The Evacuees - Extracts

• These extracts are designed to be used with the drama unit on The Evacuees.

EXTRACT ONE: Leaving Home

Friday 1st September 1939, a beautiful sunny morning and there I was, Margaret Webb, at the age of 9 years, standing on the platform at London Fields Station with my sister Joyce who was 4 years older, plus hundreds of other children. We were all agog at going on this lovely train journey to God knows where.

Most of our parents were there to see us off, double-checking that our name labels, which were tied to our coats, were secure and that we had our gas masks neatly packed in their boxes and slung over our shoulders, plus a case or bag containing our clothes and one or two personal effects. They, of course, also had no idea where we would end up. We finally set off about 9 a.m. with some tears, some fears, but a great deal of excitement.

EXTRACT TWO: Arrival and Selection Procedure

After what seemed a very long journey, we alighted at a station called Thetford. From there we were taken to a large hall, which I learned some years later was the Guild Hall. We were then given a mug of cocoa and a sandwich. A short time later our names were called out and we were given a paper carrier bag each, which contained a tin of corned beef, some biscuits and one or two other items of food, and put into various charabancs or coaches, as we would call them today. We were then dispersed in different directions.

After driving through the famous Thetford Forest and some beautiful countryside, during which time I had been sick (being a bad traveller and the cocoa probably didn't help,) we duly arrived at a village called New Buckenham.

We were all bundled into the village school hall where the local women were gathered. Having arrived and feeling very nervous, we were well scrutinized by the waiting foster mothers. Joyce and I were holding on tightly to each other as we had been given instructions by mother not to be separated. Finally a lady asked if we would like to live with her.

EXTRACT THREE: New Family

Mrs Tofts, the lady with whom we were to live, took us home to meet her husband and two daughters. We were thrilled to find we were in fact living at one of the village shops (incidentally they made fantastic ice-cream). Everyone must have thought I was deaf because I can well remember saying pardon to everyone who spoke to me - I just couldn't understand their funny ways of talking. I had never heard the Norfolk dialect before. Mrs Tofts then gave a basket to her oldest daughter and suggested she take us to the common to meet some of the local children and collect blackberries which she wanted to cook for our dessert after dinner.

EXTRACT FOUR: War Declared

On Sunday 3rd September, we attended church in the village and during the service were told that war had now been declared with Germany. I'm afraid this didn't mean much to me as I thought war was a battle in a field just like the big picture hanging on the wall outside my old headmistress's office. I really had no idea that it could go on for years.

That night when we went to bed, my sister tried to explain it to me and was so convinced we would never see our parents again. I was far more optimistic and I remember taking the sweet out of my mouth and giving it to her to suck just to pacify her and stop her crying. She was always sensitive, whereas I was the tomboy of the family and wasn't going to let things like that worry me.

We wrote home to our parents and let them know where we were and told them all about our new surroundings and school and the many new friends we had made.

From Memories of an evacuee's life in Norfolk by Margaret Boon (nee Webb), WW2 People's War.

WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar

THE LETTER (FICTIONAL):

July 20th 1940

Dear Joyce,

I hope you are both well. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. As you know your Dad was called up to go to war. He has only been away for a few weeks but I have had a letter to say that he is missing. I am worried sick as we do not know if he is still alive. Iím glad you are not in London any more as the Germans are threatening to bomb us and we do not feel safe. I hope you are having a good time in Thetford with Mr and Mrs Tofts. I am knitting you a new jumper and sewing a yellow dress for Margaret. One day soon I hope I can visit you again.

God bless and all my love,

Mum.

• Examples of real letters to evacuees can be found on the BBC history website