evacuees in ww2

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Year 6 History - London 1914-1948

© 2020 Charles Dickens Primary School

CITY TO COUNTRYSIDE: EVACUEES IN WW2

Lesson 3

Quiz

Evacuees Children who left their homes

temporarily to live elsewhere during

World War II.

GLOSSARY

1. What was the Luftwaffe?

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2. Why did German forces decide that bombing cities would be best?

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3. When did most air raids happen and why?

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4. Why was Bermondsey a big target area for bombs during the Blitz?

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5. What did the soil make difficult to build in Bermondsey and why?

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The Road to Evacuation

The Blitz significantly altered everyday life in London and had a dramatic impact on the families who were living there. Not only did families have to contend with the fear of potentially being bombed every evening, many families spent their evenings sleeping in cramped, dirty air raid shelters alongside hundreds of people.

During the Blitz, civilians in London were ordered to instigate a ‘blackout’ each night. Residents in cities such as London had to cover their windows and doors before sunset each night, using heavy blackout curtains, paint or cardboard. They did this so light did

not escape from their dwellings which would have helped German bombers to see where urban areas were located.

Street lights were dimmed and traffic lights and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers that deflected the light down onto the floor.

During the Blitz, thousands of people were killed in road accidents and many more were killed or severely injured because they could not see during the ‘blackouts’.

Layers of London

Bomb Sites in London

Visit:

www.layersoflondon.org

http://bombsight.org

What do these maps tell you about the amount of bombs that were dropped in London?



Lesson 3

Why evacuate?

It was dangerous for people to stay in a city that was being bombed daily. Therefore, the decision was made to evacuate children to the countryside.

Why do you think the government deemed the countryside to be a safer place than the city?

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When did evacuations take place in Britain?

The British evacuation began on Friday 1 September 1939. It was called 'Operation Pied Piper'.

Between 1939 - 1945 there were three major evacuations in preparation of the German Luftwaffe bombing Britain.

The first official evacuations began on September 1 1939, two days before the declaration of war. By January 1940 almost 60% had returned to their homes.

A second evacuation effort was started after the Germans had taken over most of France. From June 13 to June 18, 1940, around 100,000 children were evacuated (in many cases re-evacuated). When the Blitz began on 7 September 1940, children who had returned home or had not been evacuated were evacuated. By the end of 1941, city centres, especially London, became safer.

From June 1944, the Germans attacked again by firing V1 rockets on Britain, followed later by also V2 rockets. 1,000,000 women, children, elderly and disabled people were evacuate from London. This new way of attacking Britain carried on until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.



Lesson 3

Children evacuating London © IWM

What did evacuees take with them?

The government recommends that in addit ion

to their gas mask and identity card, evacuees

have the fol lowing items:

Boys:

2 vests2 pairs of pants Pair of trousers2 pairs of socks6 handkerchiefs Pullover or jersey

Girls :

VestPair of knickersPetticoat2 pairs of stockings6 handkerchiefsSl ip ( l ike a ver y long vest with shoulder

straps) BlouseCardigan

What else did they pack in their suitcases?

Overcoat or mackintoshComb1 pair of Wellington bootsTowelSoapFaceclothToothbrushBoots or shoesPlimsollsSandwichesPacket of nuts and raisins Dry biscuitsBarley sugar (rather than sugar) Apple

Original name tags for a young evacuee named Arthur Wilson

Imagine you are a child during WW2. You are being evacuated to the countryside tomorrow. You can only take 5 things with you. What would you take and why?

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Lesson 3

EVACUATIONHow did it feel to be an evacuee?

Being an evacuee was both a scary and exciting experience for many children. They left the familiarity of their own families and homes behind in London to start a new temporary life in the countryside. For many of these children, this was the first time they had left London.

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-your-own evacuee' session 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. It was not always a given that children from the same families would be sent to the same host family.

You are a child living in a flat in Bermondsey. It is October 20th 1940 and hundreds of bombs have already been dropped in your area. You have been asked to aid the war effort by creating a ‘how to’ guide so people know how to keep themselves safe during this difficult, scary time.

You might want to think about the following questions. You could use them as subheadings in your guide.

Why are we more at risk in the city?

When are bombs most likely to drop and why?

What does the warning siren sound like?

What should you do when you hear the siren?

What type of shelter might you hide out in?

What does the ‘all clear’ siren sound like?

evacuees in ww2

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