Schools held regular evacuation drills and children would spend hours, standing in lines in the playground, being counted, having their identity labels checked, and the contents of their bags examined. Some even practised the walk to their nearest railway station. Children were also told to bring a stamped postcard with their home address clearly written on it, so that they could send their new address to their parents once they reached their new billet. They were instructed to write only cheerful messages that would not upset their parents, such as ‘Dear Mum and Dad, I am in a good home here, and happy’.

According to James Roffey in Send them to Safety, this had tragic consequences for one little boy. The young evacuee posted a card home from his new billet, then went for a walk, but in the unfamiliar surroundings, he somehow fell into the canal, where he drowned. His family were advised of his death that evening, but the next morning his postcard arrived with its cheerful inscription, ‘Dear Mum & Dad, I am very happy here, don’t worry about me.’