- Contributed by听
- littlejean
- People in story:听
- Jean Slattery
- Location of story:听
- London Home Counties
- Article ID:听
- A2015100
- Contributed on:听
- 10 November 2003
On the first day of the London WW2 evacuation Mother left us three children at the Holy Trinity School in Chelsea. My sister Pamela at 12 years old was given the responsibility of looking after myself aged 6 and our brother Peter a lively 10 year old.
Dad had helped to get us ready the night before and given us a peptalk on how we must behave. He had served in the first world war and being too old to re-enlist he had offered his services as a driver in the London Ambulance Service.
It was such a strange day. Grownups looking worried and sad while trying to appear calm and jolly.
Where were we going?
Somewhere nice in the country!
How long will we be away?
A fortnight....maybe!
Well, it turned out to be the last day of us being a complete family together.
Peter was separated from Pam and me on the first day.
Pam returned to London to work after two years.
It was five years later that I came back from evacuation. Our home was lost in the Blitz. Mum was a widow. Pam was married and Peter grown to manhood.
Evacuation was a lonely childhood for me away from my home and family.
But we had survived.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.