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World War II air campaign -- British evacuation of children returning home 1939-40
British World War II Evacuations: Returning Home (Winter 1939-40)
Figure 1.--Here London children ho had retuned home because the German bombers did not cime after the declaration of war are being registered in their former schools for the Winter Term. The press caption read, "London Children Back to School Again: Some of the housands of children who have returned ti school in London fir the first time since the outbreak of the war are shown beung enrolled at Avenue Road School, Southwark. Only children 11cyears of age were enrolled, and are beung taught in half day shifts -- attending mornings or afternoon in lternative weeks. Air raid shelters are provided." The photograph was taken January 3, 1940. Apparently the relly young children were beung kept at home because so mny teachers had been evacuated.
Few of the children evavuated at the outbreak of the War (September 1939) knew whst war meanbt or what evacuation meant. Many saw it as a great lark. As soon as they did understnd, most wanted to come home. The younger children were terribly home sick. And this desire only increased s time passed. here was of course a great desire on the part of the children by Christmas 1939 to come home. All the childtrn wanted to be home for Christmas. And the thought of a Christmas without the kids was to much for most parents to bear. As Christmas approached few parents coud not resist the tearful letters fron their children. And most children got their wishes and were back home for Christmas. he evcution after all had been voluntary and all up to the parents. Estimates suggest that about 75 percent of the evacuated children were back home by January 1940. As a result, the children returned to their London and other city schools. After Chrustmas parents began registering the children ikn their former schools for the Winter Term. This was not easy to arrange because so many teachers had been evacuated with th chidren to the countryside. For several months the Phony War continued. The German in reality did not have the rnge to bomb Britain. It had been designed as short range tactical air force. The Allies could have bombed Germany, especially when the Luftwaffe was fully committed to the Polish campign (Septenber 1939). The French refused to authorize bombing from French airfields out of feat of German reprial raids on their cities. Thus the British public began to think thar their pre-War fears of bomning cities was exagerted and hpe tht perhaps a peace could be arranged. The only action was at sea where the U-boats proved to be more of a threat than the Royal Navy had anticipated. But that was beyond the view of British families. It felt safe at home. There were no Zeppelin and Gotha bomber raids. The BEF and French Army still stood betweem thm and the Germans as had been the case in World War I.
