大象传媒

My Mother, Violet Florence Brooks, known to the family as 鈥楧oll鈥�, to some friends as 鈥榁i鈥� died in 1987. The sad business of clearing her flat, collecting photos and going through papers and correspondence was suddenly brightened by an extraordinary find. In a package, which included her final wartime Identity Card, was a small envelope 5.5x3.5 inches, which had been 鈥極pened By Censor鈥� 鈥� it contained the story of the very generous and selfless gesture made by Nell Coates of North Queensland, to an old friend in the old country. Nell鈥檚 letter:

鈥�20-8-40 PO Mossman N Queensland Australia

My Dear Vi,
I feel I must write and hope this reaches you, as I鈥檝e written two air mail letters, and still no reply from you. In case you have not received them, it鈥檚 regarding Brian and Beryl if you would like them to come out to me for duration of War, I would look after them as my own. I have nominated them to save delay, if you consider them to come it would leave you to manage baby through these terrible air raids. I feel for you Vi dear in such ordeals. I wish you could come too, don鈥檛 hesitate if it鈥檚 possible you know our home is yours, and Ed will do all he can to help you. I鈥檓 enclosing the reply I had, but if you don鈥檛 send them the nomination just means nothing, it鈥檚 only to save delay your end. Well Vi dear, I should be glad to hear from you, I picture all sorts of things that could have happened since you wrote last, let me have Mum鈥檚 address so that I can write there in case you leave your address.

How is Harry? In England I guess. What a sight London must be, I saw a bit of the defence on the pictures, we here don鈥檛 know there is a war on, the other night it relayed an air raid that had taken part at Dover. One could just picture it from the last war, although it鈥檚 hundreds this time, and Ed said what are you trembling for, so thank goodness we are out here.
I haven鈥檛 heard if Mum has heard from Joe or Ernie, so don鈥檛 know if they are in khaki.

Well Vi dear, glad to say we are all well here, and the winter weather is lovely.
Hope you are all well and Jasmine doing well, keep a brave heart, victory is ours.
God bless and take care of you all.
Cheerio for now and write soon. With all our love and best wishes
Your loving Pal Nell XXXXXXX鈥�

There were two letters to Nell from the 鈥楽tate Children Department鈥�, Brisbane B7. One dated 10 July 1940 acknowledged receipt of her 鈥渄esire to care for the children, Beryl and Brian Brooks for the duration of the war鈥�. The second dated 31 July 1940 (just three weeks later) informed her that the United Kingdom Government had given further consideration to the transfer of children during the war, and had decided 鈥渋n view of the existing conditions to postpone the scheme.鈥� The 鈥榚xisting conditions鈥� were the many deaths of evacuee children from U-boat attacks.

I learned that there had been an official scheme called CORB 鈥� Children鈥檚 Overseas Reception Board 鈥� reluctantly set up by the government in response to a flood of offers from America and the Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) to take in British children until the war was over.

I don鈥檛 know if Nell Coates was an old school or work friend of Mother鈥檚, but having emigrated to Australia, they had stayed in touch. Now I had discovered she had generously offered to sponsor my sister (10) and me (5) on the other side of the world. The paperwork was in progress when a tragic sinking terminated the scheme. The torpedoing of the SS 鈥楥ity of Benares鈥� cost the death of some eighty evacuee children, including four from nearby Southall.

Finding the Australian documents after my mother鈥檚 death made me realise what a very generous offer had been made by her friend, Nell. To offer to take on two extra children in wartime, possibly permanently, was a really selfless gesture. My regret is that I never got to thank her.

I knew of mother鈥檚 friend Nell in Australia but I hadn鈥檛 known that I nearly became Australian so long ago. If we had gone, would we have come back, or would I be writing this in Australia? Would we have survived the voyage? I particularly like her stirring closing sentiment: 鈥溾�� keep a brave heart, victory is ours.鈥� But not for five long years.

There was one more document, a 鈥楥able and Wireless鈥� cablegram 鈥淰ia Imperial鈥� dated 16 September 1945 with very happy news about her missing husband: 鈥淓D SAFE SINGAPORE - HAPPY REUNION SOON - ALL WELL LETTER FOLLOWING - LOVE TO ALL NELL鈥�. I鈥檓 pleased it was a happy end to her war, she certainly deserved it.

If any of Nell and Ed鈥檚 children, Ted, Joy and Beryl, or their children read this, I hope they will accept it as a very belated 鈥楾hank You鈥� to a brave and very generous lady, one they can be especially proud of.

Revised extracts from 鈥楢 Sheltered Childhood ~ Wartime Family Memories of an East Acton Child鈥�

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