Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Evacuation of Children

World War Two was the first war when Britain itself was the target of frequent attacks by the enemy. With the success of the Battle of Britain and the suspension of Operation Sealion, the only way Germany could get at mainland Britain was to bomb it. This occurred during the Blitz and seemed to reinforce the governments decision to introduce evacuation (what the government of the time described as the biggest exodus since Moses) at the start of the war. On August 31st, 1939, the government issued the order Evacuate Forthwith and Operation Pied Piper was started the very next day.

The impact of evacuation on children depended to an extent on which social strata you were in at the time. Parents who had access to money invariably made their own arrangements. Children at private schools based in the cities tended to move out to manor houses in the countryside where children at that school could be, in the main, kept together. But 1.9 million children gathered at rail stations in early September not knowing where they were going nor if they would be split from brothers and sisters who had gathered with them.

Operation Pied Piper was a huge undertaking. Six cities had been deemed vulnerable to German bombing memories of Guernica were still fresh and in London alone there were 1,589 assembly points for children to gather at before they were moved on. Those children who were evacuated were given a stamped postcard to send from their billet address to inform their parents where they were.

Operation Pied Piper planned to move 3.5 million children in three days. In the event, the 1.9 million who were evacuated was a remarkable achievement though some children stayed with their parents as evacuation was not compulsory.

Operation Pied Piper (The Plan)

The plan had been developed in the summer of 1938 by the Anderson Committee. The country was divided into zones, classified as either "evacuation", "neutral", or "reception", with priority evacuees being moved from the major urban centres and billeted on the available private housing in more rural areas. Each area covered roughly a third of the population, although several urban areas later bombed were not classified for evacuation. In early 1939, the reception areas compiled lists of available housing. Space for 4.8 million people was found, and the government also constructed camps for a few thousand additional spaces.

In the summer of 1939, the government began publicizing its plan through the local authorities. They had an underestimated demand; only half of all school-aged children were moved from the urban areas instead of the expected 80%. There was enormous regional variation of more than 15% of their children, while over 60% of children were evacuated in Manchester and Liverpool. The refusal of the central government to spend large sums on preparation also reduced the effectiveness of the plan.

What was Guernica.

The bombing of Guernica (April 26, 1937) was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths during the Spanish Civil War. The raid by planes of the German Luftwaffe "Condor Legion" and the Italian Fascist Aviazione Legionaria was called Operation Rügen. More than 1,000 people were reported killed, but modern research suggests between 200 to 250 civilians died.[1] Western countries viewed Guernica as an example of ‘terror bombing,' and it gave them the impression that the Luftwaffe was equipped and committed to such a policy.

Children sent overseas.


Some children were sent overseas. The Children's Overseas Reception Board evacuated 2, 664 children, 1, 532 to Canada, 576 to Australia, 353 to South Africa and 203 to New Zealand and it is believed that another 11,000 children went by private arrangement, over 6 000 to Canada and the remainder to the United States. Some lives were lost when ships were sunk in the atlantic

Reported at the time.

A German U-boat has torpedoed and sunk a British ship, killing 256 people including 83 children.

The ship, called City Of Benares, was transporting evacuees from Liverpool to the safety of Canada.

The Germans targeted the ship when it was 600 miles out into the Atlantic during stormy weather, giving little chance of survival for those on board.

Some passengers were killed outright when the torpedo hit last week (September 17, 1940), while others drowned or died in the lifeboats from exposure to the water and cold.

Despite the conditions 150 people managed to survive, including some children.

The children on board had been evacuated from cities in Britain being bombed by the Germans.

One father from Liverpool lost five of his children in the tragedy and has now vowed to sign-up to fight in the war.

The Prime Mnister has announced that he is scrapping the Government-funded scheme to evacuate children abroad because travel overseas has become too dangerous.

A friend of mine who is a bit older than me was evacuated to Wales. During the war his family lived in the oliver st area, near Grange Rd. His memories are not good ones, apart from being seperated from his family and his mother he was placed on a farm were he was made to work when finishing school. When his work was completed, he was fed and then packed off to bed.He was so unhappy his mother brought him home after a few months.

Children at a pick up point awaiting foster parents

Smashing photies and poster!

My Mum was from Station Road (North End)and was evacuated to a farm Aberglynolwyn in North Wales and absolutely loved it - mind you she was a big strong tomboy.
Unfortunately, her Dad was not the best and she was actually glad to get away at the ripe old age of 8 !. When the bombing ended and children were taken back to the urban areas - she did not want to go back !!.

My nan in law went to heswall and was scared she'd never see her mum again.

Was there a minimum age limit? I don't remember any of my friends in Bebington going away so perhaps it was not regarded as a danger area. We had a bomb about a hundred yards away in Bromborough Road and a land mine in Port Sunlight!!

Bri

There was no age limit for evacuation for wealthy individuals evacuated privately, the government categories were, School age children, Mothers with children under 5 years of age, pregnant women and some disabled people.

Thanks for that.
As it wasn't compulsory, I assume my parents and neighbours must have declined the invitation. Luckily, we all survived! In practice, when the siren sounded, we jumped on the back of a neighbour's Bedford open lorry (reserved occupation distributing potatoes) with his sons and shot off to Thornton Hough where his Mum's cottage, with paraffin lighting, gave us refuge. We could see the glow in the Mersey direction and wondered what we would find when we returned home to Lower Bebington.
Whenever I see green dashboard lighting on a car I'm sent back to that experience. How the mind works!
Bri

I'm confused Bri a land mine in Port sunlight?? forgive me for being thick (maybe this time) but were the germans dropping land mines aswell??
If not how did it get there please??

does he mean a paramine?

I haven't a clue MissG, I don't know what a paramine is? guessing by the name it's a mine that can be dropped from plane??
Chris