Many thanks to all the Villagers who contributed their VE Day Stories
Most of us in High Kelling knew, or met, Alice Boon who lived in the village for a very long time. Sadly, Alice passed away on 22nd May and she will be very sorely missed by her family and her many friends. Her friends and neighbours in Vale Road shared VE Day morning with Alice as they held their socially distanced get-together, stood for the 11am silence and raised a toast. Alice told everyone her funniest story about being stuck in a cat flap and made everyone laugh! It's always sad when someone we love passes away and perhaps it feels even more poignant at the moment when we cannot get together to comfort one another and properly celebrate a life well-lived. That will all come later and Alice's memory will be strongly held in the interim.
Alice was a force to be reckoned with on various committees, working hard to make life in the village livelier and better for many. With her husband, Norman, she was instrumental in setting up the Short Mat Bowls Club, which thrives to this day. She was Life President of the Village Hall where she gave years of service and helped to make the Hall what it is today. Here is a short piece to give you a flavour of Alice's War.
Alice was a force to be reckoned with on various committees, working hard to make life in the village livelier and better for many. With her husband, Norman, she was instrumental in setting up the Short Mat Bowls Club, which thrives to this day. She was Life President of the Village Hall where she gave years of service and helped to make the Hall what it is today. Here is a short piece to give you a flavour of Alice's War.
Eileen lived in High Kelling during the War and her account is full of detail of what life was like here at the time.
War Time and VE Day Memories – Eileen Whymark (nee Knowles)
As far as I can remember, I went to school as normal on VE Day. I was 11 years old. There was a Street Party held in Holt in the Main Street. My sister, who would have been 17, won first prize in the Fancy Dress competition as ‘cookie on the kitchen front’ and I was second as ‘domino girl’. There were lots of jellies, sandwiches and cakes to eat, which we hadn’t been used to.
VE Day was a time of relief. No more sirens or having to go into the dug out which my dad had prepared in the yard. We spent many nights there when the sirens sounded, knitting socks etc for the war effort. Although there were four of us in the family, Dad spent most of the war in London working on bomb repair damage. His poor eyesight prevented him being in the forces, although when at home he was in the Home Guard. In London, they would often sleep on Underground Station platforms at night, safe from the Blitz bombings.
I was five years old when the War started. I remember hearing the words ‘We are now at war with Germany’, on our small portable radio. In due course, we had two evacuees with us from the East End of London. One – Albert - had to return home because he was always in trouble with the police, for theft and chopping down trees. Charlie stayed with us until the War ended and became like part of the family. One night 14 bombs were dropped around High Kelling. No one was seriously injured or killed but a bungalow in Warren Lane was completely covered in mud. We had only half days schooling for the duration as with all the evacuees there wasn’t enough room for us all in class at the same time. We had school mornings then afternoons on alternate weeks. At home, we had a deserter with us for one night. After this for a time my sister and I were taken to school with a police escort until he was apprehended.
There was rationing which included little meat. Weekly coupons for butter, tea, sugar. Fruit was scarce. There were no bananas or oranges. Some items remained on ration until the early 1950s. We were lucky in having a large garden and grew lots of vegetables, potatoes and some fruit. Our elderly neighbours (Mr and Mrs Dack) often gave us their sweet coupons in exchange for various vegetables. We also kept chickens which gave us eggs and ultimately a roast dinner.
At Christmas time we would have two army members from the local base at Weybourne who couldn’t get home for the holiday, stay with us. Often throughout the year we would have service wives stay with us whose husbands had been sent abroad. Out of the 60 or so people who stayed with us, only one of their husbands was killed in service. I still receive a Christmas card each year from their daughter. Also a gentleman who stayed with us and eventually bought a bungalow in Avenue Road. There was an annual party in the library at Gresham’s School which was the only local venue large enough.
High Kelling was a small village. Everyone knew each other and we all pulled together to help out. I still have the certificate my father received from King George VI for his services to the Home Guard. Also a certificate given to my mother from Queen Elizabeth for sheltering and giving a home to evacuees.
VE Day was a time of relief. No more sirens or having to go into the dug out which my dad had prepared in the yard. We spent many nights there when the sirens sounded, knitting socks etc for the war effort. Although there were four of us in the family, Dad spent most of the war in London working on bomb repair damage. His poor eyesight prevented him being in the forces, although when at home he was in the Home Guard. In London, they would often sleep on Underground Station platforms at night, safe from the Blitz bombings.
I was five years old when the War started. I remember hearing the words ‘We are now at war with Germany’, on our small portable radio. In due course, we had two evacuees with us from the East End of London. One – Albert - had to return home because he was always in trouble with the police, for theft and chopping down trees. Charlie stayed with us until the War ended and became like part of the family. One night 14 bombs were dropped around High Kelling. No one was seriously injured or killed but a bungalow in Warren Lane was completely covered in mud. We had only half days schooling for the duration as with all the evacuees there wasn’t enough room for us all in class at the same time. We had school mornings then afternoons on alternate weeks. At home, we had a deserter with us for one night. After this for a time my sister and I were taken to school with a police escort until he was apprehended.
There was rationing which included little meat. Weekly coupons for butter, tea, sugar. Fruit was scarce. There were no bananas or oranges. Some items remained on ration until the early 1950s. We were lucky in having a large garden and grew lots of vegetables, potatoes and some fruit. Our elderly neighbours (Mr and Mrs Dack) often gave us their sweet coupons in exchange for various vegetables. We also kept chickens which gave us eggs and ultimately a roast dinner.
At Christmas time we would have two army members from the local base at Weybourne who couldn’t get home for the holiday, stay with us. Often throughout the year we would have service wives stay with us whose husbands had been sent abroad. Out of the 60 or so people who stayed with us, only one of their husbands was killed in service. I still receive a Christmas card each year from their daughter. Also a gentleman who stayed with us and eventually bought a bungalow in Avenue Road. There was an annual party in the library at Gresham’s School which was the only local venue large enough.
High Kelling was a small village. Everyone knew each other and we all pulled together to help out. I still have the certificate my father received from King George VI for his services to the Home Guard. Also a certificate given to my mother from Queen Elizabeth for sheltering and giving a home to evacuees.
High Kelling Remembers - VE Day 2020
75 years after the end of the Second World War and the current difficulties with the Coronavirus pandemic has put a sad halt on the many events that were planned to honour those who served in many different ways during 1939 - 1945. However, with social distancing kept firmly in mind and with some ingenuity, local residents did manage to mark the day by sharing memories and observing the silence together.
In Vale Road, neighbours sat out on the street for their elevenses, at appropriate distances apart, and enjoyed their own refreshments with an opportunity to share memories and catch up on the current news. Alice Boon (whose story is shown above) shared her funny stories and brought along photographs of herself and her husband taken during the War. Everyone was glad to get together and thankful that the sunny weather allowed for a small event. After all this is over, the residents promised themselves a proper party!
The top sections of Avenue Road decided to hold their own event between 3-5pm on Friday as that was the intended time the Village Hall celebrations had been due to take place on the day. Ray Morgan raised the Union Flag at the Village Hall at 7.30 am. Lyn & Ray Morgan, aided by Ruth & Rob Wilson, decided to have their neighbourly get together on the day, with Phil Otty kindly “donating” the use of his grass verge for the seating area.
The WW 2 items are from Ray's extensive collection of war memorabilia and he painted the poster on a sheet of Decorator's lining paper. The two pictures on the table are of Lyn’s parents who both served during the War, her father took part in the D-Day Landings on June 6th 1944. WW2 music of various wartime songs accompanied the festivities, which really set the mood for the afternoon. Although no formal invitations were issued, various neighbours looked forward to turning up. Social distancing was strictly observed and people were able to enjoy various cakes and most brought their own drinks. With walkers and neighbours popping by at different times, it was nearly 6pm before the last residents departed for their home, so a good time must have been had by all.
In Vale Road, neighbours sat out on the street for their elevenses, at appropriate distances apart, and enjoyed their own refreshments with an opportunity to share memories and catch up on the current news. Alice Boon (whose story is shown above) shared her funny stories and brought along photographs of herself and her husband taken during the War. Everyone was glad to get together and thankful that the sunny weather allowed for a small event. After all this is over, the residents promised themselves a proper party!
The top sections of Avenue Road decided to hold their own event between 3-5pm on Friday as that was the intended time the Village Hall celebrations had been due to take place on the day. Ray Morgan raised the Union Flag at the Village Hall at 7.30 am. Lyn & Ray Morgan, aided by Ruth & Rob Wilson, decided to have their neighbourly get together on the day, with Phil Otty kindly “donating” the use of his grass verge for the seating area.
The WW 2 items are from Ray's extensive collection of war memorabilia and he painted the poster on a sheet of Decorator's lining paper. The two pictures on the table are of Lyn’s parents who both served during the War, her father took part in the D-Day Landings on June 6th 1944. WW2 music of various wartime songs accompanied the festivities, which really set the mood for the afternoon. Although no formal invitations were issued, various neighbours looked forward to turning up. Social distancing was strictly observed and people were able to enjoy various cakes and most brought their own drinks. With walkers and neighbours popping by at different times, it was nearly 6pm before the last residents departed for their home, so a good time must have been had by all.
Lily Maddock joined the Wrens in 1943 when she was 20, fully expecting to be posted to a naval base. In their wisdom the Royal Navy thought her clerical skills were more important, so sent her to join the 2500 Wrens at Bletchley Park working round the clock on an 8 hour shift system as part of the industrialised process of code-breaking. She knew she was doing something important but, because of the compartmentalisation and secrecy, the true significance of their work only became clear decades later.