8

The Home Front in Tredegar

during the Second World War

A Key Stage 2

Educational Resource Pack

Part 2—Evacuation

9

Evacuation

Who? When? Why?

10

11

As trouble grew in Europe, the Govern-

ment wrote to all local councils in Britain

in January 1939 about their plans to move

children away from cities, which were at

great risk from enemy bombing.

The city children were to be sent away to

live in villages and small towns during the

war where they would be much safer.

This was called the ‘evacuation scheme’

and the children who were sent away

were known as ‘evacuees’.

The Government called the

plan ‘Operation Pied Piper’

- can you guess why it was

given this name?

12

Everyone expected the bombing

of cities and towns to begin as

soon as the war started.

In March 1939, the Government

advised the council in Tredegar

that it could expect about 3,000

people to be evacuated here.

Councils were expected to make

arrangements to find suitable

places for the children to stay

whilst they were evacuated.

Right: Ministry of Health advice

on the Government’s evacuation

scheme for January 1939

13

As war was being

declared, the

evacuation from

cities began.

In just four days in

September, about

1,250,000 people

were moved!

The evacuees were

sent to places such

as Tredegar that

were less likely to

be bombed.

14

What advice was given to parents?

15

Most children travelled with their schools and teachers. Mothers with

children under 5 years of age were evacuated as well.

16

Advice given to parents

17

18

Advice given to parents

19

20

Advice given to parents

21

What did evacuees take away with them?

All evacuees were

meant to take:

Gas mask

Pyjamas

Comb

Towel

Soap

Face cloth

Handkerchiefs

Toothbrush

Boots

Coat

Identity Card

Ration Book

A label

Girls were also

supposed to take:

Cardigan

Knickers

Bodice

Petticoat

Stockings

Boys were also

supposed to take:

Shirt

Trousers

Pullover

Underpants

Socks

22

What would you take if you were evacuated from home? In the space below, make a list of 18 things that you would need to take

with you if you were evacuated. You will have to take a gas mask, ration

book, identity card and a label so you only have a choice of 14 things.

1. __________________________

2. __________________________

3. __________________________

4. __________________________

5. __________________________

6. __________________________

7. __________________________

8. __________________________

9. __________________________

10. __________________________

11. __________________________

12. __________________________

13. __________________________

14. __________________________

15. __________________________

16. __________________________

17. __________________________

18. __________________________

23

All evacuees had labels tied around their necks whilst travelling. These

labels contained important information about each child, but it did make

them look like parcels! How would you have felt about wearing a label?

Written on each label was:

Child’s name

Name of school

Date of travel

Whilst most children would have travelled with their class, they didn’t know

when they would see their families again. They would also be separated from

their class friends once they arrived as they would be sent to stay with different

people. How would you feel about leaving your family for a long time and not

knowing with whom you were going to stay?

24

Left: Photo of an evacuee with his label visible

on the outside of his coat.

Below: Photo of evacuees arriving after a long

train journey on their way to their new homes.

Look carefully for their labels and the carrying

cases for their gas masks. What would you be

thinking about if you were one of the children?

25

Mysterious codes hidden on your label!

All children were examined by doctors before they were evacuated to

identify any diseases which could spread to other people. A child with a

disease or infection would have travelled in separate carriages and was

usually sent to stay in a hostel rather than placed with a family, until

they were better.

The Minister for Health in charge of evacuation wanted to make sure

that this information was always kept with the child but also to ensure

that it could be read quickly by doctors and health officers who would

have been the first people to see the children at the end of their journey.

In order to do this, the Government devised a system of simple codes

and symbols that were written on the labels which the children always

carried with them.

26

Each child had one of the following symbols written on their label:

= Medically inspected (in other words, no problems!)

= Hostel (has a more serious infectious disease or problem)

= Special consideration (a less serious infection or problem)

Those children who had a circle or square on their labels had been

identified by doctors before they were evacuated as having a disease or

health condition.

27

On the back of the label, a letter code identified exactly what the health

problem was.

A = Impetigo— infectious skin sores—always sent to hostel

B = Scabies—infectious itchy skin—always sent to hostel

C = Vermin—body lice—always sent to hostel

D = Nits — special consideration

E = Enuresis—Bedwetting—special consideration

F = Infectious disease contact—special consideration

G = Other—special consideration

28

Make your own label

You will need:

String

Scissors

Pencil or pen

Red crayon or pencil

Template for label (on next page)

Print off the template on the next page on stiff white card. Cut out the label. Make the hole carefully with a pencil and thread string through it. Write your name, the name of your school, and the date of travel.

With a red crayon or pencil, mark the label with a cross, circle or square symbol. Remember that if you use a circle or square you will have to add a letter on the back of the label to explain exactly what kind of health problem you have! Don’t forget to take the label to the museum!

29

Label template

30

On 15th February 1940, the

Government’s health minister

made a radio broadcast. On

the right is copy of the first

part of his speech.

At this stage in the war, not

much fighting had taken place,

at least little in comparison

with what was to come!

This early stage of the Second

World War was called the

“Phoney War” and few bombs

were dropped on Britain. Many

evacuees’ families decided

that it was safe enough for

them to return to their homes

in the cities.

31

32

In 1940, the Government once

again drew up plans to evacuate

children from major cities such as

London and Birmingham just in

case the war situation in Europe

turned against Britain and our

wartime ally at that time, France.

The evacuees came in with their own teachers who acted as social workers because not all houses were ideal.

These teachers not only taught but looked after the kids, looked after their social well-being as well. They made sure that they behaved themselves and that the families were looking after them properly.

They were in a sense the first social workers, you may say. Leslie (an evacuee) speaks very highly of all the teachers who went out with him.

Peter M. Jones

33

34

In April 1940, 1067 evacuees

arrived at Tredegar by train from

London. When they arrived, every

evacuee was given emergency

rations—a tin of canned meat and

a tin of condensed milk!

Volunteers including the Tredegar

branch of the Women’s Voluntary

Service (WVS) supported the

medical staff (doctors, health

visitors and nurses) in welcoming

the evacuees, feeding them and

organising the transfer of the

evacuees to local people with

whom they would stay (known as

‘billets’ at the time) during the

evacuation.

35

Emergency rations

At the beginning of the war, evacuees

were given emergency rations to take

with them to their ‘new’ home.

For evacuee, Leslie Churchill, this was a

bar of chocolate and a tin of corned beef.

For others, it would have been a tin of

condensed milk and canned meat.

Emergency rations were stopped in June

1940 because the Government thought

that ‘receiving areas’ had enough food.

Find out what types of canned meat were

available during the war.

36

Feeding the evacuees

Arrangements needed to be

made to feed the evacuees

as well as finding places for

them to stay.

Councils had to make sure

that extra supplies of food

were available.

The letter opposite lists the

range of food and drinks

that were given to evacuees.

What things on this list do

you eat and drink regularly?

37

Jewish evacuees

There had been a small Jewish

community in Tredegar since the

19th century.

Jewish children from London

were evacuated to Tredegar in

the war.

A Jewish committee in London

was concerned to make sure that

all evacuated Jewish children

received religious education in

the Jewish faith.

38

We knew that the Jews were being badly treated. We knew that, but there was no knowledge of concentration and extermination camps. It was only after the war, with the liberation of Belsen that this information, the horrors of the Nazi extermination camps, came to the public’s attention.

In this town there were anti-Jewish riots in 1911 and yet this town became a refuge for many Jewish people. Many came out of London to this area and stayed with the Jewish community. The irony was that the place in which the Jews came to seek refuge during the war was one that had been anti-Jewish in 1911. But there’s always been a strong sense of community here and people have always been welcome. Peter M. Jones

Left: Reply from Tredegar

council to the Jewish com-

mittee in London, promising

to make contact and offer to

help the local Rabbi.

39

Newspaper advert to persuade people

to look after evacuees, March 1940.

40

41

People were encouraged

by the council in Tredegar

to agree to provide homes

for evacuees during the

war.

On the right is a form that

would have been complet-

ed by a visiting officer

usually from the WVS who

would find out if the

house was suitable, how

many children could stay

and how much additional

bedding was needed.

42

43

44

On 10 May 1940, German

armed forces using new tactics

launched a number of attacks

upon Holland, Belgium, Luxem-

bourg and France. Britain and

her allies could not match

these ‘blitzkrieg’ attacks.

In just six weeks, all 4 countries

had been defeated and the

British army only just avoided

being trapped in northern

France.

Before the German army

captured the port of Dunkirk on

4th June, 338,000 British and

French troops were rescued

and returned to Britain.

45

As the news of the

fighting in Europe grew

worse, arrangements

were made to evacuate

children from towns on

the south-east coast of

England to South Wales.

On 19th May 1940,

Tredegar received news

that at 10.28am, a train

had left Folkestone and

were heading their way!

Many of these evacuees

had been evacuated from

London only a few weeks

earlier!

46

Message from the town of Folkestone to Tredegar on 19 May 1940

47

On 22 May 1940, Tredegar Council

received a letter from a parent,

Henry Brazier, who was concerned

about 2 of his children, Kathleen and

Eric, who had just been evacuated to

Tredegar from Folkestone.

48

The Braziers were a small family who lived in Catford, South London.

Henry Brazier married Florence Finch in 1928. In 1929, their first child,

Kathleen was born. In 1933, their first son Eric was born and in summer

1939, their second son Edward was born. In Spring 1940, the children

and their mother were evacuated to Folkestone.

However by May 1940,

as the war situation

grew worse, it was

decided to move

London evacuees

from Folkestone to

Tredegar.

Unfortunately the

children were moved

whilst their mother,

was in London with

baby Edward.

Catford, London

Folkestone

Dunkirk

France

England

49

Henry Brazier wrote to Tredegar Council on 21 May 1940 to find a room

in which the children’s mother could stay at Tredegar so as to be close

to all her 3 children. The Council’s reply is shown below; from this letter

it appears that Eric and Kathleen were staying in separate houses.

We don’t know if the

children’s mother,

Florence, came to

Tredegar to live.

However by 1943,

we know that the

family had returned

to London.

This decision would

have terrible

consequences—see

next page.

50

On 20 January 1943, a German plane

dropped a massive bomb on Sandhurst Road

School in Catford, London. The explosion

killed 32 children and 6 teachers. 60 were

injured with many buried for hours under the

rubble. Six children died later in hospital

including Kathleen Brazier, aged 13, who had

been evacuated to Tredegar in May 1940.

51

In summer 1940, as the war situation

grew worse, a second wave of evacuees

arrived at Tredegar from London.

Right: Report from 22 June 1940 about

the London evacuees’ arrival.

52

At the peak period, 11 empty

business premises were also

opened up to house evacu-

ees including mothers with

young children.

By summer 1940, there were

1,998 evacuees ‘on the books’

in Tredegar. This didn’t include

a few hundred ‘unofficial’

evacuees as well! Two hostels

were also opened up including

one for ‘difficult’ boys!

53

One of the emergency hostels for evacuees may have looked like this.

54

After the surrender of

France, from 25 June

1940, Britain fought on

alone against Germany.

An invasion of Britain

by the Germans was

thought very likely to

happen. However the

German air force failed

to defeat the British air

force during the

summer of 1940—this

was called the ‘Battle

of Britain’.

By September 1940, the German air force decided to switch tactics and

turned its attention to bombing British cities, especially London.

British fighter planes called ‘spitfires’ fought

the German air force in the Battle of Britain

55 In September 1940, the German air force

began bombing London—the ‘Blitz’.

56

The London blitz or bombing raids lasted for 8 months and caused the

deaths of 43,000 people. Many more people were made homeless and

another ‘wave’ of evacuees left London and other major cities.

57

58

By August 1941, the number

of evacuees and other people

staying in Tredegar because

of the war amounted to 2,160.

By this time, German attention

in the war had turned to the

east when it attacked Russia.

By December 1941, the U.S.A.

joined the war on the side of

Britain and her allies against

Germany and the axis forces.

The allies experienced more

disappointments in 1942, but

by 1943 the tide of the war

had turned decisively in

favour of Britain and her

allies.

59

In 1944, Russian armed forces scored massive victories against the

Germans. On 6 June 1944, British, American, Canadian and Free

French troops began the invasion of France with the ‘D-day’ landings on

the beaches of Normandy. At last it finally seemed that it was safe for

the evacuees to return to their homes.

However, in revenge for the D-day landings, the Germans began firing

long-range flying bombs at London and towns in the south-east of

England. These bombs

were called “doodle-

bugs” after the noise

they made whilst flying

overhead.

More advanced and

faster, V-2 rockets

were also fired at

London in the last year

of the war.

60

Below: Photographs from Watford, London showing the damage caused

by a single V-1 flying bomb attack. These attacks caused another ‘wave’

of evacuations.

Doodle-bug (V-1) and V-2 rocket attacks continued until the end of

March 1945. The war in Europe ended in May 1945. At long last, it was

safe for all evacuees to return to their homes in the cities.

61

Evacuation timeline

3 September 1939: War is declared. Trains start to bring evacuees from

cities to Tredegar. They are welcomed by ‘billeting officers’ and placed

in the care of local people.

September 1939 to April 1940: The “Phony War” - hardly any bombs

were dropped on Britain. Lots of evacuees went back home.

June 1940: “Battle of Britain” between the British and German air forc-

es. People fear invasion by German land forces.

September 1940: Heavy bombing raids of London by German planes

known as the ‘Blitz’ begins. The raids killed 43,000 civilians and lasted

for eight months. Lots of evacuees who had gone home earlier in the

war are evacuated once more to escape the bombing.

June 1944: German flying bombs called “doodle-bugs” and later, V-2

rockets, are fired on London and the south-east of England. Attacks

continue until the end of March 1945.

62

Memories of an evacuee by Leslie Churchill Leslie was evacuated to Tredegar in 1940. After the war he decided that

he wanted to stay in Tredegar so he was adopted by his foster family.

Leslie’s story at Tredegar is to be found at the end of this section.

They got us out of London the day that war

broke out. They sent my school to Folkestone,

near to the enemy as possible! It was very dis-

organised there. Then we came to Tredegar.

We did a play as evacuees in Saint

James’ Hall. It was to raise money

for the troops, and they sent up to

London to get the costumes.

I’d be up at four in the morning to help

Walter Grey the milkman. He was our

milkman. I would get up and get myself

dressed, sit at the top of the road. Wal-

ter would come up and he’d pick me

up. I’d go around the farms and pick

apples and then come back and deliver

the milk. People would come out with

jugs, and he knew everyone’s names.

I wasn’t used to having a room to myself or a

bed to myself. I’d grown up two or three in a bed

and I’d never had a bedroom to myself so it was

a big step up for me.

I had never been in a car in my life. I was put

with another boy and taken to Harford Street.

I knew nothing about my brothers and sister,

and we never met up after that.

63 Boys from Tredegar County School in 1946

64

It was in 1940 when my

brother came to live with us

in Tredegar.

Les had been evacuated with

some of his school and they all

attended classes held in the

Scout Hut in Scrwfa. It was

about a mile away and he walked

there and back four times a day,

because there were no school

dinners.

The evacuees fitted in remarkably well.

They were always known as ‘cockneys’.

They weren’t really cockneys as such but

nevertheless they were always known by

that name.

Leslie was 7 years old. I remember him arriving

– not very well dressed and carrying a brown

paper bag containing a bar of chocolate and a

tin of corned beef, which was a gift given to all

foster parents.

At that time I was keeping a diary, and I

looked at it the other day, and I said. ‘Our

evacuee came today. His name is Leslie

Churchill. He cried tonight.’

Memories of Leslie’s ‘new’ brother by Peter M. Jones

65

Some of them were real characters. In the street where I now live, one of the evacuees was, he was always “Dolly Dates”. And Dolly Dates lived with a collier, and in the collier’s shed in the bottom of the garden, Dolly found 4 cast iron wheels. He made a trolley, so he became Dolly with his Trolley.

And every Saturday you’d hear Dolly, 8 o’clock in the morning, that trolley rattling, all the way down the street as he pulled it down the street over to where Sirhowy Ironworks used to be, where there was Rickard’s Level. People would wait there till Dolly arrived, buy their coal, and then he would put it on his trolley and he would pull it back, whatever it was, he was a strong lad. And Dolly and his trolley became a very important part of the environment as it were.

It must have been about 1943-44. There was a new evacuation that came into

town, and that was a girls’ school; a private or a very upmarket girls school,

‘Honor Oak’. And if you can imagine a school which is designed perhaps for

about 120 pupils; suddenly it had to take something like 200 pupils. It was some-

what chaotic until the threat of the V-2s and the Doodlebugs, the V-1s against

London really ended and then they went back.

Memories of Tredegar’s evacuees by Peter M. Jones

66

During the war years, we only

heard about the bombing of

London and other cities from

the news programmes on the

wireless or in the daily papers.

As far as we children were

concerned we just carried on

with our way of life, except in

1939 we were all kitted out

with gas masks, in cardboard

boxes, from behind the

Georgetown police station.

We had to carry them with us

all the time.

Memories of evacuees

by Bryan Rendall

Below: Young children

were given ‘Mickey Mouse’

gas masks to wear

67

I think it was in 1940 that a train came into Tredegar station with human

cargo. The train was crammed full with young children from the east

end of London. The Salvation Army and other organisations knocked on

every door in Tredegar, asking how many bedrooms there were and how

many people were living in the house.

We lived at No. 49

Kimberley Terrace.

You couldn’t refuse

to take a child and

my parents had to

take in two girls.

I had to sleep in the

same bedroom as

my parents to

accommodate our

new visitors.

68

Each child had a name tag and a gas mask along with their little case.

Many held their most prized possessions—often a teddy bear—that they

cuddled. They had been on the train for hours and were tired, hungry

and exhausted, but after lots of drinks and a good meal they started to

feel much better and perhaps, less homesick.

69

The first job that my mother did was to bathe the girls and burn their clothes.

The poor children must have come from very poor homes but my mother felt

they should now be clean and flea free. She then cut up some of her dresses

and other clothes to fit the girls.

We now learned the true

story of what was

happening in London:

The night attacks on the

east end of London by

the Luftwaffe [German

air force] which killed

and injured thousands

of people in their homes

and workplaces.

70

The people most at risk – school children were evacuated to what the Govern-

ment thought would be areas that wouldn’t be bombed by the Germans. The

Welsh valleys was such an area. My area of Georgetown had a number of evac-

uees and after a few weeks we all seemed to get on well together. We played

our various games and became good friends. We attended the same schools

and competitions in games was great for us. It was like a rugby international,

Wales v England!

71

The young evacuees taught us so much – how to smoke! They were more

sociable and daring than we, valley boys. We learned a lot from them and I

hope that we passed onto them some of our culture. We told them that milk

didn’t come from churns but from cows, and meat came from various animals.

The girls stayed with us for 2 years. When they returned to London after the

blitz, my mother wrote a few letters to them, but never received any replies.

72

A Tredegar Evacuee - Leslie Churchill’s full story

I was nearly 7 years old on 3 September 1939 when I walked to Grove

Park Station in south-east London with the rest of my London primary

school, all of us wearing a luggage label bearing our names. I recall my

mother coming out of our council house to kiss my brother, sister, step-

brother, and myself the youngest, as we passed by. It was feared that

London would soon suffer German bombing and children were being

sent to places of safety.

Amazingly our destination was Folkestone, which was about as near as

possible to the advancing German Army just across the Channel in

France. Upon arriving there, the whole school was marched in groups

from door to door to be selected by rather apprehensive residents.

After a short stay at what seemed a very posh house or B&B overlook-

ing the sea, we were soon transferred to an OAPs very basic home that

had neither gas nor electricity. I was frightened of the dark for the rest

of our stay in Folkestone.

73

We were taught in local schools in the morning, and went for long walks

in the afternoon; our wonderful teachers were lifesavers at the time. I

still have a letter that old couple sent to me in Tredegar expressing fear

of the shelling from France— “You hear the bombers coming, not the

shells.” Tragically later, they would both be killed by a German shell.

In May 1940, before Dunkirk, there was a rumour that we were to be

sent on a big ship to Canada but, in the event it proved to be a long train

journey to Tredegar, Monmouthshire!

Here I recall a warm welcome at the Scwrfa Drill hall— gentle, kind voic-

es and well-planned organisation. Then two of us, each given a brown

carrier bag containing a big bar of Cadbury's chocolate and a tin of

corned beef, were ushered into the back seat of a car. Very exciting

since I had never been in a car before. We stopped in Harford Street,

Sirhowy and being cheeky Cockney kids both jumped out.

“Not you,” said the driver to me, “you jump back in.” Something that

proved a pivotal moment in my life.

74

Being a fellow evacuee in the same street, the other boy became a very

good friend whom I met by chance in London after the war when he was

driving a baker's horse and cart. We recognized each other at once.

I was taken a short distance up the street to the house of Clarry and

Phyl Jones and their son Peter. I was soon to learn that when asked,

with friendly interest, “Who are you, then?” Answering simply, “Clarry

Jones' evacuee” was passport to local integration.

My own children often recall Mrs Morgan of the paper shop in Church

Street telling everyone in the shop: “This is Clarry Jones' evacuee.” And

that was 30 years after the war had ended!

Young as I was, I noticed the great change from a very basic Folkestone

house to this bright, spacious home with its French windows, flowers in

the hall, upstairs bathroom and a garden.

At first the family couldn't understand my Cockney speech and were

worried whether they ever would?

75

Suddenly I was upset, missing my protecting brothers and sister. We

had all come to Tredegar together so why had we been separated?

Peter produced his toys, train set and a yacht, to divert me. In this new

house, not only did I have a bed to myself but a whole bedroom.

Peter, I am told, had excitedly awaited this new playmate all day but

couldn't have been much impressed by my undernourished, skinny-self,

3 years his junior. Because of that time all my family still have close

contacts with Wales. My Welsh accent returning, so they tell me, as

soon as we cross the Welsh border.

During the following three years, I adjusted to my new life in a valleys’

schoolteacher's home, in a street where soon I knew everyone by name

and became part of my new, wider family.

I had my first-ever box of chocolates at Christmas, all for myself, and

went to Carmel Chapel because my Welsh best friend went there.

76

We spent many a long summer’s day on the tips, quite grassy then, our

games playing at being British soldiers attacking the Germans, being in-

terrupted only by having to go home for dinner – wonderful times.

For me, the war was Mr Jones in his Home Guard uniform complete with

revolver. Sometimes I was allowed to watch him instructing on machine

guns at the Scout Hut.

We would sit at the top of Harford Street watching convoys of American

lorries pass by; the Yanks throwing out sweets and speaking just like

they did in cowboy films.

We had an evacuee classroom at Sirhowy School and Mr Scholar, our

teacher of fond memory, ended each day reading to us from Treasure

Island. I don't recall much tension between us and the local children but

having at hand a Welsh "big brother" probably helped me.

I experienced for the first time, black-faced miners rushing out from the

colliers' train at Sirhowy station, the pits themselves, real mountains

and ponies and sheep.

77

I found Tredegar winters very cold compared with a milder London, the

snow deeper and longer lasting, but sledging down the tips and even

Sirhowy Hill was a new excitement.

We played games too, in streets with little traffic and were given wild

rides on Samuel's milk float - no “Health and Safety” rules then!

Sunday School meant Whitsun parades with banners, Mr Evans, Carmel

Chapel striding out front, races in the vicarage field and chapel slab

cake to eat.

Peter's cousin John Lawrence (on embarkation leave to the Far East)

brought home his rifle, and his brother Alf when also home on leave,

told of life on a corvette escorting Atlantic convoys.

I recall my own mother travelling from London on an organized trip to

visit us. She told me of the London air raids, but even in Tredegar bomb-

ing was familiar to me as often we watched the night time glow of

Swansea burning from our bedroom windows.

78

We were taught by evacuee teachers, Mrs Gilham and Miss Upson. In

1943 before my 11th birthday, I won a London scholarship to a Bluecoat

school. Partly because the idea of my wearing a blue coat and buckled

shoes didn't arouse much encouragement from my valleys’ friends, I

declined but unfortunately was granted another scholarship, at Bromley

Grammar School, Kent.

London was then considered safer from air attack but I could not under-

stand why I had to go to this school rather than Tredegar Grammar?

Years later I met Mrs Gilham and Miss Upson during one of their regular

visits to their wartime billet in Railway View, Tredegar. They told me that

they had been unhappy about me going to Bromley Grammar School

since it aped public schools and was rather posh and snooty.

Returning to London in the summer of 1943, my mother took me to be

sized-up by the headmaster whose first words were, “You will have to

learn to speak properly if you are to progress here” - I didn't realise I

had acquired a Welsh accent. When answering in class sometimes I

was told not to speak in that silly way.

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When the music master made each boy sing a solo to assess our voices,

I sang “All Through The Night” in English, to which he replied, “Quite

good but rather miserable—but then the Welsh are a miserable lot.”

I was puzzled.

The bombing of London hadn't ceased and since we were only 10 miles

south east (of the centre), it meant taking off only our shoes every night

to go to bed, and being roused around midnight by the sirens and famil-

iar sound of German bombers.

We would see the whole estate ablaze from incendiaries, hear the near-

by anti-aircraft guns opening up furiously as German planes passed

over; there was even a mobile ‘Bofors’ gun outside the house.

We gave names to our local barrage balloons and noted those missing

each morning if shrapnel had brought them down.

One morning going to school by bus I saw Bromley High Street devas-

tated, and even my school had a near miss.

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In 1944 came the Doodle Bugs (V-1) and later V-2 rockets, far more

deadly because they struck without warning.

We slept in our Anderson air raid shelter—a sort of underground, metal

box in the garden, which was not very pleasant. The many bomb hits all

around made red bricked and tiled houses as grey as valleys slate roofs

from the dust of the massive explosions—even the bodies of those

killed by blast and strewn around were like grey statues. When I

returned to Tredegar in 1944, the sound of a throaty motorbike exhaust

(much like a V-1) had me diving for cover by the nearest wall.

In the spring of 1944, my elder brother, on leave from the army in the

run up to D-Day, met me off the bus from school. “Must make a phone

call, come with me!” Then I heard, “Message for adjutant—request

extension of leave—Mother died.” Then he said, “That's how it is Les.”

Blunt, but that was London and the war. She had been ill with cancer for

some time.

So it was decided to return me to Tredegar and my Welsh family.

81

As I climbed out of the fug of our Anderson shelter for the last time to

travel by train and bus to Paddington Station, a doodlebug came in over

our flats at chimney height but flew on. What a goodbye!

Later nearing Paddington, the bus lifted slightly as a V2 exploded be-

hind us and the conductress smiled at me reassuringly.

I remember, too, the lovely sound, Welsh sound, of “Newport, Newport,”

as the guard directed me to the Sirhowy train.

I was sent to see Mr Saunders, headmaster of Tredegar Grammar

School. It all seemed so easy. “Yes, no bother. I know who you are—

Clarry Jones' evacuee”. By the end of my first day, I seemed to know

everyone. When I left Bromley Grammar School, I could name very few

as friends and there was no farewell. But at Tredegar Grammar School,

I was welcomed and very happy.

Then came VE day and all evacuees returned to London. I still have the

letter of farewell written by Mr Griffiths (geography and form teacher)

signed by all the class who had made a collection for me.

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So I had VJ day in London. However, with no mother and a disintegrat-

ing family, my loving stepsister (who looked after me 1943-4) wrote to

the Jones family to say that I was unhappy and would they consider

having me back.

Peter recalls that his father said to him, “It is your choice. If you say

‘yes’ it means for life.” His “yes” and his parents' loving welcome back

into their home will seem incredible to many, but was most typical of

their great generosity of spirit. Such warmth and friendliness I associ-

ate always with the people of Tredegar and the Valleys as a whole.

So Clarry and Phyl Jones became Mam and Dad, and Peter my brother.

I still have the telegram, “Leslie arriving Newport …” that Mam had kept

safely.

My only hesitation over returning to Tredegar was embarrassment at

meeting Mr Griffiths and the class who had collected to give me a

leaving present. Should I offer to return it? Of course nothing was ever

said, and yet again I was given a very warm welcome.

83

Books and TV series about wartime evacuees often emphasize traumat-

ic experiences such as being placed with stern, inflexible, uncompre-

hending foster parents.

Certainly my Folkestone OAPs were very poor, but did their best and

were kind. Their only son was called up while we were there and the old

lady had me hold her hand while shopping to stop her crying at his

departure.

I remember how her son made me wooden models of the German Graf

Spee battleship and the Royal Navy’s Exeter, Ajax and Achilles that

fought her to a standstill at the River Plate. That was real kindness, as

was that I received at Tredegar where I was completely kitted-out in

new clothes amongst which was a superb new overcoat, my first-ever,

of which I have happy memories. I have since been told that the case

with which I arrived and its contents were discreetly burnt.

84

Obviously evacuation was a hard experience for some but I was very

fortunate. Bedwetting affected many of us but there was no fuss and it

disappeared.

My step brother recently visited Tredegar with his wife and was excited

to trace the family with whom he had stayed.

My sister kept in touch with her Tredegar foster mother for many years.

Tredegar and the valleys helped mould me. What did Dad say to Peter in

1944?

“If you say yes to Leslie coming back here, it will be for life.” He was a

knowledgeable man indeed.

Leslie Churchill, 2007

85

Sylvia Bloomfield’s memories as an evacuee in Tredegar

My family - mother, father, 4 sisters and 3 brothers - lived

in a flat in Hackney, London. My father worked in the Post

Office and my mother, when she had the time, worked in

service.

I was evacuated from the London area at the outbreak of war in 1939

with three of my siblings. Eve and I are twins and were five years old at

the time. Dolly was 4 years older than us, and Stanley was 2 years older.

The government, fearful of the catastrophic effects that an aerial attack

would have upon the children living in large, populated areas of

England, had devised a method that they felt would save the younger

children from bombing raids in the event of war.

I later learned that the process was called Operation Pied Piper.

Hindsight revealed later that the evacuation was not necessary but who

would have known at the time?

86

We were first sent to Folkestone, Kent, where the Government had

listings of volunteer families who lived throughout England and other

countries that would accept and care for the children who were being

evacuated from London.

From Folkestone, we were allocated (yes, that is the word used) to

certain towns and villages where we would have a better chance of

surviving the war.

There were four of us, from the Bloomfield family, who fitted the age

profile and the Government did the proper thing by sending all of us to

the same town, Tredegar in South Wales.

There were no families who would accept 4 young children but there

was one who would take two of us, Mr and Mrs Went of Walter Street,

Tredegar. They had no children of their own and this situation might

have been a godsend for them. Then again, maybe not!

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Mr Went must have been a coal miner because he came home each day

covered with black soot. Evelyn and I were to live with them until condi-

tions or the status of the war changed in our favour and danger had

passed, thus permitting us to return to our family.

Stanley was to live with Mr and Mrs Williams of 101 Charles Street who

had children of their own but, would accept another child.

Dolly went to live with a Mrs Whitchurch, a schoolteacher. She must

have been a good teacher because Dolly came home with much more

knowledge than the rest of us.

Eve and Stan revisit the Williams’

house in Charles Street (left) and the

Wents’ house in Walter Street (right)

88

Eve and I shared a bedroom of our own in the Went household.

I remember vividly that the house was on a corner and that, by going out

the front door and turning left, I could see a field with grazing sheep.

I remember that the town, and all about it, was so clean and pretty,

rolling green hills around, and so peaceful.

Mrs Went would bundle Eve and I up well and we would be sent outside

to play and would have to remain outside until they decided that it was

time to come inside.

I also remember snow, a lot of snow; Eve and I would look into the

windows of other homes and wish that we could go inside like the other

children. That is not to say that the family was unkind but that they had

some strange ideas of how children should be treated.

We were required to have a cup of hot chocolate each evening before

bedtime. I didn't like it then and I still don't like hot chocolate. While in

Tredegar we did occasionally see Stan and Dolly but not often nor for a

very long period of time.

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In 1942, we were informed that our Mum would be coming to get us and

take us home. Actually, Eve and I had no memory of our Mum, only that

we had been told by the Wents that we had one and that she would be

coming for us.

We remember a short little lady walking toward us on the pavement, as

we were outside the house at the time. When she got to us, she said

simply, “I'm your Mum and I've come to take you home!”

We have no knowledge of the procedure that she went through with the

Went Family. We were soon on a train headed back to London.

The new home was as strange to us as was the home that we went to in

Tredegar, with one huge difference - all our brothers and sisters wel-

comed us back with lots of hugs. After a few days had passed, it was as

though we had never been gone.

Sylvia Byrd (nee Bloomfield), 2007