Study Sources B and C. Which source is the more useful as evidence about the start of the children's evacuation journey? Explain your answer using Sources B and C and knowledge from your studies.
Question 1
Study Sources B and C. Which source is the more useful as evidence about the start of the children’s evacuation journey? Explain your answer using Sources B and C and knowledge from your studies.
Source B is a picture/snapshot, called “Evacuees walking to the station in London, September 1939,” taken by the government.
In the picture, I can see a big group of children walking down the street, which by the title are going to the station. They have gas masks by there side, and in there hands a bag of belongings. I can see teachers walking by the side of them, and some parents, following them. The expressions on the faces of the teachers and the children are happy, smiling and waving to the camera.
In Source B, many of the features match the knowledge I have of evacuation. First thing is the title, “Evacuees walking to the station in London, September 1939.” I know instantly from the title that it matches what I know, that Evacuation occurred in 1939, and that the Evacuees got sent to safer place by train. This makes the source useful already. I also know that Evacuees were mostly school children, teachers, mothers with children under the age of 5, and expectant mothers; and in the picture there are school children and teachers. I know that they took several things with them that are also pictured in the snapshot, for example, gasmasks, and a bag full of their belongings. The expressions on their faces are happy. This doesn’t match what I have found out about evacuation. I found out that splitting up from your children was a really distressing time for everyone. The children wouldn’t be happy about leaving there parents, they would be more likely to be crying and sad. So this feature of the snapshot is misleading and unreliable. The snapshot is taken by the government, so therefore could have been used as propaganda showing that it is a good event and that everyone should take part. To my knowledge the children weren’t happy about the fact of splitting up with their families, so it gives me the idea that the picture was staged. Also the fact that it is a snapshot doesn’t tell us the story off the picture. So overall I think this source is fairly useful, because some of the features are true and match my knowledge. But on the other hand the government took the photo and used it to persuade families to send their children away.