Figure 1.--With the fall of France, mass evacuation were organized From London and the southeast (June-July 1940). They were muich smaller than the 1939 evacuatins, in part because many children had already been evacuated and many who returned did not want to leave their parents again. And as the Germans did not begin bombing cities, other than ports, many parents decided to sit out together as a family. We are not entirely sure what happened when Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to estroy London. We see children being evacuated in London train stations, but we do not note any massive evacuation. Here we see two schoolboys waiting at Paddington Station to be evacuated to the countryside on September 7, only days after the Luftwaffe Blitz on London began. We even know the time, about 11:30 AM. They are clearly part of an organized evacuation, notice the tags. But they are not page of a large group nor or their parents seeing them off. Photographer: George Rodger.

Hitler ordered a change in tactics (Septenber 4). The Blitz on London began days later (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.

Created: 4:49 PM 2/25/2017
Last updated: 4:49 PM 2/25/2017