Figure 1.--Here we see an Americn soldier working with children at an English war orphan home. Donors in America were helping to support the children. The press caption read, "Yank visits 'adopted' youngsters: Pvt. Louis Fiuscella of Brooklyn, N.Y., visits Maureen and Mavis Sunders, 5-year-old British twins who have been 'adopted' by students and fculty member of the Jane Addams Vocatiojnal Highbchool in the Bronx, N.Y., through the Foster'Parents' Pln for War Children. Pvt. Fiscella's sister is a member of the school's faculty." The photograph was dated September 1, 1944. This was about when the V-1 attacks ceased and the V-2 attacks began. We believe that by foster poarents and adoption in this case means material assistance with packages shipped from the States.

The most tragic victims of the Bliz were the children that lost their parents. We believe that the largest numbers of these children were orphaned diring the noths that Hitler turned the Luftwaffe from RAF forward airfields in Kent to London and the industrial Midlands (September 1940). The attack on RAF airfields resulted in relative few civilian casualties. The Blitz was a very different matter. Because of high daytime losses, this quickly became nightime bombing. It continued for several months until the Spring when the Luftwaffe was moved in force to the East to prepare for Barbarossa (April-May 1941). There were other raids, especially the V-1 and V-2 campaigns (1944-45), but the largest numbers of civilian casualties occurred during the Bliz. And by the V-1 and V-2 cmpaigns, most of the children were back with their parents in the cities. Thus it was during the Blitz (1940-41) when many evacuated children lost their parents. We are not sure what the numbers involved were. Perhaps readers will know more or can suggest a useful source. We think that the children were well cared for in homes, but not a great deal of information is available. On how many orphans there were and how many were adopted. An internet search brings up primarily children sent to Australia. We are not sure what proportion of the war orphans were sent to Australia after the war. These orphan transportss began even before World War I. We do not know if they were increased as a result of World War II. There were abuses. And it is only right that abuses be reported. But is it really true that the overwealming experience of British war orphans was illcare and transport to abusive institurions in Austrlia? This is the impressionnyou get from internet searches. The sites energing from internet searches focus almost entirely on the abuses involved. Never made clear is the proprtion of the children that were abused. We are not sure how to assess this, but strikes us as just one more example of the modern tendency to put as negative a light on Britain and America as possible by journlists and others emerging from our modern universities. A British reader points out that extended families were another factor here.

Causes

The most tragic victims of the Bliz were the children that lost their parents. The primary cause of these tragedies was the German bombing. We believe that the largest numbers of these children were orphaned diring the noths that Hitler turned the Luftwaffe from RAF forward airfields in Kent to London and the industrial Midlands (September 1940). The attack on RAF airfields resulted in relative few civilian casualties. The Blitz was a very different matter. Because of high daytime losses, this quickly became nightime bombing. It continued for several months until the Spring when the Luftwaffe was moved in force to the East to prepare for Barbarossa (April-May 1941). There were other raids, especially the V-1 and V-2 campaigns (1944-45), but the largest numbers of civilian casualties occurred during the Bliz. And by the V-1 and V-2 cmpaigns, most of the children were back with their parents in the cities. Thus it was during the Blitz (1940-41) when many evacuated children lost their parents. Of course many children lost their fathers in the services as aesult of military action. But in most of these cases, their mothers wuth family support were able to continue caring for them.

Numbers

We are not sure how many British children were orphaned. We have no dat on the numbers involved were. Perhaps readers will know more or can suggest a useful source.

Orphanages

We think that the children were well cared for in homes, but not a great deal of information is available. Here we see a hime for younger children receiving support from America (figure 1). We know verylittle about orphnages and other csre facilities. Some children may have ben cared forvin boarding schools. Here we need more information.

Adoptions

We have no informationn on adoptions at this time.

Orphan Transports

An internet search brings up primarily children sent to Australia. We are not sure what proportion of the war orphans were sent to Australia after the war. These orphan transports began even before World War I. Most of the children were boys. We do not know if they were increased as a result of World War II. There were abuses. And it is only right that abuses be reported. But is it really true that the overwealming experience of British war orphans was illcare and transport to abusive institurions in Austrlia? This is the impressionnyou get from internet searches. The sites energing from internet searches focus almost entirely on the abuses involved. Never made clear is the proprtion of the children that were abused. We are not sure how to assess this, but strikes us as just one more example of the modern tendency to put as negative a light on Britain and America as possible by journlists and others emerging from our modern universities. A British reader writes, "Canada, South Africa and Australia where the places children from orphanages were sent. Australia was a country that had situations of child abuse of some of the children that were sent there. Some children placed in monastic orders experienced difficulties. Not all of them were orphans. I don't know much about South Africa and Canada,but I have read only positive things written years later when the children were adults."

Extended Families

A British reader points out that extended families were another factor here. "I think we have to keep in mind that the extended family still existed then. It was close by and not spread out as it is now. In a given street their might be many family members and if the parents died then the remaining members of the family would look after their nieces and nephews or grand children. In my situation we lived next door to my gran and she was next door to her brother, my great uncle. Lower down the street lived another relation of my gran. My father's family lived in another part of Blackburn and I lived with my father's relations for a time when mum was ill. My father had a younger sister and in the 1930's their mother died. He went to live with relations in Kendal and his sister was fostered to my great aunt. When my grandfather remarried my great aunt would not let the child return to her biological parents. All this was done inside the family. There was no social service to call upon then as is the case today." [Ferguson]

Literary Treatment

War orphans are the subjct of many books and films. In the book, 'Goodnight Mr. Tom', an inner-city boy is abused by his mum. He is evacuated from London and is taken in rather unwillingly by Mr. Tom. (If there were not enough volunteer, authorities ordered local people to take in the evacuee chilren.) When the mother dies he is an orphan. There is a doctor who wants him to join his orphanage. In the end Mr. Tom adopts the boy.In another book and film. Hope and Glory, a boy and his mum are bombed out by the Germans. Fortunaely they had family to take them in. They go to live with the boy's grandparents in a village. The book although fiction is based on the author's wartime childhood experiences. Nina Bawden's book Carrie's War is based on her wartime memories of being evacuated to Wales with her brother. Her mum remained in Ilford. She was a teacher. The Sword in the Stone is set in Europe and is about a Jewish boy displaced in the war who eventually finds his brothers and sister. I think his parents were killed by the NAZIs. More commonly it was the children who were killed because they were so vulnerable.

Sources

Ferguson, William. E-mail message (January 27, 2015).

Created: 7:06 PM 1/27/2015
Last updated: 11:24 AM 1/28/2015