While the focus during the VE Day celebrations was justifiably focused on the troops fighting in Europe to defeat the Nazis, in one part of Norfolk a courageous feat by a female villager has been recognised.

Violet M. Hewitt is said to have saved the village of Earsham from being blown to smithereens as she prevented a train from colliding with American bombs.

On July 6 1945 a convoy of US army lorries was transporting "cluster" bombs in wooden cases in Earsham, which was home to ammunition depot Station 545.

But as the lorries were crossing the Drake's Lane Crossing, some cases fell on the Waveney Valley railway track.

When the driver of the following lorry braked sharply to avoid them, cases of bombs fell from his lorry right into the path of an approaching train.

Mrs Hewitt, the crossing keeper, ignored the American servicemen's plea to run for safety and ran along the track towards the train and waved her red flag to the engine driver.

Violet Hewitt was a crossing keeper in Earsham during the Second World War (Image: Supplied by Richard Randlesome) Drake's Lane Crossing shown on the map (Image: Supplied by Richard Randlesome)

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