Vikki Kosmaska 11R
Hammersmith and Fulham During World War II
3. Source L is an account of the memories that Barbara Walsh had whilst being evacuated. The source is useful as it highlights the differences in social class and wealth, “The bathroom had a heated towel rail which I had never seen before”. This shows us that people had a different standard of living. People also had certain expectations, “ astonished that London children could eat with knives and forks as they expected us to eat with our fingers.” Her experience tells us a lot about the feelings that evacuees could have, although hers are individual to her, “I can still remember the desolate feeling I had as, one by one, the friends with whom I had made the journey disappeared with their new ‘families’.” Her own feelings, opinions and experience may be similar to the majority of evacuees. Despite being written fifty years after the event the account still holds some very detailed factual information, “My sister and I were to share the guest room, which had single beds with blue sheets and blankets.” Also through the account we learn a lot about the process of evacuation, “I carried a small bag containing a change of clothes and washing kit, also my gasmask in a brown cardboard box. Her account also highlights differences in religion “As a zealous Catholic of seven years of age I felt indignant about this state of affairs and wrote “this should be a Catholic church” in the visitor’s book in red crayon and signed my name.” People of different religions were thrown together and expected to deal with the circumstances, Jews lived with staunch Catholics etc. this was due to cause many problems.
