Evacuees

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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".

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 Doug Tilbery. "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”

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.      But somehow we managed!

click 1944 Evacuees by Phyllis Janes for evacuees at Homefield, Westlands Road

click Geoff Gomme for evacuees at Court Cottage, Church Lane, Lacey Green.

click Loosley House, throughout WW2 North Kensington Nursery School was evacuated to Loosley House, home of Arthur & Joyce Waite