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Aldeburgh:
Wilfrid George
was at a dance in Aldeburgh on the night of the flood, he had
to struggle through the floodwater on his bicycle.
Bawdsey:
Ryan Coe was based at
RAF Bawdsey. He talks about trying to fill the breaches in the dams
and the visit of Prince Phillip.
Felixstowe:
Doris Watkins and her
family spent the night on the roof of their prefab in Langer Road.
They lost their small daughter and almost lost their son.
Ivy Upson now lives in the
bungalow where her parents drowned. Ivy explains the events of that
night.
Derek Swann made a hole
in the ceiling to get into the loft where he and his family stayed
for hours and hours until it was safe to leave.
Richard Lord was seven
years old. He spent the night in the bitter cold on the roof of
his prefab, as it was pushed along by the flood water.
Janet Woods was living
with her family in Dock Cottages. It was a three storey house and
it became marooned by flood water.
Dorothy Little was
trapped with two small children in her home in Nacton Road.
Joe Little - just five
years old remembers being rescued by boat.
Violet Sparrow lived
at Gasworks Cottages. She had to knock a hole in the ceiling and
take shelter in the roof, with her three children.
Maureen Rooke (nee Sparrow)
remembers dead animals from the farm in their living room. There
was even a cow in there.
Bernard Adams was
from a farming family. He tells of the race against time to save
livestock trapped on the marshes.
Ione Waite lived in one
of the prefabs. It floated off its foundations and ended up 200
yards down the road.
Christine Blazeby
was five years old but remembers the night as if it was yesterday.
She lost her Grandmother.
John & Barbara Minns
both have vivid memories. John helped rescue people from the roofs
of the prefabs.
Dorothy Kellogg worked
for the British Red Cross. She assembled a team of helpers who went
to Felixstowe to help with the clearing up.
Eric Shields was a serving
Police Officer and was sent to Felixstowe to help with the rescue
of people from the roof tops.
Keith Seeley was at the
dance at the Pier Pavilion. His friend, who was at the dance, drowned
when he went to move his car.
Charlie Loomes
was trapped in his home in Langer Road. He remembers seeing bodies
laid out on the pavement.
Mary Jolly was a boarder at
Fleet House School. She remembers watching the farmers trying to
save their livestock.
Ben and Monica Bennett
had to be rescued, by boat, from their home in Levington Road.
Graham Hitchcock
was working for Fisons. He helped in the aftermath of the floods.
Beryl Savidge worked
for Fisons. She joined the team, organised by Fisons, to help with
the clearing up operations.
Bert Ryder talks about a failed attempt to rescue pigs from
a sty in Walton Avenue.
Bryan and Jean Lake
had to get their 22-stone landlady up the stairs to safety.
Gwen Howell watched the
tide rising as her home in Manor Terrace was surrounded by deep
water.
David
Belton was 17 and a member of the Sea Scouts. He was called
upon to man one of the rowing boats being used in the rescues.
Ipswich:
Andy Devine was a Fireman,
on duty that night in Ipswich. He was also send to Southwold to
help with clearing up operations.
Joyce Banham talks about the flooding at her mother's bungalow
on The Strand at Wherstead.
Dorothy Ablitt's mother
was flooded in her home in Bath Street. Dorothy's husband lost 12
stocks of bees at Bourne Bridge.
Lowestoft:
Brian Soloman
was 15 years old and biked down to Lowestoft to have a look at the
damage caused by the floods.
Ivan Meadows was a fireman on the railways. It was impossible
to work as there was debris and sleepers everywhere.
Jane Jarvis watched the
rescue of the children, by boat, from their party at St John's Church.
Colin Dixon remembers the camaraderie of the Beach Village
- everyone helping each other.
Bernard Riddlestone
was Duty Inspector at Lowestoft Police Station. He was involved
in the rescue of over 20 people from St John's Church.
Jacqueline Murkett worked at the steam laundry at Beach
Village - it was heavily flooded.
Oulton
Broad:
Brian Soloman's
father was the Harbourmaster at Oulton Broad.
Southwold:
George Bumstead
remembers the dramatic boat rescue of an American family when their
bungalow was inundated with flood water.
Andy Devine was a Fireman,
on duty that night in Ipswich. He was also send to Southwold to
help with clearing up operations.
Wilfrid George
was at Aldeburgh on the night of the flood, and went to Southwold
on the Monday.
Eric Smith is pictured at a flooded Woodbridge railway station
and he went sandbagging with the army at Southwold.
Ray Smith was sent to
Southwold by Suffolk County Council to help with the clear up of
the devastation.
Thorpeness:
Wilfrid George
cycled back to Thorpeness after attending the dance at Aldeburgh.
Woodbridge:
Eric Smith is
pictured at a flooded Woodbridge railway station and he went sandbagging
with the army at Southwold.
Floods
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