Figure 1.--Herre we see children from the English Marters Roman Catholic School being evacuated to the countryside on September 1. This would have meant children as young as 5 years old. Notice how the older children are rather tenderly helping the younger children. The nun would have been one of the teachers. We are not sure about the other woman going with them. She could have been another teacher or possibly a parent accomopanying the children. Two of the children look younger than 5 years old, but we are not sure about this. Notice that even the younger children are carrying their gas mask boxes.

Given the enormity of the task, moving some 3 million children in such a few days, the evacuation was amazingly successful. There were 0.6 million from London along. This is really unimaginable as parents with one child getting him or her off to school in the morning will understand. There was no panics or unmanageable crowds and virtually no lost children. (This is why the children had tags.) There were some problems on the reception side, but the exodus from the cities was brilliantly executed. And the reception problem were worked up. This was largely because the whole process was managed through the schools. And thus teachers were involved who helped manage and care for the children. And we see some mothers with small children. This also helped with imagining the children. One aspect that is very notable is however the older children helped with the younger children. Because school groups were moved, we generally see groups of children of similar ages, but often mixed in are some younger children, teachers, and mothers. In some cases there mothers with small children as we can see on the previous page. We also see older children with their younger siblings. Parents often did not want their children separated. They wanted the older siblings to look after the younger ones. Nor did the children want to be separated. The photographic record shows children patient moving in organized queues. We see concern on their faces, but not fear. It was all wonderfully planned out and executed. And the children themselves were part of the success. They did what they were told and behaved tthioughfully toward the younger children. Something like this had never been done before. The only thing like it we have ever seen was what a few months later at Dunkirk. We see orderly queues of soldiers on the beaches even while being bombed and shelled as the NAZI Panzers closed in on them. There was no break down in command. Of course Dunkirk and Victoria Station are two very different enviroents, but for younger children leaving the safety and security of their home into the unknown it was a traumatic experience.

Created: 8:18 PM 4/24/2023
Last updated: 8:18 PM 4/24/2023