Evacuees

click Wars for local details of the Boer War, WW1, WW2, & The Cold War

EVACUEES FROM LONDON

Evacuation from London began on Friday 1^st September 1939, when more than 1.5 million children were sent to the countryside to be billeted with families for their safety.   At Lacey Green, John, known as 'Johnnie' Saunders, the Chairman of the Parish Council, visited Lacey Green School to encourage children to talk to their parents to accept evacuees out of London into their homes.

Evacuees at Lacey Green School by Doug Tilbury " Many houses in Lacey Green had evacuees.  Some 30 children were evacuated to Lacey Green and Loosley Row who attended Lacey Green school.    An extra teacher from London, Miss French, came to assist the teachers".

Evacuees by Doug Tilbury. "My two sisters pleaded and mother agreed to two girls.

Saturday morning a train from London arrived at Princes Risborough station, and three girls joined our family, Rita and Blanche from one family and Eileen, an only child, from another family.   They, with us, attended St. John’s school. The day war ended, the parents of the evacuees caught a train to Princes Risborough, walked up and collected their children.   The parents of one child didn’t bother to thank my parents or even say “Good-bye”

Some of the evacuees came from poor housing and my mother was devastated when we caught nits and had to be treated by the school ‘nit nurse’.

Now living in our two bedroom + landing cottage. Baths outside, weather permitting, otherwise in kitchen. Outside toilet, no flush lavatory. Water from the tap out in the road.

Food rationed. Bread from Sidney Janes our local baker. My father kept chickens, so we dined on "boilers" (old hens) part paying to feed children and at weekends - parents of evacuees - from two different families.

About 30 children came to our school, bringing number up to about 60+. Also a new teacher - Miss French to assist Mrs Guerney, Miss Janes & Miss Jarvis (my favourite).

Somehow my mother managed to pack sandwiches for our dinner each day - six of us. Also bus fares for Farmer's 20 seater bus.

On one occasion the Canadian Red Cross sent us some powdered chocolate, also free wellington boots.

The summers were hot! The winters were cold. Also see 1944 Evacuees by Doug Tilbury

For more of Doug Tilbury's life click Doug Tilbury

North Kensington Nursery School was evacuated to Loosley House, the home of Mr and Mrs Arthur Ord Waite, throughout the war click Arthur & Joyce Waite for more about the Waite's.

Evacuees by Geoff Gomme. In 1939 our first evacuee arrived.   He was a lovely little four year old, called John Schuter.   His father was in the forces and his mother worked in London and she wanted him out of the way of the bombing.

Next we had two girls, Beryl and Stella Hunt.   That’s when I had to go and sleep at my grandmother’s – her two sons were in the army so she had room.   I quite enjoyed that, for Grandma always had tea brewing on top of the range.   It came out of the teapot almost like black treacle to which she would add two big spoons full of condensed milk.   Lovely!  She would sit puffing on her little clay pipe with a twinkle in her eye as I gulped it down gratefully.

Our final evacuees were the Wager family, mother and youngest son and sometimes the eldest son too.  They were actually related to us.  But, do you know, after they went back to London, when the bombing had eased, we never heard another word from them!

We got on well with all our evacuees.   The biggest problem was bath night.   If you can imagine drawing up bucket after bucket from the tank, heating it in the copper, carrying it through to the tin bath placed in front of the fire.   It was quite a chore.   Then a wooden clothes – horse would have to be erected with a sheet as a partition and all those not involved would have to retreat to the colder parts of the cottage. I should have mentioned that when we took in evacuees there were already four of us squeezed into the cottage. You can imagine what it was like with six of us all vying for space and the facilities - such as they were. What the evacuees circumstances were like where they came from I don't know but I don't recall any complaints. But somehow we managed!

Evacuees remembered by Phyllis Janes, born in1944, told to Joan West. During the war, as with everyone else’s, their home was very full.   She had two brothers. Besides the family, there lived in the upstairs bedroom a woman from London, with two children, whose home had been bombed.  With no home to go to they stayed on after the war had ended. Sleeping in the scullery were two Irish navvies who were working at Bomber Command.

Causing Mrs Janes the most problem were three Land Army Girls.   They had the downstairs room.   They also, stayed on for some years after the war ended.   Once a week it was Phyllis’s job to work the pump in the scullery so the girls could wash their hair under the running water.   They were not supposed to have men in their room, but they used to push up the sash window to “talk” to the local lads who came up to their window.   Phyllis remembers her mother banging on their door asking what was going on in there. For details of her life and family see Phyllis Matthews nee Janes.