Not many people know that even before the declaration of war, On the 1st day of September 1939, thousands of mothers with babies and small children, with teachers in charge of school parties,assembled at railway stations in the cities for evacuation . Evacuation was done in three waves 1939 - 1940 was the first, then there was a second wave in the autumn of 1940 as the blitz intensfied and a third wave in 1944 with the arrival of the flying bombs, we went in 1944 with a party from our school The Holy Family school.
I was ten years old, my sister Pauline was seven. I still have recollections of the journey and the arrival in Barnsley. We embarked on the London red double decker buses on the top deck, none of us knew where we were going . I remember we kept singing "oh we don't know where we're going until we're there..!" We were then put on a train, again knowing nothing of our future . The journey seemed endless and I believe our initial excitement soon turned to tiredness and missing our families. I can't recall the journey, if there was one, to the hall where we were to stay until people came to collect us. We spent the night at this hall, and in the morning the local people came who wanted to look after a child or two. I went outside to the washroom to wash while children were all the time being picked out by the locals,( like a dogs home!) my sister suddenly rushed into the washroom saying " come quick, someone wants us!" these two ladies had been talking to her, apparently one lady wanted to take her away but Pauline wouldn't go , she said " I'm with my brother" when they saw me the other lady, a plump lady with a kind face said " Oh we can take them both" so off we went with them. Their names were Mrs Curtis, who had me, and Mrs Gough who had chosen Pauline. We travelled by taxi to a village called Smithies a few miles outside of Barnsley.
It was a mining village and Mr Curtis was a miner so was their lodger, a young Scottish lad who was a bevin boy..the bevin boys were not miners by choice, in fact to serve in the forces was much preferred. I have heard of two ways of how they were chosen to be bevin boys,..(1) by ballot.. (2) if the service number ended with a zero then they had to serve as miners instead of serving in the forces. The Royal British Legion voted in 2004 on whether the former bevin boys should be made full members of the legion and thereby qualifying for the Legions welfare facilities. (This motion was not passed I'm sorry to say)
The miners jobs were critical to ensure the supply of coal during the war. When the miners came home in the evening they were tired and dirty so a bath was their first port of call.
Miners had to start very early in the morning therefore a 'knocker up' would come round to the houses with a long pole with which he would knock on the bedroom windows to rouse the miners.
In the house also was Billy the twelve year old son of Mr & Mrs Curtis, and his sister who was seventeen and going out with the bevin boy!. Pauline who was with Mr & Mrs Gough and who were fortunately neighbours, was spoilt rotten as she was the only child in the house.
I can remember very well my first night in my new surroundings. As I lay in bed, I could hear the sound of steam engines from Barnsley station, they were shunting I believe, and the sound of the engines made me very homesick as I knew at the other end of the line lay home!
Yorkshire doesn't appear to be very far in distance these days....however at ten years old in 1944.....believe me it seemed to be the end of the earth!
We went to The Holyrood School in Barnsley so we knew all of our party of evacuees as it was the only catholic school there. It was very overcrowded, we sat three to a desk in our class. Every Sunday we went to church , we were always collected by a woman and her daughter who were also catholics and then we had quite a long walk to the church which was held in a farmhouse! One of the rooms was converted into a place to worship, with a table as the alter and chairs all round the room .
Once I had settled in I enjoyed my time there, new mates and new places to go like playing on the coal tips etc!. Our mum came up to see us with our youngest sister on one occasion , it was a suprise as I had gone to the pictures with Billy so that when we returned home there was my mum! I can remember that she brought with her a 'doodlebug' that my dad had made using a marrow! I believe the visit unsettled Pauline as she was only seven.....she had her eighth birthday there..... soon after the visit she was very homesick and wanted to go home, which meant that as she was going, I had to go too.
So we returned home I remember the journey home which took hours, we were so tired on the packed bus that when I stood to give my seat to a women...as we did then!....my Mother pulled me back down as I had been standing most of the time on the train.
We came home while the flying bombs were still coming over and the V2's had yet to come!,... not the best time to return home!
p.s My sister has since informed me that she wasn't homesick but the couple looking after her couldn't cope with her as she was ....to put it mildly a boisterous child!
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As one gets older, you tend to let your memories of when you were young come to mind more & more. Friends that I made & played with in Yorkshire are still with me as they were when I was ten years old. They haven't grown up to me, and yet they have lived their lives, married had children, some may have died......however they are still there... with me in 1944. |
