"Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and
die. And it is youth who must inherit the tribulation, the
sorrow, and the triumphs that are the aftermath of war."
Herbert Hoover, June 27, 1944
As war with Germany approached in 1939, the British government took urgent steps to protect its population from the danger of air attack. Air raid instruction pamphlets were distributed, gas masks were issued to everyone (including infants) and bomb shelters were prepared. Also, plans were made for the mass evacuation of children and other vulnerable groups from cities. British officials feared their cities and large towns would be the primary targets of German air raids. Concerned for the welfare of those living in the densely populated areas, arrangements were made to evacuate children up to age 15, expectant mothers, the elderly and frail, hospital patients and the blind. It was believed homes in the countryside, miles away from any major town or city threatened by German bombing, provided the safest shelter for these people.
Air Raid pamphlet.
Recognizing the capital city, London, was at greatest risk, the government encouraged families to evacuate their children and offered assistance to those who needed it. Many families left early, as was the case in other large English cities, but the majority of evacuees left London in a planned exodus starting on September 1, 1939. In just three days, over one and a half million people were moved to live with families in the rural countryside. One million of these were children, most of them traveling with their schools.
Parents were instructed to take their children to their school playgrounds, which became the evacuation assembly points. A large name tag for identification was to be pinned to the front of each child. In addition to bringing their government supplied gas mask, the recommended traveling items for evacuees were two changes of underwear, a warm coat, pajamas, a pair of socks, and toiletries including a bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, and comb or brush. Also, they were to bring a bag with enough food to last the day. Each child was allowed only the amount of luggage he or she could carry and no more. Many of them carried their suitcase, and had up to three bags hanging from their shoulders.
The school playground areas quickly filled with throngs of children and their parents. Mothers and fathers were promptly sent to registration lines alphabetically by name. As the lines of concerned parents and upset children grew longer, things seemed more chaotic. It was strange for everyone. Parents felt sad to send their children away, but hoped for their safety. While some children were frightened by the experience, others considered it a vacation of sorts.
Poster encouraging evacuation.
Teachers were given the task of organizing the evacuation process and were responsible for the children. They helped them register, assemble in groups and accompanied them to their destination. The teachers had the exhausting task of answering questions, comforting those who became upset, and controlling the disorderly. Once they boarded their transportation to take them out of the city, the teachers often acted as mothers and fathers to the children as well.
Extra trains and buses, all filled to capacity, were scheduled to accommodate the tremendous number of people leaving London during the three days of evacuation. Practically a million children, accompanied by their teachers left for the safety of the surrounding countryside. While efforts were made to keep most evacuees somewhat close to their home, some were sent as far away as Scotland. Others were placed on ships to be taken to safe countries like Canada, Australia, and the United States. Sadly, several ships carrying those children were sunk by German submarines while attacking the convoys in which they traveled.
Children loading in buses and trains.
It was impossible to evacuate so many people, so quickly, without creating hardship. Parents gave up their children without knowing where they went until they arrived. Children were stripped from their homes and friends. And country families and the city children they took in often encountered stark differences.
After a trip consisting of numerous transfers between trains and buses, the children arrived at their destination and were selected by their prospective foster parents. Many of the evacuated came from poor families and knew little of anything outside the streets of their own neighborhood. Life in the confines of the city was drastically different from life in the open pastures of the countryside, especially with new foster parents who were total strangers. Being an evacuee was an adventure for many children who had never seen the country before. Others were homesick and unhappy in their foster homes.
When the expected air raids didn't happen in the early months of the war, approximately half the evacuees returned to their homes. But, many were later re-evacuated when Germany started its air assault on London during the Blitz in late 1940 and again, when the V1 and V2 rocket bomb attacks began in 1944. By early 1945, allied forces were liberating countries on the European mainland and closing in on Germany. The end of the war was in sight, and almost all evacuees had returned home.