Why were children evacuated?
With big cities such as Birmingham and London being bombed heavily by the Germans, it was advised for children to be evacuated to quieter homes in the countryside, where they would have less chance of getting hurt. A popular evacuation destination was Devon; its rolling hills and spacious landscape making it unlikely for German planes to release bombs there - they usually chose densely populated areas to create more destruction.
On 1st September 1939, Winston Churchill (Britains Prime Minister) started the evacuation process: named Operation Pied Piper. About 800,000 children left their homes however many returned home after a few weeks. Others stayed in the countryside for the rest of the war. Around 10,000 children went to other countries such as Canada, Australia and the United States. Who did they stay with? |
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Evacuees went to live with host families. Their new homes were called 'billets'. 'Billeting officers' arranged for people to look after the children. Things did not always go to plan. Some children ended up in the wrong places. Sometimes evacuees just stood in a line, and local people picked which children to take. Some children went to stay with relatives who lived in the countryside.
How did they get there?
Evacuees were taken to the countryside via steam trains. It was quite exciting as many were told they were going on holiday but most children felt sad as they waved goodbye to their families.
What could they take with them?
- Gas Mask
- Food for the journey - sandwiches, apples, chocolate etc
- A small bag for washing things and clothes
- Some memorys of home, eg photos
Pinned to the childrens coats were labels saying the childs name, home address, school and where he or she was going. Often, the journey took several hours.
How did evacuees feel when they got there?
Though evacuees missed their homes, many enjoyed the country. Country life was full of surprises. Some city children had never seen a cow, and were startled to see where milk came from. One child said in disgust 'ours come in tins' when they saw carrots growing in muddy fields. However, some people didn't enjoy their experiences as their host family didn't treat them well. If there were children already in the family, they could tease the evacuee and the parents wouldn't spend much time with them. Some evacuees were treated as if they were their host families own blood and would be 'spoilt rotten'.
How were evacuees treated by the country children?
Locals and evacuees went to school and played together. Most became friends, though local children sometimes said it was unfair when the 'townies' were given sweets and parties! Sometimes, evacuees would get teased and bullied by the locals but mostly, they were treated fairly and kindly.