Behind every photograph is a story…and is a picture of a man who survived the first German bombing raid over Norwich during the Second World War.
The excellent Norwich Works exhibition at the Castle features men and women who worked at three large city factories during the late 1940s and 50s.
So many memories are being brought back by the captivating images taken at Boulton and Paul, Mackintosh/Caleys and Edwards and Holmes by Walter and Rita Nurnberg.
And they mean so much to people who recognise themselves, family members and friends working in these large factories at the time.
One of the photographs was a striking portrait of George “Tom” Fisher marking steel for drilling at the big Boulton & Paul Riverside steelworks in 1947/8.
It was an image later used in The Builder magazine….and one remembered by his children Jon and Jane who can now tell the story of what had happened to their father at the beginning of the war.
George first went to work in the drawing office at Boulton & Paul in the 1930s but soon realised he wanted to be using his hands and building things so he was offered an apprenticeship in the Constructional Engineering Department.
Trouble was…there were three other George’s working there already. “What’s your middle name?” they asked. “Thomas” he replied. From then on he was Tom.
At the outbreak of war George (Tom) applied to join the navy, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He passed the medical and induction only to be told to he was in a reserved occupation and would be called on if needed.
On July 9 1940 at about 5pm two aircraft were heard over Norwich. There had been no sirens so people believed there was nothing to worry about.
Then the bombs dropped….
By the time they left 27 men and women were dead with many more injured. This was the first air raid over Norwich bringing death, destruction and heartache.
Kate Bradfield was the first to be killed while in her garden at Salhouse Road before the aircraft headed for Barnards at Mousehold, the railway station, Boulton and Paul and then Carrow Hill where five women were killed going home from work at Colmans. It was carnage.
As the bombs fell on Boulton & Paul ten men lost their lives. George was badly injured and the teenager he was working alongside killed.
Along with many others George was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital before being moved to Drayton Emergency Hospital where he met nurse Margaret Salmon. They fell in love and were married in April of 1942.
That was the month of the horrendous Baedeker raids when more than 160 men, women and children were killed and parts of Norwich destroyed.
At the time George and Margaret were on their honeymoon at Wroxham and they could see the city burning. They returned to find their home at Vauxhall Street was badly damage. The windows blown out and their wedding cake destroyed by shards of glass.
As time moved on son Jon also became part of the Boulton & Paul story. In one of his first jobs after school he was working repairing typewriters and would often visit the offices.
He would make his way to the busy and bustling steelworks factory floor to greet his dad and they would share a cup of tea together.
Thank you Jon and Jane for sharing your memories and also to Helen Stokes at Norfolk Museums Service. The Norwich Works exhibition runs until April 14.
It is a story of rediscovery and the legacy of Walter and Rita Numberg who captured working life in Norwich’s post-war industries.
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