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Evacuation Speaker Vans in WW2

W

Wendy

Guest
Loudspeaker vans in Birmingham announcing evacuation when the war broke out. 1939. I took this from a Facebook page with permission but don't know the original source.


War in Birmingham..jpg
 
Interesting image, Wendy, and very staged. A local political association vehicle being used, one assumes, on a voluntary basis on behalf of the Council. A fairly posh area, judging by the immaculate clothing, footware and so on. I wonder where it was - the splendid house in the distance should be identifiable.

Chris
 
Hi Wendy,

Yes, a very interesting photo, but I doubt very much if it had anything to do with the evacuation at all. I myself was evacuated. We knew that war was imminent and radio broadcasts were full of it. We actually evacuated on Friday 1st September 1939 and were informed by radio a day or two earlier. The schools, of course, also made sure that those who had volunteered to be evacuated were notified. Not all the pupils went and I should think that about 33% of my school took part. The schools remained open for those staying behind. Gradually most of those evacuated returned home.

I agree that the photo looks staged and I imagine that an election was in the offing.

Old Boy
 
Hi Oldboy - When I first looked at the photo earlier today I doubted that it was anything to do with evacuation. I was a youngster back then and remember that it was generally well announced and organised through our infant school. I certainly don't remember loudspeaker vans driving around the streets announcing evacuation. I myself wasn't evacuated but I've already mentioned it in the forum's Childhood Evacuation World War II thread and other WW2 related threads. The photo looks staged and maybe connected with electioneering.
oldmohawk
 
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