Figure 1.--

We spent most of our time with our family and at school. Thus except for the reception at Wellesly College and the summer camp we attended, we did not have much contact with the other evacuees. But I know a little about some of the other children. Mosly these are the other boys we met at camp, but I have recently made contact to one of the girls in our group--Clare. I think that most of the children were happy in America and very well cared for. In general the younger children seem to have adjusted the easiest--except for one boy I met at summer camp who was probably o young to be evacuated and was dreadfully home sick.

Clare and John Stephen

The BBC did a series called Children and Evacuation (November 2005). I read her contribution which began " And what would you like in your new home?" I was asked. "A cat and a piano please." At 10 years old I knew exactly. She went on to to describe her trip on the Duchess of Atholl and billeting at Wellsley College. I realised she had been in our group. She mentioned that her father was a G.P. in Suffolk and her bother went to a Roman Catholic Boarding School in Ware, Hertforshire. She mentioned that on her return after the war the family had moved to Edinburgh. I knew the school, as one of my House Surgeons had been there. I e.mailed the Old Boy's Association. They confirmed that John Francis Stephen had been there for a month in 1940 and then went to America. They had no current address. A few days later I got another e.mail from them saying they had a copy of the Electoral Roll for England Wales and Scotland. There were only three John Francis Stephens listed. One in Edinburgh, one in the Isle of Man and one in Liverpool. Knowing the family had gone to Edinburgh I wrote to that address. I heard nothing for several weeks. Then one Saturday morning I had a phone call. It was a woman's voice. She said, "Hello, I'm Clare. I think you are looking for me." I found she was now married and lives just 12 miles from Canterbury near Dove. Sadly she told me that John (in the croquet photo) had died two years before. We have visited each other several times and exchanged reminiscences. Even stranger, her son's colleague worked for 'Golf World', as did my son in law's best man. I was able them to re-establish contact. Clare told me that she and John were some of the last to be allocated to a family as they were Roman Catholic. John had a hard time at first. He was 14 and started at High School still wearing short pants! Clare enjoyed her time there, but she gives me the impression that John was less settled. I think the younger sibling copes better. Clare told me that she and John were some of the last to be allocated to a family as they were Roman Catholic. John had a hard time at first. He was 14 and started at High School still wearing short pants! Clare enjoyed her time there, but she gives me the impression that John was less settled. I think the younger sibling copes. By the way, she got her piano, but not the cat.

Michael

M ichael at camp was very home sick, but he was only 6. Also I think he had a double whammy, because having been recently separated from his parents, at camp he was separaed from his foster parents. I think he was too young to have been uprooted this second time.