NorthMonkey Posted June 28, 2006 Author Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi Lois. Thanks for your insight and offer. At the moment I have changed the focus of my study to a more generic study of the evacuation and Sheffield, which includes spending a day in the records offices (joy oh joy). One area that interests me is where the evacuees were billeted to. Do you know where your father was evacuated to? If I return to my previous idea I will be sure to contact you. Thanks for your help, Ciaran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivelin6 Posted June 28, 2006 Share Posted June 28, 2006 Hi Ciran, I've asked my dad about where he was billetted during the war & it was Ratcliffe Nottinghamshire. If you need any more help please let me know. Lois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vilink Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hello NorthMonkey, I seem to recall a similar thread to this appearing some time ago, I did send reply along with several other people, however I will try to recall my experience of that time, although it was about sixtyeight years ago! Our evacuation was organised by the local school in Sheffield, early Sept. 1939, we were sent the Shepshed near Loughborough. I do remember hiding as I did not want to leave some of my friends, needless to say I was quickly found and taken to the Railway station to be tagged and labelled and put on the train. On arrival we were taken to a school hall and people started to arrive to 'pick out' the children they would prefer to look after, (we were all between 5 and 9/10 years old I think). Two of us boys were last! no-one seemed to want us, we were packed off together to stay with a lovely couple and I seem to recall having a great time, very well cared for, and I think I enjoyed school. The other boy's (Dennis) parents visited him every few weeks, they had a car, which was quite rare in 1939, and would always take me out with them. Dennis came back home after about nine months, I was there about eleven months. By the end of 1940 I think most of the evacuees who went from our school had returned home for some reason or other. Good luck with your research and Best wishes vilink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vilink Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hello Ciaran, Have now located the previous thread about evacuees. It was started in January 04 on this site by 'LOUISE' seem to be about 14 replies up to about the end of last year. Thought you might just be interested if the thread is still available. Best wishes vilink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthMonkey Posted June 29, 2006 Author Share Posted June 29, 2006 Thanks for your help guys. I will have a look for the other thread so cheers for the heads up. Thanks for the location Lois, and also thanks vilink for sharing your experience with me. Would you mind if I were to possibly use your experience as part of my case study? It can remain totally anonymous if you would prefer. Going into the Summer holidays, the next few months is where I will be collecting all the data that I will be using for my study. If anybody knows of any good books about the war in Sheffield, I would be grateful to hear from you - although this isn't entirely important as once I get up off my behind and start researching this topic properly i'm sure i'll find something in a local bookstore!. Ciaran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vilink Posted June 29, 2006 Share Posted June 29, 2006 Hello Ciaran, Yes of course you may quote my experience in your case history,you seem interested in where we stayed when evacuated? I still remember the folk I stayed with for almost a year. They were a Mr and Mrs Peat, I have their address (no post codes then) Mr Peat was the manager of the local co-op grocery shop (quite important then)they must have been about 60. but as a young lad it would be difficult to really estimate age. We had no inside loo or bathroom! bath night was a tin bath in the shed in the garden. The loo was what they called a midden at the bottom of the garden, and a highlight of our week was the night the 'men' came to collect, we would stay awake until midnight to watch the men come and collect the middens. Many more memories of my time in Shepshed, but that will do for now! Best wishes, vilink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthMonkey Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share Posted September 26, 2006 Hi again! Back from a summer spent in Sheffield Archives, Sheffield Library and this place in Leeds researching this topic! I have found loads on Sheffield during the war, the blitz, the damage and testimonies of the experience, but mot very much on the experience of evacuees. It seems most testimonies from children from that period are from the ones that stayed. I got hold of the official evacuation report along with the list of places children were evacuated to and not much else! As always any help would be appreciated! If you were evacuated out of Sheffield then I am DESPERATE to hear from YOU!. Many Thanks, Ciaran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthMonkey Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share Posted September 26, 2006 My Dad and his sister were from Sheffield, and during the war they were evacuated to America. I've been trying to find out a bit more about it recently, but haven't had much luck. Anyway, my Grandfather was a Sheffield GP, and I think there was some scheme set up through one of the Sheffield papers or something. They were sent to a really lovely family in Massachusetts called Warner - we have some great home movies of them enjoying the American life. I know they were very happy with the family because until my dad died recently he kept in close contact with the nieces and nephews of the couple who took them in. I think they were forunate enough to consider them his second family. I'd love to hear what you find out about other evacuees! I did see something about this in the archives, it seems the Star did an offer for Children to go abroad and I read a testimony from a girl who was all ready to go, sat on a boat in the docks but then news of the sinking of a similar boat came through and the scheme was abandoned and they were sent home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I was never evacuated, but my older brother Eric was. He was thirteen and I was eight. Why I was left at home to face the heathen hun I'll never know. He was billeted with a farming family in Edwinstowe. My recollection was of a very kind and caring family, and the fact that he was able to eat fresh eggs and bacon, which were virtually unobtainable to us. Nonetheless he pestered my mother to bring him home, and was just in time to be a boy scout during the December 12 th 1940 blitz, running ARP messages in the city centre, and very much under fire. He came away unscathed. Two years later he forged his parent's permission slip and joined the navy. He went through the war never going to sea, based at a Naval Air Station at St. Mawgan, Cornwall. What a happy warrior! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthMonkey Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 Do you know if he was evacuated as part of the initial Sept '39 government scheme or was it a bit later and private? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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