on the Tuesday and we were both caned by the Headmaster for being absent without permission ! In the evening once more our dog howled, the sirens went off and we rushed down the shelter. As on Monday the noise was horrific but this time there was a different sound of small thumps, plus the AA guns firing back. Father took a look outside and suddenly yelled at me to get outside with him as we had incendiary bombs in the garden. With my overside tin hat on my head I dutifully carried the sandbags which he then placed over the firebombs, I was too busy to be frightened. The flames in the sky over the City were massive and we suddenly noticed that burnt chocolate papers were floating down in the garden and we realised that the A.J.Caley chocolate factory must have been hit. At last the German aircraft departed leaving us with the noise of burning houses and the awful smell of fire. Again down to the Police Box and we heard that the centre of the City had been devasted.
Cycling to school on Thursday we were stunned by the damage, and the smouldering ruins of the City including our favourite toy shop R.G.Pilch. The Fire crews looked utterly exhausted and we dreaded the night to come. To our surprise, there was no siren and we had a fitful sleep. Friday and again we made our way to school past all the ruined buildings and then home for tea and prepared the Shelter. This time the sirens did go and the German bombers were back but the attack was not as heavy as the previous nights and once again our house survived with some tiles missing and a broken front window.
Saturday was quiet and little did we know it then but the Baedeker Blitz on Norwich was over. We had to endure many more raids before the War ended, but that week will remain forever etched in our minds and as youngsters we had seen death at first hand for the first time in our lives.

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