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

Frances Duffy Evacuation Coursework 1 Mrs Shepherd

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

World War 2 was a Total War. This means that many, many people were affected as well as the soldiers. Civilians at home felt the hit of the war, including all the children. This is one of the reasons why children were evacuated during the war. In World War 1, evacuation was not a necessity in Britain. There was minimal bombing, and most of the fighting during trench warfare. World War 2 however was a movement war, and posed a greater threat to people up and down the country.

In the first few days of September, over three million British citizens were on the move from their British homes. Many were sent by the Government’s evacuation scheme, but quite a number moved of their own accord, to rural homes of family and friends or to alternative overseas accommodation, for their own safety. The evacuation scheme involved children of all ages being sent from their potentially in-danger city homes to safer homes in rural areas, to be looked after by total strangers.

Evacuation occurred for many reasons. As soon as war was declared, the British Government anticipated massive German air attacks on cities all over the country, and evacuation was set up to protect the children from these attacks. Around 600,000 deaths had been estimated; coffins were ordered to be stockpiled, and hospitals put on full alert. Evacuation was an attempt to reduce this number, and reduce the amount of potential casualties.

The attacks were expected to be aimed at major cities to destroy industry, especially munitions factories. Civilians were aimed at in an attempt to reduce morale and raise panic, because ...

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The attacks were expected to be aimed at major cities to destroy industry, especially munitions factories. Civilians were aimed at in an attempt to reduce morale and raise panic, because a lack of morale on the home front can be very discouraging and disheartening to fighting soldiers, but helpful to the German enemy. Evacuation was almost a promise of safety for the children of the time, as rural areas were extremely unlikely targets. Any aspect of hope for the children would influence the spirits and morale towards the parents and civilians, uplifting them and giving them optimism. A lift in morale at home would rejuvenate the fighting soldiers and promote encouragement, suggesting that the evacuation scheme had an indirect effect on the soldiers. This would be especially effective towards fathers who had gone to war, reassuring them that their children would remain safe while they were fighting for their country.

While evacuation took place, the parents of the children could carry on with their lives without worry, knowing that their children were safe. It especially reassured the women, and enabled them to become more involved in the war effort. This would have boosted the produce of the munitions factories, which were vital for the British, as the women became more involved and worked harder for the country.

At this time in the war, the Germans had managed to develop and improve their planes. They had models that could fly for longer periods of time, ensuring longer distanced of travel. They could also carry heavier loads, therefore carry more bombs and artillery equipment. This increased the danger factor, making industrial Northern cities such as Bradford and Liverpool even more likely targets. This is another reason for evacuation, away from the targeted cities to rural countryside.

Evacuation was also a cheap get-out clause for the Government. If the children had stayed at their homes, then the Government would have had to pay out thousands more to build extra air raid and Anderson shelters in cities, in order to protect them and keep them as safe as possible. In the case of evacuation, millions of people were taken care of, and the expense of building air raid shelters was kept to a minimum for the Government, making evacuation the cheaper option.

The main aim of evacuation was to keep the children safe from fear and harm. But, as highlighted in this essay, there were other important, valid reasons that contributed to the setting up of Operation Pied Piper, the name of the Government’s evacuation scheme.

Frances Duffy