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‘I Found Freedom’

“This story was submitted to the People’s war site by Jonathan Curran from Newlands Primary School, Ramsgate and has been added to the website on behalf of Private Ida Norman with her permission and they fully understand the site’s terms and conditions”.

Private Ida Norman (Aka Spider) was only a teenager when she joined the Royal Corp of Signals and became one of the team at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces based at Bushey Park.

I remember one day being asked to carry messages for SHAEF. I knew it was something special because before I left I was given a long list of does and don’t from an officer. One of the instructions I was given was not to talk to anyone or mix with people. This meant that if there was an air raid while I was walking to my destination I should not go to a shelter.

This was at the height of the doodlebug bombardment and every time one came over I was terrified. People said I was very brave but I didn’t think so, I just wanted to show everyone that women could do a job just as well as men. I didn’t want to let women down. As time went on and more messages were being delivered I realised I had been carrying top secret information for the D Day landings. I’m sure they chose me because I looked so innocent and was ‘green as grass’. I also remember being told that when I took the information to a high ranking officer I must ask to see her pay book to prove who she was. Can you imagine me, a private doing that, but I did!

The staff at SHAEF were good to work for even Eisenhower was very down to earth. I remember him telling me not to keep saluting him as it made his arm ache just a nod would do. I also met Glenn Miller many times.

My war continued through France and into Germany.

In Germany I recall not being told to walk on an area of soft ground because there were bodies burried underneath. This was the first time I had smelt death and it has stayed with me ever since.

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