Figure 1.--British children were primarily evacuated by train, but busses and trams were also used. We think this was primarily to get the children to the train stations. Trams like the ones here could only be used to get to train stations. This photograph is unidentified, but we think it was taken during the Setember 1939 evacuations. We know it was London because these are London Transport trams. Notice the gas mask boxes which strongly suggest September 1939. The girls presumably assembled at their school which is located to the left or a short distance away. The trams are identified as "Special Car", rather than their normal routes. This appears to be a private girls school or a grammar (selective secondary) school--the Charles Edward Brooke (girls') School. Notice the one younger girl. She may be going with her big sister. Click on the image for a fuller discussion. Source: London Transport Museum.

Britain at the time had large number of busses, but they were primarily city busses used for inter-city travel. There were also some busses used travel in rural areas. There were also city trams (street cars). Traveling any distance in a bus was virtually unheard of at the time. City busses were an important part of the evacuation plan. Many of the children were not close enough to march to the train station, especially with the younger primary children involved. Some groups may have had to use the Underground/Tube (subway) or specially arranged city busses. We have seen photographs of the busses being used. We are less sure about the Tube. We have not seen photographs of this. We do see many images of children getting on to city busses. We believe the busses were primarily used to get from the school to the train stations. There were no motorways at the time and large numbers of busses trying to move any number of children out of London would have cause traffic jams on the British highway system at the time. There may have been siome instabnces of this, but we believe most of the busses we see being used were to take the children to the train stations. Some private schools may have contracted for relocation to a safer country location. If not too far from London, busses might have been used. Perhaps readers will have more information on this.

Created: 8:41 PM 8/13/2011
Last updated: 8:41 AM 4/19/2015