by Mr Harrison

Created on: May 07, 2008

The idea of evacuating the children during the Second World War was to secure a future generation of England, and to avoid the situation that occurred at the end of the First World War where the male population was depleted. Moving the young children in to the country was a typically 1940s idea. The cities, being the heart of industry up and down the country were the obvious target of the enemy aircraft while on their bomb raids; the same as the RAF were ordered to do in Germany. The Blitz destroyed a huge amount of streets and residential areas in the cities and so by moving the children away from the obvious danger zones, they were trying to safe guard them and ensure their safety.

Some of these measures weren't successful due to the navigation of the Luftwaffe. For example, a town close to me was bombed briefly as the German Air Force though it was a city 50 miles north of the town.

It would be a strain on the young child, moving away from home at such a young age and not knowing that your parents were safe as night after night their homes were bombed and burnt by the Germans. Sometimes children were split from sisters and brothers and some families wouldn't necessarily want to take in a family but it was all for the war effort' and England took the burden and marched bravely on.

Talking of the war effort, some children were used for work on the land. Dig for Victory' was the ideal campaign to get the young people working on the land. Out in the country they could work on the allotments and in the fields helping to grow all the vegetables needed to ease the pressure on rationing.

Removing a child from their parents could be criticized by some, but if you look at the bugger picture and examine the reasons for the evacuation from the cities and you note that you are not removing them from their parents but in fact removing them from war, the reasoning becomes a little clearer.

War can have terrible effects on people in the most varied of ways. You cannot predict the damage and terror inflicted upon young people at the Home Front.' Yes you could send the children down the shelters when the siren sounds, however there is no guarantee that you would make it in time, or even that the wardens would be able to sound the alarms so to make sure the children and ultimately the future was protected and safeguarded, evacuation was, at the time, the best was to protect the young.

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