When World War II broke out in AD 1939, the government had plans ready to evacuate women with babies, and children, from the cities to the country to avoid enemy bombs. In the first four days of September almost 3 million people were moved. In London, children from areas like the East End were shepherded to the railway stations by teachers, with their gas masks and labels pinned to their coats, and put onto trains.

The reception of the children varied. In some places there was chaos and children were lined up in the village hall to be picked out. Some children were from very deprived backgrounds and arrived with head lice and no other clothes than the ones they stood up in, horrifying their hosts. A small number were very badly treated, but many found kind homes, got over their homesickness and enjoyed the fresh air and good food. It was a learning experience for everyone.

In fact, this was the period of the ‘the phoney war’, and bombing did not start until 1940. Some women and children returned home, but others stayed in their temporary homes until 1945.