Bravery from the Force

As the bombs dropped, causing death and destruction, police officers struggled to save lives — putting their own lives on the line.

Take 16 Rye Avenue, for example, which had been bombed and wrecked. Constables Don Martin, Jimmy Godbolt, Charles McCalley and John McKenna quickly arrived to begin searching the debris for bodies or survivors. Bombs were still dropping as they probed the wreckage, encouraged by the sound of faintly calling voices.

Constable McKenna, a very big man, showed exceptional strength in removing debris as he raised one end of a rubble-laden bed.

Constables Godbolt and McCalley raised the other end of the bed and Constable Martin crawled underneath to rescue a mother and four children. Unfortunately the youngest, a four month old baby was dead.

The Chief Constable — the long serving and very popular John Henry Dain — in reporting this rescue to the Watch Committee for commendation said: “The rescue actually took place on the top floor side bedroom, three walls of which were demolished. Ladders had to be used and the falling of further bombs disturbed the roof causing further debris to fall during the time these officers were engaged.”

Constable John Stockdale was on stand-by at a police box in Dereham Road during the first raid and was ordered to assist at Woodlands Hospital, which had been badly damaged. He then experienced what the commending report described as “great mental strain” by the sight of his own house being demolished by a bomb.

Despite his anguish, he carried out house checking duties and extinguished several incendiary bombs. He dragged a woman from a house at 313 Dereham Road and carried her to safety whilst enemy planes were machine gunning the streets. His own wife escaped injury.

Constable Harold Waddicor’s house at Elizabeth Fry Road was badly damaged by bombs and his wife and children had to be helped from a shelter. Accompanied by a nurse Harold went to another house, which had been severely damaged, and together they rescued a man and a woman who were injured and trapped.As they brought them out the house collapsed.

At the height of the second raid police and emergency services struggled to trace and rescue people amidst falling bombs and raging fires.

Constables Bert Horrex and Walter Goldsmith heard a woman’s voice under rubble at 75 Earlham Road. With help from soldiers and civilians they found and rescued the woman after digging for over an hour.

Constable Ernie Croxson was bombed out of his house in Waterworks Road and later had to appear before the Chief Constable to explain why he had not handed in his clothing coupons. Clothing coupons were the least of his
worries!

Following the Blitz commendations were awarded to 23 regular police officers, one First Police Reserve and one War Reserve, two Women Auxiliaries, one police messenger and 11 Special Constabulary officers.

Inspector Edwin Buttle, employed as Bomb Reconnaissance Officer — looking for what other people wanted to get away from — was commended, awarded a Merit Badge (possibly the last to be issued) and later received the British Empire Medal.

John Grix, a brave 15-year-old ARP Messenger, was awarded the British Empire Medal for bravery and devotion to duty during the raids.

He had been blown off his bike several times as he raced around the burning city with messages at the height of the bombing.

Other police officers singled out for special praise included:

• Sgt William Kemp who climbed into the false roof of a grocery shop at the corner of Bowthorpe Road and Earlham Green Lane to put out an incendiary bomb.
• Sgt Marmaduke Potter and Constables Arthur Turner and Walter Goldsmith for digging and rescuing two trapped and injured women from a shelter in Nelson Street.
• Inspector Herbert Docwra, Sgt Thomas Byland and Constable George Moll for burrowing under debris and freeing a woman and three children a house in Elm Grove Lane.
• Constable John Prytherch for climbing buildings in Waterloo Road to put out incendiary bombs — then rescuing people from a shelter that had been hit in Patteson Road.
• Constable John Williams for entering a row of houses in Dereham Road to put out incendiary bombs.

The only full-time, regular police officer turned fireman to be killed during the Norwich Blitz was popular Sam Bussey.

This 39-year-old father of two lost his life while trying to save horses from blazing
stables near Oak Street at the height of the raging inferno.

Now the man who was with Sam — Len Strivens — on that terrible night has returned from South Africa and can reveal what actually happened.

And it turns out that the horses Sam had gone to try and save may have already been moved.

Sam had been a sergeant with the Norwich City Police. When they split from the fire service in 1941 he elected to become a fireman.

On the first night of the Blitz, Len was on the engine with Sam when the call went out.
“We were one of the first engines out on that terrible night.

“Bombs were dropping all around us. One hit the City Station. I must have been the last person who saw Sam alive.

“I know he always had a love of horses. I heard later that he had gone to see if he could save some horses, but I also heard that they had already been moved,” said Len.

“Then there was another explosion and I was hit. My tin hat was blown off but it saved my life. Sam never stood a chance,” he added.

Len was seriously injured.

Hundreds of people turned out for the funeral of Sam Bussey, a brave man and a loving father.