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This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jenny Christian of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library in conjunction with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Norfolk on behalf of Daphne Sainsbury and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My name is Daphne Sainsbury, I was born in Norwich and my maiden name was Daphne Quantrill.

After leaving School at 14 years I acquired a job as a surgical appliance maker at G. Taylor and Son in St. Giles. It was a small firm which made all kinds of appliances, not only for private patients, but for hospitals and nursing homes etc. Mine was a reserved occupation. Being essential work we were exempt from serving in the forces from 1939 – 1945 during the War.

The house was large, one of the rooms had a lovely Adams ceiling, the fitting rooms were upstairs and the shop was downstairs. Attached to the house at the back was our workroom and down the garden was a forge, where a gentleman made all the steel callipers etc. Next to that was a loft where they made boots and shoes for patients with club feet and various irregularities; there were numerous lasts hanging around as each case was individual.

In our workroom there were four or five of us, we had a manageress who used to measure the patients for their surgical belts, back braces and colostomy belts, she also did the cutting out. We used to actually make the belts, part sewing and part machining, we had to scrape the whalebones down to make them more pliable and cut them to size to fit the garments; all very satisfying.

For the size of Norwich the Germans gave us quite a pasting, the centre of Norwich especially was badly bombed. My father was in the Home Guard, there were also air raid wardens who used to patrol the streets. If someone happened to be showing a light they used to shout "Put that light out"!

My father used to manage the gas showroom on Dereham Road. One night it was bombed and unfortunately he found the caretaker and his Wife, they lived over the shop, dead; it was very sad.

Windows etc had to be blacked out, there were no street lights and of course everything was rationed. If the siren went we had to go to the Anderson shelter which had been installed in the garden until the raid was over. I can still smell the sulphur from the candles and the matches.

Occasionally we would just get settled back in bed and the siren would go again. Of course it was annoying at the time, especially knowing that we had to go to work next day, but as with the rationing we knew it was for our benefit; someone upstairs must have been watching over us because we are still here to tell the tale.

At G. Taylor and Sons we worked a five day week, Mon-Fri with half day on Thursday afternoons when shops also shut. On that afternoon we wanted to do our bit for the War effort, so we went to the YMCA in St. Giles and made salads, rolls, sandwiches and hot meals for the troops. I especially remember the film actors Griffith Jones and John Mills who used to come in. In the evening, after our shift, dances and shows were put on for the troops. One person I remember especially was Joyce Grenfell who did one woman shows. She was a great personality.

My Sister and I belonged to a Youth Club at Park Lane Church and a friend Gerry Morter formed a concert party called "The White Wings". Gerry was a ventriloquist and conjurer; there was a pianist and violinist, two sopranos, a tenor, a group of dancers, sketches were performed and jokes told. The boys made the scenery with my Father's help, it was good fun and I think the lads appreciated it although we were only amateurs. The concert party used to put on shows for the troops, in convalescent homes and at various venues around Norfolk. Gerry became a member of the Magic Circle and I think he still is.

Norwich has changed considerably over the years, more modern buildings, traffic free walkways, precincts; while my recollection of years ago was narrow streets, horses and cart, trams and not many cars. I have recollections of happy days at School, respectability and safety, friendliness, trust and closeness of families.

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