Evacuees

During the Second World War, around 3.5 million people were evacuated to keep them safe. This means they left home and lived with strangers in the countryside, often very far away from home. This was because they lived in cities that were under threat of being bombed.

Evacuees only took a small suitcase and a gas mask each. They wore a label that stated their name, school and home address. They said goodbye to their parents, not knowing when they would see each other again. To get to their new home, evacuees often went on long train journeys. Some children had never left the city before!