Who Was Affected?
The British Government’s evacuation scheme categorized the country as follows:
EVACUATION
Initially plans included only major towns and cities seen as likely targets for aerial attack. As the war developed, certain coastal areas that were seen as possible invasion sites were also evacuated.
RECEPTION
These were the areas to which evacuees would be taken. They were considered to be relatively safe from enemy attack. They were not solely rural areas; many towns were included.
NEUTRAL
These areas were totally excluded from the government’s evacuation scheme and no evacuees would be taken to or from them.
In the evacuation areas, the government scheme provided for the evacuation of school children, expectant mothers, mothers with children under school age and the infirm.
In the reception areas anyone who had room for evacuees was affected, as were the local schools and their pupils. In many places schools had to operate a two-shift system to accommodate all the additional children. Lessons were held in village halls, church rooms, public houses, barns, sheds and even in the open air.
In addition to those evacuated by the government many thousand more were sent away privately. The ill-fated overseas evacuation was terminated after the British liner ‘City of Benares’ was torpedoed and from which there were very few survivors. Youngsters had been sent to Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand; others to the USA privately or under the auspice of American owned companies with factories in Britain, or as part of voluntary schemes.
How many were evacuated? No one knows the true figure because no complete list exists, but more than three million is usually quoted.
The majority of children went away with there schools and were supervised by teachers and helper; who were the unsung heroes of the evacuation. The job didn’t end with teaching, but continued after school, particularly by involvement with authorities, such as local; councils, police, billeting officers and foster parents.
Many evacuees still remember their teachers with great affection.
The Evacuees Reunion Association is proud to announce Maurice Blik ATC PPRBS FRSA as the artist chosen to create this memorial. His maquette (scale model) of the monument is shown here.
For the story of the development of the National Memorial project, please follow the site links.
The Evacuees Reunion Association. Registered Charity No. 1073507.
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