大象传媒

For people who hadn't men in the services the war didn't make all that much difference.

However, I was working with evacuee children in Northampton for the latter part of the war. Although some evacuees returned home quickly despite the risks, preferring what they knew and they missed the community spirit. There were hostels set up for children with problems who had tried 1 or 2 billets and didn't settle down. A pychiatric social worker came from London to organise care for these difficult and hard to place children. They might have scabies and suchlike and one hostel was set up especially for children with skin infections at Rosstrevor, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.

In 1942 a party of expectant mothers came every week from the east end of London - they were poor. (Better off people who were able to made their own arrangements.) Dr Godber came as well, in fact he brought them to give birth in the hostel. They arrived 6 weeks before the birth was due and stayed a fortnight or so afterwards.

Although the evacuee organisation relieved the pressure on the health authorities' welfare officers in London, there were complaints from the billets about the evacuees but it was felt that some people were only using it as an excuse not to have evacuees placed with them. It was deemed by the Ministry of Health to be necessary to set up hostels.

It was a lot to ask of both adults and children and some ended up in Children's Department of Social Services.

Three evacuee childrem died in bad circumstances in Wales (Curtis Report)and so then each County Council and County Borough had to set up a special Children's Department. Because the created posts were considered more suitable for women, women were able to hold senior posts for the first time.

Rationing no-one minded because everyone was in the same boat. Because of clothes rationing (coupons were issued) hoarders were better off - for example if they had kept remnants of material which could be made into other things.

My sister was killed in the bombing at the end of 1941 and my oldest sister came back home with her husband and baby.

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