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HBC contributor William Ferguson tells us, "I visited the Imperial War Museum in London during June 2005. They had a fascinating exhibition called ‘The Children’s War’. It is based on a book by Juliet Gardner who describes how British children were involved in and affected by World War II.
This is my recollection of the themes the exhibition dealt with. It effectively highlights how British children were involved in the War.
For children in Britain September 1939 was a warm sunny month. It was the end of the summer and the start of things to come. Sunday September 3 was the start of the Second World War. Most families were at home that Sunday listening to the radio. They were listening to the voice of Neville Chamberlain, the then British Prime Minister; tell the nation that Britain was at war with NAZI Germany. The War would last until 1945 but nobody knew that then.
In the Second World War, British children found that they were in the front line of the war. They had to endure nightly bombing raids in which their homes were destroyed, family members and neighbours injured or killed.
The first big trauma for children though was being evacuation from manufacturing towns and cities.
September 1939 was a warm sunny month. It was the end of the summer and the start of things to come. Sunday September 3 was the start of the Second World War. Most families were at home that Sunday listening to the radio. They were listening to the voice of Neville Chamberlain, the then British Prime Minister; tell the nation that Britain was at war with NAZI Germany. The War would last until 1945 but nobody knew that then.
In the Second World War, British children found that they were in the front line of the war. They had to endure nightly bombing raids in which their homes were destroyed, family members and neighbors injured or killed.
The first big trauma for children though was being evacuation from manufacturing towns and cities. This begb in late Agust 1939 as it became clear the NAZIs were going to invade Poland. There were subsequent smaller evacuations as the War progressed. Some children attended schools, which relocated to a safer place. Many children were taken to safer towns and village.
The British rail network was used to transport children away from towns and cities to safe coastal villages and countryside towns and villages. Adults at the relocatioin sites were encouraged to be foster parents. Children assembled at their schools and before going to the railway station to take a train to their new homes. It was the largest movement of children in British history. Many children found it an adventure to live in the countryside and see animals that they had never seen before. Other children had a miserable time because they missed being with their parents. The people who took children in were shocked at the dirty, scruffy children from the poor areas of inner cities. Children from wealthier homes were uncomfortable to live in houses that had no running water or electricity.
The British evacuated some children to America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This was done mostly after the fall of France when it looked like the Germans would seal their victory in the west with the a cross Channel invasion of Britain. Ocean going liners were the transportation for the overseas relocations. Sea travel was dangerous but the large passenger ships looked safe and welcoming. The children on them looked forward to a comfortable voyage. Some 16,000 children were sent to overseas countries. The S.S Samaria like many other liners with evacuee children passengers, did have safe journey America. A photograph taken on the ship shows children who had climbed the rigging for a view of New York Harbour. A HBC reader tells us that his school, a theatrical orphanage was evacuated to America. They were chosen in part so it could not be said that only children from wealthy families were sent overseas for safety. Sadly some ships were sunk by German U-boats. The Dutch liner, S.S Volendam carried 321 evacuee children. During the voyage the ship was torpedoed. All the children got off in the lifeboats and were saved. Worse was to come with the sinking of the liner S.S City of Benares, an Ellerman liner. (Sir John Reeves Ellerman, the first Baronet, (1862–1933) was a major English shipowner and investor and one of the most notable entrepreneurs in British history.) There were 90 evacuee children onboard the Benares. The ship was 4 days out and experiencing a force 8 gale when at 10:30 on September 17, 1940 a U-boat hit it with a torpedo. About 30 minutes later the ship had sunk in the rough seas. Many made it into the lifeboats, however, by the morning a horrifying number had perished because of the rough sea and the cold weather. One lifeboat containing 48 people including 6 evacuee boys and 2 of their teachers was adrift for 8 days. A teacher named Mary Cornish had kept everyone’s spirits up. Her action helped them to stay alive. Eight days later a Sunderland Flying boat spotted them and HMS Anthony came to their rescue. British authorities after the Benares tragedy, haulted further overseas evacuations. By this time as a result of the RAF victory in the Battle of Britain, the danger of iminent German invasion had passed. I am not sure yet about the mumber of children evacuated oversea. Nor do we have much information yet on their experiences.
Many children’s toys and games had a wartime theme. There were model kits about British aircraft and jigsaw puzzles when assembled had showed a picture about the war. There was a playing card game called ‘Evacuation.’ This was based on the game called ‘Happy Families.’ Some toys were home-made by adults for children to play with. These were wooden and metal toys as well as cuddly toys depicting military personnel Books and comics were available for children to read but publication was limited to a quota system. Biggles books were popular reading by boys. The Beano was a popular comic but some comics ceased publication when they could not obtain paper.
Outside children enjoyed street games. Those in the countryside had plenty of space to play while those in the town found bomb-sites good places to play. However there were dangers from objects found while playing. Some of these were unexploded devices killed the children who picked up the object. There were dangers at the seaside from mines, which children found. This was a danger came when beaches were opened again for bathing after the War had finished. Many boys collected debris from downed aircraft or looked for shrapnel and other war-time artefacts.
Traditional celebrations such as Mayday were still celebrated by communities and children and adults took part in parades and festive activities. Holidays to the seaside occurred but many children found they could not play on the beach or swim in the sea because barred wire defences had been built. The lucky ones found places to bathe and enjoy seaside places.
British authorities believed that the NAZIs would use poison gas on civilians.
When children travelled about they had to carry their gas-mask. The Luftwaffe on Hitler;s order began bombing London (September 1940). Attacks soon spread to other cities. The children had to go into air-raid shelters when the air raid warning was sounded. This could happen at any time of day or night whether the children were at home, at school or in town. This must have been a fearful time to be out and about. At such time children could be made orphan have their friends or bothers or sisters killed in the bombings.
Raymond Steed was 14. In World War II was a galley boy serving with the Merchant Navy. His ship was off the coast of North Africa when on April 26, 1943 it hit a mine. Raymond died in this incident. He was Britain’s youngest boy to die on active service in World War II. The Imperial War Museum quotes this figure of 3,597 as being mainly boys under the age of 18 who died on active service.
Many British children died from enemy action in World War II. I expect the primary enemy activity was bombing British towns and cities. The total number of children killed in this way was 7,736. The youngest was a baby just a few months old. After the initial evacuation (August-September 1939), there was no extensive military operations in the West. As a result many children came home. Then after the fall of France (June 1940), the Battle of Britain began and the children who returned home were in danger. Once children moved back to their homes in industrial towns they were in danger from bombings. Sometimes schools were hit in bombing raids and if this was in lesson time then often children were casualties. The worst incident happened in Catford (south of London) in 1943 when a bomb hit a school and 38 children were killed and 60 were injured. Other accidents sometimes occurred when aircraft crashed into schools. This happened to a Lancashire school in 1944.
Clothing was in short supply. It was rationed in June 1941. Often clothes did not fit children properly or clothes had gone from one child to another as the garment was out grown. Eventually extra clothing coupons were given to children to help them get the shoes and clothes they needed.
Food was rationed and candy, chocolate and fresh fruit were difficult to obtain. Bananas were not again seen in Britain until well into the 1950s. Children had a weekly sweet ration of 57g. This was one small packet of sweets.
The government encouraged the growing of food. Digging for victory became a popular slogan in growing vegetables. This was an activity that children did as well as adults. Children had supplementary rations of milk and orange juice. Cod liver oil was given to children but it was not well liked and taken under sufferance.
During bombing raids many homes were destroyed. Children helped their mum salvage their possessions. They were moved to another place to live. The Germans damaged 4.5 million houses and destroyed 0.2 million. Many children had moved house many times by the time the war ended.
We are archiving individual accounts about Britsh children during the War. Like their parents, the eperiences were many and varied.
Gardner, Juliet.
The Children’s War (Portrait, 2005). Garder's book was the basis for the Imperial War Museum.
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