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Interview with Dorothy Lusby
Dorothy’s was born in Cleethorpes, her father served in the Army during the First World War. They moved to Grimsby at the outbreak of the war, when she was turning 13 years old. She recalls the bombings and having to stay in an Anderson air raid…
Interview with Raymond Meggett
Raymond Meggett grew up on a farm in Lincolnshire near Scampton, where RAF personnel stayed during the war. His parents told him about some of these men, and sometimes kept in touch with them. He recalls tales of the other farmers, civilian and RAF.…
Interview with Germana Pisa
Germana reminisces her comfortable evacuee life in Gualtieri, supported by local farmers who kept her family well supplied. Describes ditches used makeshifts shelter and daily life in Milan.
Interview with Ruta Popika
Ruta Popika was born near the river Nemunas, in what was Lithuania before the war. She remembers her family being forced to move eastwards and westwards from Lithuania according to the changing tides of war. Remembers the occupation of the Baltic…
Interview with Laurie Richardson
Laurie lived at 31 Buckingham Street, Hull, before being bombed. Laurie, then nearly three, and his mother went to stay with distant relatives at Talbot Farm, Bassingham Fen. There were a lot of Land Girls working at the farms in the area.…
Interview with Ronald Roffey
Ronald was born in Charlton, south-east London. He went to Charlton Junior School and was nine when war was declared. He remembered being fitted for a gas mask at his school. His aunt who lived in Torquay found a private billet for him and his mother…
Interview with Honor Saunders
Honor Saunders lived through the London Blitz. She was initially evacuated but returned to London. Her father was a fire watcher and on one occasion took her to the road bridge near her home to watch London burning. Their own home was damaged by a…
Interview with Roy Saunders
Roy Saunders was a schoolboy in London when the war started. He witnessed the bombing of London and was amazed when he saw the smoke from the docks area when he emerged from a shelter. His school friend and family died in the bombing. Roy was…
Interview with Tim Schneider
Tim Schneider lived at Westcott before, during and after the construction and occupation of RAF Westcott as 11 Operational Training Unit. He tells of feeding the rabbits when he was four years old; leaving school at fourteen to help working on the…
Letter from Ian Wynn to his wife
Writes while sunbathing on the beach. Describes life in Newquay mentioning numbers of evacuated children and some aspects of his training. Engages in banter and relates some events. Talks about their car and speculates over his future moves.…
Interview with Bernard Sterry and Cecilia Pearson
Bernard Sterry and Cecilia Pearson, both born in Hull, talk about their lives as evacuees during the war. Bernard, who was 10 years old when war broke out, was evacuated from Hull to North Lincolnshire until September 1944, when he came back home at…
Interview with Elizabeth Anne Tyler
Elizabeth Anne Tyler talks about her family’s farmland, its history and when it was purchased by the Air Force for the construction of RAF North Luffenham. Mentions various episodes of wartime life around Edith Weston, as reported by family members…
To Jessie from Harry Redgrave
A letter from Harry Redgrave to his wife Jessie when he was undergoing RAF aircrew training in Scotland. He writes of his shortage of cash that affects his trips and present buying. The possible evacuation of schoolchildren in Southend is mentioned.…
Interview with Pat Rumfitt
Pat Rumfitt was born in 1927 and experienced a privileged upbringing living in Kent as an only child before the war. She describes the resilient attitude to bombing in Bromley, walking to their flooded Anderson Shelter in her dressing gown and…
Catalogue of Evacs
Drawing showing head of girl with pigtails and glasses.Dated 10.3.41 by Aki. Captioned 'Evacuees come to Collingham'.
Assorted Evacs
Twelve cartoon figures standing in two rows. All are girls of varying height, some in school type uniforms and some with hats. Captioned 'Assorted Evacs by Aki'.
More Evacs
Thirteen cartoon figures standing in row of seven at top and six on the bottom. All are girls of various heights, some wearing school uniform like clothes. One has a tennis racket and some have hats. One is eating a banana and one is crying.…
Evacuplets
Four pairs of cartoon figures, all girls. Top right: two hockey players, top left: two girls whispering together. Bottom left: two girls hand-in-hand, both wearing school type uniform and hats. Bottom right: two girls fighting. Captioned…
Interview with Pat Harrison
Pat Harrison was born in Lincoln and was the only girl of four children. Her father joined the Royal Air Force after serving as an air raid warden. Pat remembers the arrival of evacuees in Lincoln and also recalls occasions when bombing resulted in…
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Reports arrival of parcel with socks, chocolate, sweets and honey. Mentions filling out form for billeting office providing particulars of people living in house and hopes they will not have anyone billeted with her. Continues with news of her…
Jim Tyrie's Wartime Log. Two
A wartime log kept by Jim Tyrie. He lists his crew on the night they were shot down over Berlin, the construction of tin trays, addresses of co-prisoners, cartoons, London restaurants, newspaper cuttings in German and English and finally more…
Sea sense
Main article concerning differences in sea bathing for evacuated children on east or west coasts. Offers advice to parents. Includes Pop cartoon at top right.
Battle of Britain: RAF on offensive
Front page - contains Churchill battle of Britain quote.Subsidiary headlines: dictators talk four hours; French general's appeal from London, let all children go to safety. Photograph of evacuated children sitting in row with crowd behind them.
Memoirs of Des Matthews
The author was shot down over Linz, Austria whilst bombing a Panzer works. The other six in his crew perished. He was taken to Dulag Luft at Frankfurt then Stalag Luft VII. In January his camp was evacuated and he joined the Long March to the west,…
The Evacuee
Roy was evacuated four times.
The first to Isleham and he was accompanied by his maternal grandparents and Alan from next door. There was no electricity, water or sewerage in the farmhouse. Gas was installed but never used. Lighting was by paraffin…
The first to Isleham and he was accompanied by his maternal grandparents and Alan from next door. There was no electricity, water or sewerage in the farmhouse. Gas was installed but never used. Lighting was by paraffin…