In September 1939 children in London were evacuated to areas considered free from air attack. 1,500,000 evacuees (827,000 schoolchildren and their teachers; and 535,000 women expecting babies or with children under school age) were moved in three days.
Each child was labeled with name address and school number and carried a gas mask, night clothing, toothbrush, comb, soap and towel, spare underwear, handkerchief and overcoat if available. The children were left at railway stations and issued blank tickets with no destination given. The parents would be informed where they were as soon as possible. [I can’t imagine.]—World War II Day by Day, p. 15.
The moving of the children to the country was the backdrop for one of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia stories, which my dad Art Austin read to us.
How terrifying for both children and parents. I imagine that some of the children ended up as orphans. How awful war is.