Evacuees

The evacuation of Britain's cities during the Second World War was the largest and most concentrated mass movement of people in the nation's history. The various experiences of the many children who left their homes in the cities to escape the horrors of war make up a complex account of the wartime exodus. The situations the children left behind and those they encountered when they arrived in the country provided for a wide range of possibilities and experiences. By focusing on the voices of those for whom evacuation proved a life-changing event, a story of separation and dislocation but also of love and affection is revealed. The intimately personal and emotional stories of fifty wartime evacuees are now told for the first time in words of their own. Their stories take us across England, Europe and indeed the world, at a time of war and confusion and reflect the wide range of experiences of evacuation. In contrast to what has previously been written on the subject, this account places emphasis on the personal stories of evacuation, with especial focus on new narratives and untold stories.It reinforces and challenges how we choose to remember evacuation by looking beyond the official sources.