A London EvacueeThe recollections of Mrs Eve Swannell.On September the first we all went to our school. We all came out. I remember outside the railings, I don't remember coming out and we'd all got a label and our luggage and our parents - or as it was in my case my grandmother, saw us from school. We must have got into coaches and there were lots of tears. I don't remember being awfully upset, I supposed we looked upon it as an adventure. We did not know where we were going, nobody knew where we were going, the teachers did I suppose, but our parents and grandparents did not. We were taken to Euston Station and put on trains and we arrived at Wolverton in the afternoon. Lots of kids hanging out the window, saying we were at Wolverhampton taking in the notices quickly. Then we all walked down from the station to the Science and Art Institute and from there we were put into coaches again and taken on our various ways. My eldest brother was in hospital with rheumatic fever, he didn't come with us. My younger brother Colin was 4, a very tiny little boy. We went to Newport, the first thing I remember was the Mason's, the builder's sign and it impressed itself upon me. The billeting officer sorted us out. I was firmly told when we left London that we were not to be separated and that I was in charge. I kept on saying. "We're not to be separated." We were taken to a lady who gave us tea and she did not know what to do with us. We walked up the high street. We got ready and were put to bed and my brother wet the bed and that was the end of us three. She just could not cope. I think she was middle aged. I do not know whether she had any children. It was all too much for her so she took us to the billeting officer. He lived in a very big double fronted shop and she took us there. He looked at us and did not know what to do with us and his wife came into the shop and she said she would have us. |
Painting by Eugene Fisk.
Take a look at my page about the Wolverton Station during WW2 or my page about gas masks