Why did the British Government decide to evacuate children from Britain's major cities in the early years of the Second World War?

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Why did the British Government decide to evacuate children from Britain’s major cities in the early years of the Second World War?

On the 1st September 1939; two days before the declaration of war, the British Government officially started to evacuate civilians from Britain’s major cities. It was mainly children who were evacuated, but others such as the disabled and blind, teachers, mothers and young children and also pregnant women were also sent away. From the 1st - 3rd September around 1.5 million people were evacuated.

Evacuation statistics:

  •         827,000    Children  
  •         524,000    Mothers and young children
  •         103,000    Teachers
  •         13,000      Pregnant women        
  •         7,0000      Disabled and Blind
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The evacuees were sent to rural towns and villages in designated areas where the Government thought that they would not be in danger. Many children who came from wealthy backgrounds were also sent abroad “privately” to live with relatives or stay in nice hotels. They were sent to places like Canada, the USA, South Africa, Australia, and the Caribbean, almost two million children were sent away like this. London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Leeds, Bradford, Portsmouth, Southampton and Sheffield, these are just come of the cities that the evacuees were sent away from. They were sent away from the ...

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