Wartime Songs ( Archived) (30)

bestbefore: Hi ooby,this stirred up a lot of memories for me. We had many Americans based near us during the war,and I can still taste the authentic American donut! What childhood memories though not all of them good.

How many people were evacuated during the war?

By the end of the Second World War around 3.5 million people, mainly children had experienced evacuation. No one was forced to go but parents were encouraged by posters and told that their children would be safer from German bombs if they moved to the country.Most of the evacuees where sent to live with strangers [host families ]but not to the North, as they were mainly evacuated from all the big cities including London.

The furthest afield was probably the Midlands and North Wales but most of these areas were in the country where it was considered they would be safe.

My own home town of Bournemouth, which is a beautiful seaside resort in the South,was bombed by the German planes dropping unused bombs before crossing the Channel.

I have actually seen a German plane shot down near to where I lived.If you have never experienced bombings, I can assure you you never want to.Thanks again.