Children on the Move Schools Resources

Finding a new home in Staffordshire 2

One childs dream could be anothers nightmare

The experience of evacuees living in Staffordshire billets varied considerably. Some had good experiences; others were not welcomed as family members. Mothers in billet houses did not always appreciate the extra work involved with having evacuees and found it difficult to care for someone elses children. On the other hand, some host families opened their homes and their hearts to evacuees, nurturing them and making them a part of their family.

2Ivy

Lived in Margate, Kent

Was evacuated at the age of 6 to Rugleley and Hints in Staffordshire

What happened to Ivy?How many billets did Ivy have? How do you deal with nits? Was it appropriate to shave Ivys hair off because she had nits? Was it a nice thing to do?3Maisie

Lived in Benthall Green, London

Was evacuated first to Norfolk and then to Leek in Staffordshire in 1940

How is Maisies story different from Ivys? How did Maisie feel about her billet parents? What did they do when Maisie arrived? How much time did she spend with her billet family? Was Maisies experience similar to normal family life? Maisies story highlights the different types of relationships that can form between people. Maisie was not the child of her billet parents but they treated her as such.4Lived in Ramsgate, Kent

She was evacuated with her sister to Betley on the Staffordshire/Cheshire borderEsther

Esthers story demonstrates the differences between people. It shows how people can have different religious views and differing values and customs.What did Esther think to the lady she was billeted with? What does it say about what Esthers mother was like? How was Esther raised by her mother?

Is Esthers story of life as an evacuee a happy one? What would you do if someone was not very kind to you? Would you tell someone? Should you tell someone?

5Joyce

Lived in Ramsgate, Kent

Joyce was 5 years old when she was evacuated

She was evacuated to Knightley near Stafford with her sister

Joyce was evacuated from Ramsgate, Kent to a village near Stafford. She was very happy in her billet and has very good memories of her time as an evacuee.Some evacuees were treated with great kindness not just by their billet families but also by local people. This highlights the kindness of others in helping children in distress (i.e. children evacuated due to the threats of war).How was Joyce treated by local Staffordshire people? Were they treated as strangers? Were they accepted and treated with respect and kindness? How would you treat someone who had moved into the area or your school?6Lived in Birmingham

He was evacuated to Rolleston-on-Dove

He was separated from his brother when he was given a billetDouglas

How was Douglas treated by local people? How was this different to Joyces experience?Douglass story is an example of stereotyping and prejudice towards people from the slums of Birmingham.Is it right to judge someone by where they come from? What happened when the local people got to know Douglas?7Lived in Westgate-on-Sea in Kent

She was evacuated at the age of 9 with her brother

They were evacuated to Colton in Staffordshire

They were billeted to the biggest house in villageShirley

What happened to Shirley when she was evacuated?Shirley and her brother were billeted with a family who lived in the biggest house in Colton, Staffordshire. As her audio-clip says, they spent most of their time with the servants. The family of the house hardly spent any time with them.What does this say about how Shirley and her brother were viewed by the family of the house?The family treated them more as servants than as children or evacuees. It suggests that the family did not think evacuees had the same social standing as themselves.Did they care for Shirley and her brother? The family did give them somewhere to stay and provided food for them. But they did not give them emotional support. This was left to the servants, in particular the cook, who took them to her home and treated them as part of her family.8

Evacuees also experienced a different way of life in StaffordshireMany evacuees had come from cities and had never been to the countrysideEvacuees also experienced a different way of life in Staffordshire. Many evacuees had come from cities and had never been to the countryside. The following audio-clips highlight the differences between life in cities and the countryside.9

Bernard ODonnell was 7 years old when he was evacuated. He lived in Manchester and was evacuated to Cotton in StaffordshireYou must remember I was a townie, and in the town, as a child, you cant see very far before you see a building can you really? you cant even see the horizon, the proper horizon, because its knocked off by buildings. And of course getting to Staffordshire, where we were, it was incredible because I could see a big, huge sky. I could see the hills round the back and to the right there was a pine forest And it was just amazing to be in the countryside and see cows and sheep I saw lambs being born once in the spring you know it was staggering. What does Bernard say are the differences between town and country?What do you see in a town or city?What do you see in the countryside?10Gordon and his parents gave a home to an evacuee called Alan

Alan came from Manchester

GordonGordon remembers this about Alan experiencing life in the countryside for the first time:

Many children who were evacuated from cities had never seen animals such as cows, sheep and chickens. Some evacuees were actually surprised and scared of them, thinking they were monsters.11

Lived in Margate, Kent

Was evacuated to Tamworth

GeorgeWent to live on a farm at Clifton Campville

Some evacuees went to live on farms and were expected to help out on the farm. As well as going to school, evacuees helped the farmer to look after the animals and the fields. This would be hard work and they were expected to help before and after school, at weekends and during school holidays. It was a full time job and very different to their lives in cities.

Choose a city from which children were evacuated to Staffordshire. Research what life was like in that city in the 1930s and 40s? What do you know of modern city life compared with life in the countryside?12nullBlues32757.832nullBlues17397.48nullBlues31817.402nullBlues31948.018nullBlues28238.545nullBlues50441.812nullBlues21786.152nullBlues94329.555