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Mackay Country

Home Front Oral History Project

Life on the Home Front during WW2

 

 

Children of WW2 – Evacuation

 

 

When Hitler came to power in 1933 there was concern that a war might begin. The government was concerned that Britain’s cities and towns would become targets for bombing raids. Secret plans were made to move children and some vulnerable adults to the countryside and smaller towns if war began.

 

In September 1939, evacuation started a few days before Britain entered the war. Evacuation was to be voluntary, with parents deciding whether to send their children away. From the cities and big towns, schoolchildren, their teachers, mothers with children under five, pregnant women, and some disabled people were moved to small towns and villages. 1½ million children and adults were moved within 3 days, including 600,000 from London. The government was disappointed however, as it had hoped to evacuate 3 million people. More than half of all schoolchildren stayed in their homes in the cities and towns.

 

With no large bombing raids on Britain in the first months of the war, many children had returned home. Another large evacuation took place when heavy bombing raids started in the autumn of 1940 - the Blitz. It was not originally the government’s plan to evacuate children to other countries although, early in the war, some overseas countries offered to receive children from Britain.

 

In June 1940, when France was defeated and occupied by the Germany, the government feared a German invasion of the island. British Dominions - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa made offers to take evacuee children. The US offered to take up to 200,000 children.

 

At first it was believed that children moved overseas would be safer and public support was high.  Also it was thought that moving children would reduce the numbers to be fed in Britain, which was now an "island fortress" under siege. Overseas evacuation began. The government soon changed its view as it realised that passenger ships were needed to move troops, internees and prisoners. And warships were required to defend Britain's seas and shores against invasion. There was the risk of attack to the evacuees in transport by sea.

The number of children evacuated overseas was relatively small compared to the huge numbers evacuated to the countryside. Approximately 3,000 children were evacuated overseas during the War. 10,000 other children were sent overseas privately.

 

Follow the link to BBC to learn more 

 

  • Learn More about Evacuation

  • Children of World War 

  • Evacuees Letters

  • Activities

  • More activities

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