The source gives little information about how the evacuation system was maintained; but gives a good insight on the beginning of evacuation. Pictures are possibly more reliable than writing but in some circumstances they are not as useful as written sources.
Another problem with the photo image source B is that, it does not specify who the people in the photo are. If the adults in the photo are mothers and farthers, this would mean the information from source B and C differ. As source C says: ‘Mothers weren’t allowed with us, but they came along behind’. Yet source B shows the adults with children, suggesting that if the adults were parents that either source B is a posed picture or source C is inaccurate. Also from previous evacuation studies I believe that the adults are more likely to be teachers as the group look as though they are assembled in a class. In my opinion source B would be more useful from a historians point of view if their were 2 or 3 photos at least of the beginning of evacuation. This would give a broader view, showing the historian more perspectives and perhaps and obvious change in emotions from the people in the picture. This would also help the historian see if the start of evacuation was well prepared or disorganised.
Source B’s main flaw is the time in which it was written, in 1988 after WW2 had ended. It also does not specify if the teacher actually experienced the war herself. Suggesting that she could have just made up the information given, or copied it form unreliable text; although from reading/studying many other evacuation sources I would say this is on the right lines of how evacuation began.
As source C is a written source, it gets rid of a lot of the limitations a photo has, but it also encounters some limitations that a photo doesn’t, such as its reliability. As it would be very difficult to tamper with a picture, yet it is easy to adjust a written source. A written source, such as source C can be much more factual and descriptive about a child’s experience, although it can usually only be from one persons perspective. It can not be assumed that one child’s thoughts about the beginning of evacuation is the same or even similar to a different child’s. Using my own knowledge I think that it is likely that the majority of evacuees would be experiencing similar feelings; excited about this new prospect yet worried and scared of what it might introduce them too.
Source C is a written source, so it can be more useful to historians and people in general who want to know what a child went through and how they were feeling as the began their evacuation journey. Whereas in source B you don’t know how the children were feeling, but you can see them jumping joyfully, although this could suggest the picture was posed. Also in my opinion the children’s joyful jumping could just be just to try and fun with their friends and to try and hide their worries about what evacuation might bring.
Source C is quite brief in it’s description but it gives a good over view of everything that happens during the start of evacuation. Not only does it give her own feelings; it gives her opinion on how the people around her were feeling as well. This is helpful because you know then the atmosphere of their journey as you know what other people might have been feeling aside from her own thoughts. Yet this is where the sources differ, as source C says the children were very unhappy and scared about the occasion: ‘the children were too afraid too talk.’ Yet source B shows children skipping happily as they went to be evacuated. This questions the reliability of both sources heavily, it seems more likely that the picture was posed rather than the writing being inaccurate. Although it could mean the picture source shows a group of friends being evacuated as a class and source C describing a mix of people who do not know each other. In which case it would be unlikely that they would be talking as they have never met before and would be separated from them shortly anyway.
Using my previous knowledge on the topic of evacuation, I would say source C is more useful, purely because it gives feelings and emotions about the occasion. Source B gives more information on how the children were assembled and what clothes they were wearing, this information is also factual and useful; but in my opinion not as useful as a proper account on how the journey to evacuation felt. Yet both sources are useful because I think they are equally reliable. Source B has the flaw of possibly being posed and source C has no dating. These flaws give the sources limitations, but makes them equally reliable because they both have one major defect.
Source C also agrees more with my own knowledge, as I think it more likely the children would be distressed about going to evacuation; rather than joyous as they are shown in source B.
