A correspondent of the Saturday Telegraph travelled to Norwich to spend some days with the 5th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. This was his report.

Today's principal topic of conversation among the 5th Battalion is, as might be imagined, the latest air raid, for the bombs dropped early this morning on Bury St Edmunds (only about 40 miles away) some pitched in the quarter of the town where the battalion was located until three weeks or so ago.

This (Friday) morning the battalion had a most interesting time on Mousehold Heath and the Cavalry Drill Ground, and all the men seem to be enjoying their life immensely in this old cathedral city.

At night it is quite a city of darkness, for not a single street lamp is lit, and down in the old quarter of the town there is more than sufficient opportunity to get lost in the narrow, winding street, where the darkness makes it next to impossible to pick out any landmarks.

On the whole, the men greatly appreciate the change, as Norwich is much more lively than Bury St Edmunds, and the only grumble I have heard is that they now want much more money to spend, owing to the greater opportunities for recreation and amusement in leisure hours.

If the battalion were to march into Luton now it would hardly be recognised, so great a change and general smartening up has it undergone since mobilisation. The men look absolutely fit, and the percentage of sickness is extremely low.

Since they came here the feeding arrangements have been completely altered. They now draw supplies and have their meals cooked in their billets. It is true they do not now get beds, and have to sleep on palliasses laid on the floor, but I gather that as a general rule the billets are extremely comfortable and that the householders deal very kindly with them.

The only exception to these remarks is in the case of the transport section, which is quartered in the Close. The standing for horses is better than at Bury, but the "Hotel de Luxe" of the drivers is very modest. It consists, in fact, of a large loft over the stables, where all the men sleep and have their meals.

[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph, May 1st, 1915]