It is with mixed feelings and with some difficulty that I write these words. I am very conscious of the fact that I knew nothing of Cawston until seven years after the 'Victory Year' of 1945 which our Festival recalls. The names of the Fallen on our War Memorial could not have quite the same impact for me as for those still living in the village who knew them personally. But in January this year I received a letter from a near forgotten army acquaintance, who told me that he visited Cawston recently to look for the name of a dear friend on our Memorial. He was with Eric Monsey when he was killed in action in Italy and described him as a brave young soldier, devoted to his regiment. I feel now I have a link with Eric and his 'band of brothers'. and a powerful reminder, if one were needed. of how much we owe to those whose names are read out every year on Remembrance Day. The link has been strengthened by my conversations with Cawston people who knew him as a boy and who walked with him to school from his home in the old 'Rats' Row'. As we enjoy ourselves at our Festival, may our pleasure be accompanied by a feeling of gratitude to those who made the Supreme Sacrifice, so that we may have the freedom, so often sadly misused, to enjoy life fifty years on and hold this Festival in our little bit of England.

World War Two affected everyone, from the youngest to the oldest and those who lived through those days have many and varied memories, not only the men and women who served on the Forces, but also those who waited at home and worked and worried throughout six long years. They were indeed dark days; 'Put that light out!' was an order to be obeyed by one and all. We blacked out our windows and went our ways through dark streets. Pedestrians in the city possibly suffered even more in this respect, walking into lamp posts was not so amusing as it may sound. Travel, generally speaking was difficult. Posters everywhere asked the question, , Is your journey really necessary?', which was rather unkind to the serviceman returning from weekend leave on a cold, blacked out train that stopped at all stations and sometimes between them. Many private cars were 'laid up' for the duration, on account of the petrol shortage, all road users had to drive with restricted lighting at night. With batteries in short supply, cyclists often used oil lamps , and with the requisite strip of card covering half the glass they certainly took a dim view of journeys at night!.

Rationing of food and clothing hit us hard but at least it was a good subject for conversation, particularly when you were waiting in a long queue. Commodities we had taken for granted suddenly became very precious. Garments from pre-war wardrobes were taken out and patched and re-patched while on the food front all who were able to follow the advice of yet another poster started to 'Dig for Victory', which probably meant growing cabbages in the rose-bed. Patriotic cooks created amazing new dishes, aided by helpful radio broadcasts and such publications as 'Gert and Daisy's Cookery Book'.

From time to time we were reminded that nobody was safe from the violence of war. Air attacks on Norwich reached their peak in April,1942, with parts of the city devastated and many casualties. The sky was lit up by flames from blazing buildings, the flash of exploding bombs and anti-aircraft fire visible for miles around. Few villages in Norfolk escaped the raids of the Luftwaffe and by accident or design Cawston had its share of bombs, mines and showers of incendiaries. A stick of bombs fell on the fields between Eastgate and the Woodrow Inn, while on the east side of Boot on Lane and on the Heath other raids left large craters and a number of unexploded bombs. Several planes crashed in or near the village, (See Lucky Strike) including a Wellington bomber, one of 92 Wellingtons that crashed in Norfolk, with nearly six hundred other aircraft.

But as the old song says, we must' look for the silver lining', and we usually manage to find it. On the radio, having taken to heart Winston Churchill's offer of' blood, toil, tears and sweat' we were able to enjoy Tommy Handley, 'Much-binding-in-the-marsh', and oft repeated remarks like' Can I do yer now, sir?' or 'It's being so cheerful that keeps me going!'. Unexpected entertainment came to us from the 'other side' in the broadcasts of 'Lord Haw-haw', whose' Germany calling' announcements were listened to in a way he could never anticipated. On the home front the men and women who in addition to their daily work served as Firemen, ARP . Wardens, Red Cross Nurses, Special Constables, and of course the Home Guard all had tales to tell that could bring a laugh to our darkest hours. Not long ago a little a little boy watching' Dad's Army' on T.V. asked his grandmother, 'Was it really as funny as that?', After a pause Grandma, who was the widow of a farmer who served in the Home Guard in a Norfolk village, said, 'My dear, it was much funnier than that!'. No doubt many of the escapades of Captain Mainwaring's platoon are founded on fact.

During the early months of the war a number of soldiers were billeted in private houses in Cawston, and in 1940 the 288th. Field Company of the Royal Engineers moved into Haveringland Hall. The men entered happily into village life and many friendships were formed, as I learned a few years ago from a former officer of the unit at the Hall, when the time came for them to leave Cawston, instructions were given for the move to be 'Top Secret'. Accordingly they left Haveringland for the last time late at night, to entrain at Cawston railway station. When they arrived there they found about half the village waiting to wish them Godspeed!. So much for the posters telling us that 'WALLS HAVE EARS' and 'BE LIKE DAD - KEEP MUM. In 1942 work began on constructing an RAF. station at Haveringland, from which Mosquito planes and others, from No 85 and No 157 Squadrons, flew a total of 1958 sorties. The Officers' Mess was established at the Hall, and in 1944 there were 154 Officers (RAF. and W.AAF.) and 1239 other ranks at the station. Some of these have returned from time to time to attend services at St.Peter's Church, which withstood the upheavals of war and stands today as a symbol of the power of the Christian Faith.

 
And what of the children? Thirty-two evacuees were admitted to the school in September, 1939, and black-out curtains were fitted so that the old building could be used as a Rest Centre if required. For the early part of the war gas masks were carried at all times and the children had Respirator Drill at school and First Aid instruction. School leavers (at fourteen) had no difficulty finding employment with so many workers away in the forces. The children shared all the unhappiness of partings, with fathers, uncles and big brothers coming and going throughout those uncertain years. News, particularly letters, assumed great importance and there were very few families that were not affected in some way. At last Mr L F Chambers, headmaster throughout the war, was able to write in the Log Book in 1945,' MAY 7th, SCHOOL CLOSED FOR CEASE FIRE HOLIDAY; VICTORY IN EUROPE' and a few months later 'OCTOBER 24th, SCHOOL CLOSED FOR V.J.HOLIDAY. THE WAR IS OVER'.

So it all ended. Here in Cawston V E Day was one of those rare days when the morning mail failed to arrive at the Post Office. Mr Elijah Medler and Miss Rilda Dewing waited in vain at the Post Office and at last went home. No explanation was given perhaps none was necessary. Otherwise, it was an unremarkable day in our village, a few people recall going to a dance at the Institute (our Village Hall) in the evening but as it was not possible to arrange anything in advance every family probably celebrated in its own way. Later, after the defeat of Japan, a party was held in one of the hangers at Haveringland, with a huge bonfire and fireworks in the form of R.A.F flares and incendiary bombs now considered 'surplus to requirements'. No doubt the old songs were sung, and what good songs some of them were!. 'Roll out the barrel', 'The Quartermaster's Stores', or on a more sentimental note' A Nightingale sang' and 'The White Cliffs of Dover'.......... memories. Soon we had a few more laughs as the men returned in amazing 'demob suits' with headgear to match, then it was off to Norwich to buy' Utility' furniture and see the rows of Prefab houses erected in the blitzed areas. And so, as the Release Groups were announced, more of the boys came home, and the girls too, bless 'em........... but not all; let us never forget that.

Forgive me closing on a personal note, with a little story that fits this occasion. On V.E. Day to misquote the song, , a troopship had just reached Bombay, far tTom old Blighty's shore, It was the S.S. TEGELBERG, a Dutch ship with a Dutch Captain, who had just addressed us all, with deep emotion, announcing the end of the war in Europe, referring to the ongoing conflict with Japan and giving thanks that he could now go home for the first time in six years. We were about to dock and I stood by the rail looking down on the busy quayside, where an Indian band was making a raucous contribution to the celebrations. I heard two Lascar seamen talking nearby. One asked, 'Why is the band playing?' and the reply came (and your not going to believe this!) 'OH, SOME WAR OVER SOMEWHERE'.....

SOME WAR...... I suppose that sums it up nicely.
                                                                                             

Life for children in Cawston carried on in a fairly normal routine, school as usual, but adapting to strange changes. Woe betide the child turning up at school without his gasmask, he would soon be on the way home to collect it. Every so often a large van would drive into the school yard through which the children filed to test their masks, an unusual break from lessons. Paper was so scarce every scrape had to be used even the book covers. Rationing soon effected everyone, typical examples being a weekly supply like 20z butter, 20z lard, 40z marg, 80z sugar, 20z tea, only 1 loaf per week and 1 shillings worth of meat. 20unces of sweets would not last the average schoolchild long !.

People adjusted, bombs and strange aircraft overhead became normal. In Aylsham, at the cinema, the words 'Raid On' appeared in red at the side of the screen but people sat unpeturbed enjoying the film, the green 'All Clear' following later.

Of course bombs did fall. Notably a cluster at Eastgate, two of which did not explode as they landed. One exploded the following day set off by inquisitive lads, Gerald Woods and Geoffrey Budrey, who climbed into the crater. Mr Dewing witnessed the following explosion and being only a small lad fled in terror. Both boys were rescued by Bob Spinks and Sidney Tubby, lucky to escape with their lives, both had to be hospitalised. The other bomb was wired off for safety and later detonated by the engineers at Haveringland Hall. The children at school were evicted to the playground for fear the windows would shatter due to the explosion, they heard the noise followed by a great cloud of dust.

The Home guard kept watch over the village, the church tower being used as a lookout point, the bells were silenced only to be rung in the event of an invasion. Another watch point was set up at the crossroads at Wood road where a shepherds hut, surrounded by sandbags was brought in for the men to sleep in in turn while carrying out their night watch after their days work. There was excitement one night when a parachute was found in the Paddock down Chapel St. Fear was that a German parachutist had landed in the village. It proved to have detached from a landmine which had landed and exploded near where the roundabout is now.

Mr Dewing clearly remembers sheltering under an oak tree at Eastgate while a German bomber flew very low overhead after bombing Oulton airfield. More aircraft memories include a parachutist landing at Eastgate after bailing out of a Flying Fortress, the memory left with Mr Dewing is of the bravery of the pilot of that near destroyed  plane still carrying part of its bomb load, trying to get to the sea to ditch the plane and avoid crashing on populated ground." He was also an eyewitness to another Fortress crashing near 'Jerrys Loke' Cawston, even remembering its name of 'Lucky Strike'.

And it is with the Air base at Swannington we close, while providing entertainment during the war, film and variety shows at 3d,7d and 1 shilling tickets, that base held a large fete in a hanger at the now Gibbs Palmer site at Haveringland. The men from the base thanked the local people for their support through often difficult times, while the villagers had a chance to celebrate the end of a long, hard fought war.