Britain Since the 1930s
Primary Homework Help .co .uk
|
Evacuation World War 2
|
|||||||||||||
New home for Woodlands Homework Help primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk
Why was evacuation introduced by the Government? Why was it important for people to be evacuated? What did they pack in their suitcases? When were they first evacuated? When were they evacuated again? How many people were evacuated during the war? Why was evacuation introduced by the Government? The British government was worried that a new war might begin when Hitler came to power in 1933. They were afraid that British cities and towns would be targets for bombing raids by aircraft. Why was it important for people to be evacuated? Evacuation tried to ensure the safety of young children from the cities that were considered to be in danger of German bombing - London, Coventry, Birmingham, Portsmouth etc.
A further two million or so more wealthy individuals evacuated 'privately', some settling in hotels for the duration and several thousands travelling to Canada, the United States, South Africa, Australia and the Caribbean. What clothes did children take with them? The government recommended that in addition to their gas mask and identity card the evacuees had the following items: Boys:
Girls:
What else did they pack in their suitcases?
By train and road To smaller towns and villages in the countryside. Some children were sent to stay with relatives outside in the countryside, but others were sent to live with complete strangers. Billeting officers were responsible for helping to find homes for the evacuees. Householders in the country who billeted (housed) city children were given money by the government. When were they first evacuated? 1.5 Million children, pregnant women and other vulnerable people such as the disabled, evacuated to safer countryside locations in just two days. But........ There were no big bombing raids on Britain in the first months of the war (know as The Phoney War) as a result by early 1940 many children had returned home. When were they evacuated again? They were evacuated again when heavy bombing raids started in the autumn of 1940 - The Blitz - and then again later, in 1944, when Germany attacked Britain with V1 Flying Bombs and V2 rockets. How many people were evacuated during the war? By the end of the Second World War around 3.5 million people, mainly children had experienced evacuation. No one was forced to go but parents were encouraged by posters and told that their children would be safer from German bombs if they moved to the country.
What was it like for a child to be evacuated? Being an evacuee must have been scary and exciting at the same time. The children had to leave their families and homes behind and try to fit in with host families in the country. At the station Children had labels attached to them, as though they were parcels. They stood at railway stations not knowing where they were going nor if they would be split from brothers and sisters who had gathered with them. They felt scared about being away from their families but also excited about going to a place they had never seen before and only read about in books. On arrival The children arrived in the countryside, tired, hungry and uncertain whether they would ever see their families again. They were taken to the village hall, where they would be met by the billeting officer (the person in charge of finding them homes). A 'pick-you-own evacuee' sessions would then take place, where host families (the people they were going to live with) haggled over the most presentable children while the sicklier and grubbier children were left until last. Questions to consider when writing an imaginary letter from an evacuee What do you think were the advantages and disadvantages of being evacuated? Examples of Letters and stories from real Evacuees' The children who were evacuated to the country were evacuees. Their letters tell us a lot about what life was like for them. Examples of Evacuees' letters BBC Evacuees' Letters George - An Evacuee's Letters My Evacuation Story by Ruth Marsden (student) Further information
|
| © Copyright - please read All the materials on these pages are free for educational use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on any other website or blog without written permission from Mandy Barrow, Woodlands Junior School. If you have any questions about the use of these materials please email us at: woodlandsweb@hotmail.com |
About Us | Search | Site Map | Feedback | User Information | Contact Us
© Copyright Mandy Barrow 2010
Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK