Figure 1.--Many of the evacuee children were relocated close to home. They did not have to go far, just out of the cities. These evacuee children have just arrived at Brent station near Kingsbridge, Devon, after being evacuated from Bristol just to the north (September 1940). They are on the platform at Brent station, near Kingsbridge, Devon. They have just arrived on a train which is still at the station. The children are carrying bags, suitcases, or bundles of clothing and also have their gas masks with them. The guard from the train and many of the female volunteers that helped to escort the children can also be seen. Source: Ministry of Information/Imperial War Museum

Getting children out of the cities was just the beginning of the evacuation process. Communities all over Britain prepared reception areas for the evacuess. Some of the evacuee children were relocated close to home. They did not have to go far, just out of the cities. The promlem was that the children had to be dispersed. The communities close to the cities could only taken in so many children. Thus many of the children were relocated at some distance from the cities. Given the number of children and the time frame, the evacuation went amazingly well. There were of course some problems. Some reception areas were overwhelmed with the number of children arriving. East Anglian ports received many children evacuated from Dagenham. Some reception areas received far more evacuees than they expected. Other received fewer or in some cases no evacuees. Anglesey was told to prepare for 625 children and 2,468 arrived. Pwllheli in North Wales, was not told to prepare for any evacuees, but 400 arrived. These incidents, however, were the exceptions. The children who arrived mostly by train were gathered together at the reception areas. They were taken to church halls, schools, and various public buildings. Here there billeting assignments were made by VMS volunteers to local families. This process varied from community to community. The Government did not issue instructions on assigning billets. In the press of thousands of children arriving, the VMS volunteers adopted two basic approaches. One was a kind of haphazard allocation with the VMS volunteers assigning the children to their new homes. Two was allowing the local fasmilies to select their evacuees. Most were seected by the householders who came to the reception sites and picked out their evacuees they wanted. The children were gathered in a town or church hall. The families then came to collect their child. The good looking children were commonly picked first. Then the stronger children who looked like they might be useful were selected. While most of the host families volunteered, if there wre children left over, the authorities began cooercing families with large homes. Some children were taken door to door. One source describes "Scenes reminiscent of a cross betweenan early Roman slave market and Selfridge's brgain basement ensued." [Calder] Children were sent off with complete strangers. This took place for the most part with out the emotion when they left their parents.

Evacuatiom

Getting children out of the cities was just the beginning of the evacuation process, im many ways the easist part of the process. Given the number of children and the time frame, the evacuation went amazingly well. The efficent British rail system had a lot to with the success. This was all acrefully planned. The planning was all due to the German World War I bombing of London. A bomb that bhit a London school was indealably imprinted on Britain.

Reception Communities

Communities all over Britain prepared reception areas for the evacuess. This was organized locally. Communities were assigned quotas based on the size of the community. Other than the allocation quota, the rest was organized by the community. These were generally small communities. The idea was to get the children out of cities and other large population centers.

Location

Some of the evacuee children were relocated close to home. They did not have to go far, just out of the cities. The promlem was that the children had to be dispersed. The communities close to the cities could only taken in so many children. Thus many of the children were relocated at some distance from the cities. And with large cities like London, many of the the children had to be transported considerable distances to transport them.

Reception Problems

Very competent, trained and experienced peoole operated the British rail system. Trails could be run. This expalins why the evacuation process out of the cities went smoothly. Reception was handled by well-meaning, but inexperienced volunteers. There were thus, inevitably problems. There was no way of running trials with hundreds of children arriving at small communities throughout Brritain. As the trains moved out from the cities, there were breakdowns in communications. Some reception areas were overwhelmed with the number of children arriving. East Anglian ports received many children evacuated from Dagenham. And ports were not safe places to be. Some reception areas received far more evacuees than they had been told to expect. Other received fewer or in some cases none of the children. Anglesey was told to prepare for 625 children and 2,468 arrived. Pwllheli in North Wales, was not told to prepare for any evacuees, but 400 arrived. These incidents, however, were the exceptions.

Reception Areas

The children who arrived mostly by train were gathered together at designated reception areas. They were normally taken to village halls, church halls, schools, and various other public buildings. Even small villages usually had some kind of public or church hall. Adults, usually teachers, accomnpanoed the children which were normally ecacuated in school groups. So the children ahd a familar face in the various comminities to look after them. They were taken in by families, but the teachers helped out at the local schools and kept tabs on the children to look after their welfare.

Billeting Assignments

At the reception areas the billeting assignments were made by VMS volunteers to local families. This process varied from community to community. The Government did not issue instructions on assigning billets. In the press of thousands of children arriving, the VMS volunteers adopted two basic approaches. One was a kind of haphazard allocation with the VMS volunteers assigning the children to their new homes. Two was allowing the local fasmilies to select their evacuees. Most were seected by the householders who came to the reception sites and picked out their evacuees they wanted at the town or church hall.

Collecting the Children

The families then came to collect their child or in some cases children. The good looking children were commonly picked first when the host families were allowed to choose. Then the stronger children who looked like they might be useful were selected. While most of the host families volunteered, if there wre children left over, the authorities began cooercing families with large homes. Some children were taken door to door. One source describes "Scenes reminiscent of a cross between an early Roman slave market and Selfridge's bagain basement ensued." [Calder] Children were sent off with complete strangers. This took place for the most part with out the emotion when they left their parents. Children were tired by this time and for the most part accepted whatever billets were found for them.

Sources

Calder, Angus. The People's War (1969).

Created: 6:56 PM 9/23/2017
Last updated: 6:56 PM 9/23/2017