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Evacuation Of Children World War 2

Enjoyed your story very much Brookie and would love to read more. As Lyn said the way you write in such detail is like reading a book.
 
Tks for replying, and thanks also for your comments, I have written a book of my childhood in Brookfields, it was privately printed, it was too expensive to have it commercially done in 2000, unfortunately the private printout have all gone. At this time I am unable to continue my story as we have visitors coming but watch this space.
Brookieboy
 
Great story so far Brookie. Looking forward to the next installment when you are able to post.
 
Well folks, in response, yesterday I put the second part of my story on here but for some reason it has not come up, I have asked the question why and it seems the story is too long for this site, so I don't know how to finish it for you, so unless someone can advise me it looks as if I will have to type it again somewhere else, Sorry.
Brookieboy.
 
Well folks, in response, yesterday I put the second part of my story on here but for some reason it has not come up, I have asked the question why and it seems the story is too long for this site, so I don't know how to finish it for you, so unless someone can advise me it looks as if I will have to type it again somewhere else, Sorry.
Brookieboy.

hello norman...im not that up to date with the actual workings or the forum but as you told me in a private message you were typing the 2nd part of your story for about 2 hours and then pressed the submit button...i cant be sure but i dont think the forum allows us that much time to make a post....hopefully one of our admin team could advise you better than i can as it would be a shame not to read what you have to say...

lyn
 
I don't know what advice you have received, Brookieboy, but if length is indeed the problem, why don't you try splitting it into two or three parts and then posting them separately, one after the other?

Chris

PS
If on the other hand the problem is, as Astoness suggests, your trying to compose it in the posting box - rather than as a separate document in Wordpad or another program and then copy/pasting it later into the posting box and submitting - this possibly explains the difficulty. My advice would certainly be to compose it separately, save it in your computer and then copy/ paste it to the Forum.

Question to other members of the Admin Team - do we think that Brookieboy's draft might have got itself saved automatically somewhere by the system and might still be recoverable?
 
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Hi Again Astoness and also Chrism.
As you know Astoness I am still a rank amatuer at this posting so I will try Chrism's advice and try it that way. Thanks to both of you for your advice.
Brookieboy
 
Auto saved posts can be recovered by going back to the page you were on and hit Reply to Thread. At the lower left hand corner of the dialog box, it will say 'Restore Auto Save'
I have used it before and just tested it with this post which I let crash out then hit
'Restore Auto Save' and then recovered it.
 
Hi moHawk, Tks for info, tried it but the story did not come back any other ideas? the second part of my story was quite long so will have to do it Chrism's way when I have more time.
Brookieboy
 
Hi moHawk, Tks for info, tried it but the story did not come back any other ideas? the second part of my story was quite long so will have to do it Chrism's way when I have more time.
Brookieboy
Hi Brookieboy -I always type my posts into 'Notepad' then check them and save, after that I copy and paste into the forum editor. Use the 'Advanced' button and then 'Preview Post' button before submitting and you can see what it will look like when it eventually shows on the forum.
oldmohawk
ps I've just noticed that 'auto save' did not show in this iPad I'm using today, so I don't think it always works !
 
HI ALL
I myself was not evacuated in the war.I can remember we had a lad from London stay with us,and his sister stayed next door.After the war we went to
London to visit his family. Ioften wonder what happened to them. The lads name was Brian Kentish, but ican not remember his sisters name. Ican
stillremember were they lived,the address was 13 Elm Park Avenue Romford Essex. Did any one else have one stay with them???
Ken
 
Hi Journeyman,
My wife went up to the school nearby when evacuees from London came here, she picked out a family and brought them home and her mother took them in There was a father, mother and two boys, after they went back her family and that family kept in touch, after we got married some time later my wife and I went down to Eltham to see them, the mother and father have since passed on but we keep in touch with the youngest who is now 65 but unmarried, the other boy got married but we only hear about him from his brother.
Brookieboy
 
Hi Brookieboy
It seems strange that there was a complete family,perhaps they had been bombed out in London.
Ken
 
Yes Ken it does, just asked my wife but she cannot remember why just that there was bombing all around the area of Eltham where they lived; incidently if anyone wants to know what my book looks like it is advertised on -Winson Green to Brookfields - click onto Ted Rudge site - www.winsongreentobrookfields.co.uk scroll down and you will see the cover and back, Me in the 1930's
Brookieboy
 
Here I am again, will try to put my evacuating days on a bit at a time.
'I ran to the top of the hill with their dog which was either a black or dark brown Labrador, I stopped and there across a patch of grass was this extraordinary massive building, as I gazed in awe at it Reece put his hand upon my shoulder and said "Come on boyo, I've got work to do"and we walked across the grass to the entrance, in a little office on the right a lady sat, I was introduced, but I cannot remember her name, it was her job to take the money as visitors came, during that day as I returned to the office (maybe for something to eat) some people came in and I watched and could not understand how a person at a time could go through but others could not until they had paid, the lady could see that I was puzzled and asked me what was the matter, I told her, simple she said (as all things are when explained) I just press this pedal down and it releases the turnstile, I hold it until a person or persons have gone by, release the pedal and it falls into a slot and stops anyone going by until I press it again.
Off I went into the grounds around the path and running up and down the banks watching that I didn't run down the bank so fast that I would go into the moat that went around the centre of the castle called the Great Tower. The moat was full of water and seemed to be a slimy green and to a little boy very deep, I could swim but didn't fancy falling that murky substance. After going every which way I came upon a centre court with little alcoves and recesses, some with steps leading into dark depths I kept well away from those thinking they might be dungeons or whatever they might be in a boys mind, the day was a beautiful one, soon I realised that nature was calling, so I went looking for Reece and told him what I wanted, he said "Come with Me" and took me into a little place to do my business. a plank of wood with a hole, upon which I had to climb, after I had finished I looked for the handle to flush but none was to be found so again I had to fetch Reece to help me, he reached out to a piece of wood alongside the wall, instead of water a portion of Sand went into the bucket that was under underneath, another surprise for me he said that, like the one at the cottage, it was disposed of daily or when full, at least there was no smell, the sand having covered it, at the cottage they used earth. my day was was coming to a close as I was getting very tired with all the exploring.
Will continue more soon.
Brookieboy
 
Hi all, will try a little bit more of my evacuation days, as you will appreciated I cannot give a day by day occurence of events so will give thoughts as they come into my memory.

School days were by half days, villagers in the morning and evacuees in the afternoon or vice versa, obviously we youngsters loved it this way, were taught a little welsh and also how to knit, I started to do a scarf but never did finish it, tried hard on the welsh but could only count to ten, the days were beautiful bright and sunny, there was a stream in the field across from the cottage which we used to jump but of course I did not jump far enough one day and landed in the middle, soaked to my waist and dared not to go home until I was dried out, another time a local asked me if I would like to help putting the Sheep into their nightly sleeping quarters, just got them all in when one decided he didn't like me and charged, you could not see my backside for dust, never again, me and sheep did not get on, the next episode involving animals, in fact there were three, I came home to be greet by Mrs Roberts at the door and asking why I had been chasing the cows in the upper field, I protested my innocence, I really had not been chasing any cows but she insisted that I had been seen and that she would informing Mr Jones, now Mr Jones, it seems, was one very important person in the village, owning many shops and a coal merchant and a Farm, as I was still protesting my innocence and crying my eyes out, who should come knocking on the door but the very man himself, I hid somewhere in the cottage and listened out for Mrs Roberts to tell him that it was I that had been chasing the cattle, I was so surprised when she said nothing about the incident, when she came inside and shut the door I asked why she had not mentioned it, I will if I hear of it again, I still pleaded innocent but she still did not believe me, the other animal incident happened one evening and some friends of the Roberts came visiting, they happened to mention that there little dog was in the car before anyone could stop me I was out the door opened that car door and reached for the dog, I loved animals, I was soon to regret my actions, the dog snapped at my face and I screamed and wailed thinking that the dog had bitten my face, they managed to calm me down and looked at my face and assured me that the dog had not bitten me, since then I have been very wary of dogs although I still loved them.

Another day we watched a man putting wire traps outside rabbit holes so we decided that we would take a couple of these noose wire traps and put them outside holes that we thought had rabbits in them, unfortunately for us a village lad a little older than us saw us and said if I didn't give him this toy gun that I had he would tell on us, the toy gun was a present my brother had sent, it was one where you could put paper in it and when the trigger was pulled it made a noise, it also had a hole in the front so you could press a potatoe in and the bit left in would shoot out when fired, when I got back to the cottage Mrs Roberts asked where my gun was so this time I really had to tell a lie and said I must have left it in the field when playing, she sent me back to find it but obviously I could not and went back and told her that, again she did not believe me but said nothing.

More next time folks

Brookieboy
 
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School evacuation rehearsals in July 1939. Further details from the article are attached below, including the schools which took part. Did every child have a kit bag for the real thing ? Viv.

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I once interviewed an elderly lady for our church magazine. She had been a nursery nurse at Erdington Cottage Homes and was asked if she would volunteer to be evacuated with the children in her care. She chose to go with them and they went to Wales. I will try to find all the information as they went to a large estate and the owner moved out to a small cottage. I'm posting this now (which hasn't much detail, as I will then find the thread again - my search box sometimes goes on strike!)
 
School evacuation rehearsals in July 1939. Further details from the article are attached below, including the schools which took part. Did every child have a kit bag for the real thing ? Viv.

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thanks viv very interesting as our dad and mom would have taken part in the rehearsals dad went to burbury st school mom to lozells girls.....dad was evacuated to skenfrith in wales but for some reason mom stayed home

lyn
 
My Dad went to his Aunt in the country at Amington near Tamworth. By coincidence his school (the Rosary, Saltley) were later evacuated there as well so he joined back up with his school. Lessons were in the Pretty Pig Pub which had a room upstairs. They shared the room with a London (I think ) school - one group in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
 
The real thing this time .... smooth evacuation at Aston Station. Have posted the caption separately as its not very clear. Viv.

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And for reference, the published Birmingham Evacuation Area in 1939. Viv.
 

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The single deck bus in the photo is most likely one of the ten Daimler COG5's of 1936, 32-41 BOL 32 - 41 which were used as ambulances during WW2.
 
viv does is say what school it is in the first photo post 139...watermark is in the way

lyn
 
It doesn't give any school names Lyn. Full caption below. Shall try and create some space below captions on future photos to allow for the watermark. Viv
 

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thats ok viv thanks...if you find any of burbury st children i would love to see them as our dad could be there although having said that i have no photos of dad at that age but you never know i may pick him out

lyn
 
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