Figure 1.--Here we see London children being evacuated as France was falling and the Luftwaffe making plans for the Battle of Britain. For most of these children it was probably their second evacuation. And thus even the younger children knew what was in store this time. Notice that they still have their gas mask boxes. The press caption read, "Why worry ...rest: A sensible youngster about to be evacuated from the city with thousands of others to the West and Wales, rests on his baggage and makes friends with Bobby. This page was passed by the British censor." The pohotograph was dated June 21, 1940. Pétain immediately asked for an armistace (June 17) and France capitulated the day after this photo was taken (June 22). The Luftwaffe was already occupying French air fields in preparation for the Battle of Britain.

Unlike the first evacuation in 1939, the second evacuation was not done all at one time, but more spread out as conditions unfolded in France. We have not yet found a detailed assessment of the second evcuation, but have begun to piece togther what unfolded. Again it was voluntary based on parental judgement. The Goverrment began organizing evacuations after Dunkirk. The first evacuation occurred even before the French had formally surrendered (June 13-18, 1940). This was well before the Blitz, the bombing of London, began. The British evacuated about 0.1 million children at this time, many for the second time. Others followed. And parents could seek to evacuate their children even after the major evacuations. In most cases they were revacuated. The number was smaller than in 1939 because many children had not returned from the first evscuation and other children had convinced their parents to let them stay. Unlike the first time, the children now knew what evacuation meant. Quite a number did not like it and resisted this time.Most of the adults had little choice but to stick it out unless they had relatives willing to take them in for a time. Further evacuations occurred when the Germans actually began te preliminary phase of the assault on Britain. (July). The total reaached 0.2 million people. The Germans at first focused on the RAF facilities and not the cities, except for the Channel ports. When the Luftwaffe finally began the Blitz in earnest, many of the children were safe in the countryside. But there were also many children still in London and other cities.

Return Home (December 1939)

A massive number of children were evacuated at the onset of the War (September 1939). Nost of the hildren had no real idea what was happening and simply did what they were old. Many saw it as an adventure. Few if any understood that they would be away from home for an extended period. It was not long before parents began getting tearful letters pleading that their parents bring them home. Abd when the bombets did not come, many parnts began having second thoughts. As a result, the childen slowly began coming home. There were many hppy family reunions. And as Christmas approached, more and more of children had returned. We do not know precisely, but that first Christmas there were substatial numbers of children still at their evacuation billets, but many had returned home.

Phoney War October 1939-April 1940)

After the German and Soviet invasions of Poland (September 1939) very little developed on thhe Western Front. The newspapers began calling it the Phoney War. With nothing happening, many of the evacuee children returned home. Unbeknownst to the Allies, Hitler began pressing forn immediate invasion in the West. The generals fearing war with the allies put him off with one excuse after another. At first the excuses were esy. The Wehrmacht in Poland had exhausted their amunition reserves. Te weather was not right. But gradually they begn running out of excuses and Hitler became invreasingly impatient. Funally Manstrin presented Hitler with a plan he was impressed with--Case Yellow. Large numbrs of evacuated chilsren were home by Chriustmas (December 1939). More children dribbelded home after Christmas, but we believe that most who had not returned by Christmas stayed put. We have, however, not been able to find any actual numbers.

German Western Offensive (May 1940)

The Germans struck (May 10). Ironically it was the same day Churchill became primeminister. No Bruitish primemninister rose to with their long anticipated Western Offensive. the office facing such a monentous national crisis. The German Wehrmacht stunned the world with a rapid defeat of the French Aemy and mear destruction of the BEF. Refugees began arriving from the Netherlands and Belgium. Events unfolded rapidly with the German break through in the Ardennes and drive to the Channel. The Germans reached the Channel (May 20). Suddenly unlike World war II Britain had become the frontline of World War II. This created a giant pocket to the north, cutting off the Bristish Expeditiinary Force (BEF), Belgian Army, and the best French divisions. By the end of the month, the Dunkirk evacuation had befun. As far as we know there were no child evacuations in Britain from the cities during May, but by the end of the month, authorities began planning for a second evacuation. As far as we know there were no plans in place for a second massive evacuation.

Evacuating Southeastern England (June 1940)

Again evacuation was voluntary based on parental judgement. The Goverrment began organizing evacuations after Dunkirk. The second evacuation was cnducted second evacuation was conducted as German armies drove south into France and French authorities prepared to surrender to the Germans (June 13-18). This was well before the Blitz, Some 0.1 million childrn were evacuated. For mny this was their secnd evacuation. The emphasis was on children and the elderly in coastal towns in southern and eastern England, the areas now facing German-controlled areas. Some towns in Kent and East Anglia evacuated over 40 percent of the population. British subjects and refugees arrived from France (some 30,000 people). An evacuation of the Channel Islands ws organized--some 25,000 people (June 20-24). Sufficient shipping was not available to evacuaste everyone from the the Channel Islands. Priority was given to the children.

Scenes

The evacuation scenes we see in 1940 were different than in 1939. The scenes for the second evacuation were different in several different ways. The first evacuations were done through schools. They involved much of the school evacuating and large groups of children. It was also done within a short period of time, actually a few days. The second evacuation in 1940 were done with smaller groups of children spread over a longer period. And we see parents taking the children to the train stations instead of dropping them off at their schools. We see police and othger personnel aiding the parents and children. This was not as common in 1939 as the school staff was looking after the children and in ordely lines. They were also large numbers at single destinatins. This is helpful as many of the available photographs are not identified. At least that is our assessment. Perhaps reades will have some insights here.

Channel Campaign (July 1940)

The Luftwaffe had moved into well devloped French airbases (June 1940). They had not yet begun to attack British cities or even the RAF. The first phase of the Battle of Britain ws attacks on Channel Shipping, hoping to draw out the RAF--the Kanalkampf. The closer the battle was fought to France and the Luftwaffe bases, the greater the advantage to the Luftwaffe. We are not sure what happened in London and the industrial cities of the Midlands during June. But we notice evacations being organized in London (early-July). Many of the children were being evacuaed for the second time. There may have been some earlier but we can not confirm this. The total reaached 0.2 million people (by July). The number was smaller than in 1939 because many children had not returned from the first evscuation and other children had convinced their parents to let them stay. Unlike the first time, the children now knew what evacuation meant. Quite a number did not like it and knew what evacuatin meant this time and objected. Most of the adults had little choice but to stick it out unless they had relatives willing to take them in for a time.

The Southeast (August 1940)

The Luftwaffe launched the Battle of Britain in earnest (August 1940). They attacked the forward operating bases of 11 Group in Kent and Surrey in an effort to obtain air surperiority over the planned invasion beaches for Operation Sea Lion. Historians debate whether Hitler was serious about invading Britain. There is no question, however, that his military advisers allagreed. A necessary prerequisite for an invasion was air control over the invasion beaches. They also attacked the Channel ports, but did not attack London and other large cities. Many of the children in the Channel ports had already been evacuated. As a result there was no real push to evacuate children that we know of during August. As long as the bombs fell on RAF airfields and not cities, civilians did not feel he need to evacuate. Parents could register to evacuate their children even after the major evacuations in June and July.

London and the Blitz (September 1940)

Hitler after AF Nomber Command bombed Berlin ordered a change in tactics (Septembr 4). The NAZI Blitz on London began (September 7). Hitler believed he could destroy London and no soft democratic nation could endure the nombing of their cities. Suddenly what the British has expected at the onset of the War beganin full fury. The Luftwaffe directed in attacks on British cities, especially London. The first attacks on London set the docks and East End on fire. Only now there were quite a number of children in London and the cities of the industral Midlands. Once it became clear that London was the target we are not entirely sure what happened with the children. We do not know to what extent further mass evcuations of London were organized. We do note children in small numbers leaving from Lomdon rail srations. They have tags on so they were clearly part of an organized evacuation and not just going to relatives. But we do not, however, have details on these evacuations. Bombing London not only releaved pressure on 11 Group's air fields, but it brought the Luftwaffe bombers withinin range of 12 Group. And it mean that that the the resulting air battles unfolded at the outer limit of the effective range range of the Luftwaffe fighters. This meant that the bombers did not have the fighter protection they had enjoyed over Kent and Sussex. Losses mounted. The Luftwaffe saged a massive assault on London (September 15). Large numbers of nombers were destroyed. It was clear that they had not destroyed the RAF and that they could not sustained such high losses. Instead they turned to night bombing. Bombing at night the Luftwaffe could hit speciic trgets, but they could find and bomb cities. Was are, however, not won by destroying houses.

The Blitz (September 1940 - May 1941)

The Blitz began over London (September 1940). It continued for 8 long months as the Luftwaffe conducted extensive night raids on British cities. They continued night after night and were expanded to provincial cities. This satisfied Hitler lust for destruction, but did little to advance the German war effort. Fortunately for the British, the Luftwaffe planners did not fully understand the potential of incedaries and still placed a major enhasis on high explosives. And the British had a major afvantage. The British built out rather than up. British cities had a nuch larger are percapita, making them much more difficult to destroy. They were easy to hit, but more difficult to destroy, especially by a country that had a actical and not a strategic air force. The Blitz only ended when Hitler grfually shifted the Luftwaffe east to prepare for Barbarossa. The last major raid wa a parting shot (May 19, 1941). Because of the way the Blitz ended, neither the Axis or the Allies preceived the full impact of the NAZI defeat. But the Luftwaffe was weakened and thus it did not have the impact in Barbarossa that it could have. German industry made up most of the losses and new crews were trined, but the Luftwaffe which supported Barbarossa was anout the same size as that which supported the Western Offensive, unlike the Heer which had been subsantially expanded. It also meant that while extensive damage was done to British cities, Britain's war making potental was left it tact and much of it would focus on the air war--which the Germans would soon learn. We are not sure what the British did with the children during this period. Clearly not everyone was evacuated as we see families togther in the shelters, both the public shelters like the Underground and the back garden (yard) shelters ike the Anderson shelters. As the Germans no longer bombed during the day, the children could go to school. How many additional children were evacuated during the Blitz we do not know at this time.

Created: 11:52 AM 10/8/2012
Last updated: 8:58 AM 4/30/2018