Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II began prior to the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. Prior to the blitz, predictions were made about the large death toll resulting a German bombing campaign. A report by the Ministry of Health commissioned in spring 1939, calculated that during the first six months of aerial bombardment there would be 600,000 people killed and 1,200,000 injured. This article is about military history. ... For other uses, see Blitz. ... The Department of Health headquarters in Whitehall The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government. ...

Initial preparations

In the 1930s, the threat of aerial bombing became of an ever larger urgency in the minds of the government and the public. The fear that major cities would be utterly destroyed in war led the British government to plan for the emergency evacuations of civilians from probable targets. The ARP Committee of 1924 evaluated what would happen in war. In hindsight, some of its casualty predictions were high for a future conflict. These estimates were increased throughout the 1930s. Emergency evacuation is the movement of persons from a dangerous place due to the threat or occurrence of a disastrous event. ... Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was an organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. ...

The Air Raid Precautions service was activated on September 25, 1938. Preparations began: certain buildings had their basements requisitioned for shelters, numerous slit trenches were placed in public parks, fifty barrage balloons rose over London, and almost forty million gas masks were distributed. Many people took further measures and sought refuge in more rural areas. On September 29, 1938 the government announced plans to evacuate around two million people from London in the event of war. Based on the pre-war reports, this plan was seen as necessary to reduce demoralisation and control the panic. At that time of the Munich Crisis, the London County Council decided to initiate a mini evacuation; accordingly some 3,500 children who were in the care of Londons Southwark authorities ie the mentally and or physically handicapped, also orphans, and those infants in Council nurseries were temporarily evacuated southwards, some to the coastal resorts and others to care homes in Sidcup. Many people were unable to cope with the anxiety of a supposed attack and invasion, although the suicide rate increased only marginally in the years 1939-42 before declining to half the 1939 level by 1946.^[1][2][3] Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was an organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... US Marine Corps barrage balloon, Parris Island, May 1942 A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against bombardment by aircraft by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Plan

The plan had been developed in the summer of 1938 by the Anderson Committee. The country was divided into zones, classified as either "evacuation", "neutral", or "reception", with priority evacuees being moved from the major urban centres and billeted on the available private housing in more rural counties. Each area covered roughly a third of the population, although several urban areas later bombed were not classified for evacuation. In early 1939, the reception areas compiled lists of available housing. Space for 4.8 million people was found, and the government also constructed camps for a few thousand additional spaces. In the United Kingdom a county is a historic type of subnational division; which by the Middle Ages had become established as a unit of local government. ...

In the early summer of 1939, the government began publicising its plan through the local authorities. They had overestimated demand; only half of all school-aged children were moved from the urban areas instead of the expected 80%. There was enormous regional variation than 15% of their children, while over 60% of children were evacuated in Manchester and Liverpool . The refusal of the central government to spend large sums on preparation also reduced the effectiveness of the plan. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ...

First Evacuation: Operation Pied Piper

There was a steady flow of evacuees during June 1939. The official evacuations began on September 1, two days before the declaration of war. From London and the other main cities, the priority class people boarded trains and were dispatched to rural towns and villages in the designated areas. With the uncertainties over registering for evacuation, the actual movement was also disjointed — evacuees were gathered into groups and put on the first available train, regardless of its destination. School and family groups were further separated in the transfer from mainline trains to more local transport. Accordingly, some reception areas became overwhelmed. East Anglian ports received many children evacuated from Dagenham. Some reception areas received more than the expected number of evacuees, and others found themselves receiving people from a priority group or social class different from what they had prepared for. is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Almost 3.75 million people were moved, with around a third of the entire population experiencing some effects of the evacuation. In the first three days of official evacuation, almost 1.5 million people were moved — 800,000 children of school-age, 500,000 mothers and young children, 12,000 pregnant women, 7,000 disabled persons, and over 100,000 teachers and other 'helpers.' Host keepers were often put to inconvenience, especially by many children who seemed to be vulnerable to stress symptoms such as enuresis and other ailments (some estimates have been put between 4% and 33%) [1]. Bedwetting (or enuresis) is involuntary urination while asleep in bed. ...

A further two million or so more wealthy individuals evacuated 'privately', some settling in hotels for the duration, and several thousands travelling to Canada, the United States, South Africa, Australia, and the Caribbean. West Indies redirects here. ...

Other prominent groups also evacuated. Art treasures were sent to distant storage; the National Gallery collection spent the war at a quarry in North Wales. The Bank of England moved to the small town of Overton, and in 1939-1940 moved 2,154 tons of gold to the vaults of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa.^[4][5] The BBC moved variety production to Bristol and moved senior staff to a manor near Evesham. Many senior Post Office staff were relocated to Harrogate. Some private companies moved head offices or their most vital records to comparative safety away from major cities. Londons National Gallery, founded in 1824, houses a rich collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900 in its home on Trafalgar Square. ... Approximate extent of North Wales North Wales (known in some archaic texts as Northgalis) is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales. ... Headquarters Coordinates , , Governor Mervyn King Central Bank of United Kingdom Currency Pound sterling ISO 4217 Code GBP Base borrowing rate 5. ... For the defunct commercial bank, see Bank of Canada (commercial). ... This article is about the capital city of Canada. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... For the specific history of the British postal system, see Royal Mail. ... , Harrogate is a large town in North Yorkshire, England. ...

The government also undertook measures to save itself. Under "Plan Yellow"^[6][7], some 23,000 civil servants and their paperwork were dispatched to available hotels in the better coastal resorts and spa towns. Other hotels were requisitioned and emptied for a possible last ditch "Black Move"^[6][7] should London be destroyed or threatened by invasion. Under this plan the nucleus of government would relocate to the West Midlands - the War Cabinet would move to Hindlip House near Worcester and Parliament to Stratford-upon-Avon.^[8] The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the Midlands. ... A War Cabinet is committee formed by a government in time of war. ... This article is about the city of Worcester in England. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ...

Some strained areas took the children into local schools by adopting the World War I expedient of double shift education — taking twice as long but also doubling the number taught. The movement of teachers also meant that almost a million children staying home had no source of education. “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

A second evacuation effort was started after the fall of France. From June 13 to June 18, 1940, around 100,000 children were evacuated (in many cases re-evacuated). Efforts were made to remove the vulnerable from coastal towns in southern and eastern England facing German controlled areas. By July, over 200,000 children had been moved; some towns in Kent and East Anglia evacuated over 40% of the population. Also, some 30,000 people arrived from continental Europe, and on June 20-June 24, 25,000 people arrived from the Channel Islands. is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... As part of the Atlantic Wall, between 1940 and 1945 the occupying German forces and the Organisation Todt constructed fortifications round the coasts of the Channel Islands such as this observation tower at Les Landes, Jersey The Occupation of the Channel Islands refers to the Military occupation of the Channel...

Men of German (and later Italian) origin were interned from May 12, 1940. Many interned were refugees from Adolf Hitler. By July, almost all of these men under seventy were held in military camps, mainly on the Isle of Man. At first, unnecessary mistreatment was common. For many interned persons the conditions in the camps were not especially unpleasant. These conditions were soon reversed. is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

In May 1940, the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) was created to organise the evacuation of children to the Dominions. A surprising 210,000 applications were made by July when the scheme closed. However, shipping shortages quickly slowed the evacuation. After the sinking of the City of Benares on September 17, the entire plan was scrapped. Only 2,664 children were moved. About 13,000 children had been privately evacuated overseas. City of Benares was a cruise liner built for Ellerman Lines. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

When the Blitz began in September 1940, there were clear grounds for evacuations. Free travel and billeting allowance were offered to those who made private arrangements. They were also given to children, the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, the ill, or those who had lost their homes (some 250,000 in the first six weeks in London). By the combination of all the state and private efforts, London's population was reduced by a little less than 25%. As bombing encompassed more towns, 'assisted private evacuation' was extended.

London proved resilient to bombing despite the heavy bombardment. The destruction in the smaller towns was more likely to provoke panic and spontaneous evacuations. The number of official evacuees rose to a peak of 1.37 million by February 1941. By September, it stood at just over one million. By the end of 1943, there were just 350,000 people officially billeted. Still, the V-1 attacks from June 1944 provoked a significant exodus from London. Up to 1.5 million people left by September — only 20% were 'official' evacuees. The V-1 (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1) was the first guided missile used in war and the forerunner of todays cruise missile. ...

From September 1944, the evacuation process was officially halted and reversed for most areas except for London and the east coast. Returning to London was not officially approved until June 1945. In March 1946, the billeting scheme was ended, with 38,000 people still without homes.

Cultural impact

• In the acclaimed C. S. Lewis novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children are evacuated from London to the stately manor that contains the wardrobe portal to Narnia. It is never stated which part of England the house was situated in.
• The movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks also revolves around the adventures of children evacuated to the countryside during WWII. They are taken in by a good witch-in-training.
• The novel Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian tells the story of the evacuee Willie Beech and Thomas Oakley, with whom he stays during World War II. It was made into a TV film starring John Thaw as Mr Tom.
• William Golding's novel, The Lord of the Flies starts with a plane full of evacuating children being shot down over a tropical island.
• Nina Bawden's novel, Carrie's War, also features evacuated children as its protagonists. In this story, Carrie and her brother Nick were evacuated to Wales.
• Michael Morpurgo's novel, Friend or Foe, tells the story of two evacuees who befriend a crew of a crashed German bomber who are hiding on Dartmoor.
• Stephen Poliakoff's television drama Perfect Strangers, includes a lengthy flashback of two evacuated sisters who leave the care of the family they are sent to and go on to live as wild children in the woods during the remainder of the war.
• Noel Streatfeild's book When the Sirens Wailed deals with three evacuees and details issues like rations for evacuees, relationship between evacuees and townspeople, and the problems encountered by those who stayed behind.
• The Evacuees Reunion Association was formed with the support of the Imperial War Museum. It provides opportunities for former evacuees to contribute and share evacuation experiences and for researchers to request information such as the long term effects of evacuation upon children.

Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... This article is about the literary concept. ... This article is about the novel. ... Narnia is a fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as a location for his Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions, which combines live action and animation; it premiered on October 7, 1971. ... Goodnight Mister Tom (also Good Night, Mr. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... John Thaw (left) as Inspector Morse John Edward Thaw CBE (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 – 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles. ... Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, poet and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate best known for his novel Lord of the Flies. ... A Lord of the Flies cover Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel by the Nobel Prize-winning author William G. Golding. ... Nina Bawden (born January 19, 1925, London) is a popular British novelist and childrens writer. ... Carries War is a 1973 book by Nina Bawden about the experiences of a girl named Carrie and her brother Nick, who are evacuated to Wales during World War II. Carrie had often dreamed about coming back. ... This article is about the country. ... Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo OBE (born 5 October 1943) is a British writer. ... Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born December 1, 1952) is an acclaimed British playwright, director and scriptwriter, widely judged amongst Britains foremost television dramatists. ... Perfect Strangers was an acclaimed British television drama first aired in 2001, produced for the BBC Two network. ...

See also

• Battle of Britain
• Occupation of the Channel Islands

This article is about military history. ... As part of the Atlantic Wall, between 1940 and 1945 the occupying German forces and the Organisation Todt constructed fortifications round the coasts of the Channel Islands such as this observation tower at Les Landes, Jersey The Occupation of the Channel Islands refers to the Military occupation of the Channel...

References

1. ^ Lester, D (Dec 1995). "Involvement in war and suicide rates in Great Britain, 1901-1965.". Psychol Rep. 75 (3 Pt 1): 1154. 
2. ^ Lester, D; Yang B. "The influence of war on suicide rates.". J Soc Psychol. 132(1) (Feb 1992): 135-7. 
3. ^ Henderson, R; Stark C, Humphry RW, Selvaraj S.. "Changes in Scottish suicide rates during the Second World War.". BMC Public Health 2006 (6): 167. 
4. ^ http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/press/1997/pr97-3.html
5. ^ http://www.ushmm.org/assets/documents/united_kingdom/boe.htm
6. ^ ^{a b} Cox, Noel (1998). "The Continuity of Government in the face of enemy attack - the British experience, part 1". Forts and Works 6: 17-19. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Cox, Noel (1999). "The Continuity of Government in the face of enemy attack - the British experience, part 2". Forts and Works 7: 11-14. 
8. ^ Where did the government go?. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• BBC
• How We Lived Then - extract from Norman Longmate book
• CLUTCH Club
• History Learning Site
• Lecture transcript on Operation Pied Piper, 31 May 2006
• Evacuees Reunion Association