Children under five years had to evacuate with their mothers. Older children had to evacuate with their brothers or sisters.

Some children were sent letters from their parents. Some letters were from the parents just catching up with their children and some were bad news about bombing.


Laurencekirk refuse to have any more evacuees

Despite the people of Laurencekirk complaining about the condition of the existing evacuees the Department of Health still asked the town to take more evacuees.
One of the reasons for this refusal was that evacuees were coming in dirty and full of fleas. The people of Laurencekirk were scared that they were all going to get the fleas too. But the main reason was that the people of Laurencekirk were mostly older and were not fit to take in evacuees.

St Cyrus came to the rescue when Laurencekirk announced that they didn’t want any more evacuees.
There were 203 evacuees, who were from Dundee and the surrounding area, who were sent to St Cyrus. Only 17 people came to get them and amazingly the billeting officers still managed to get all 203 evacuees and 17 teachers rehomed.

A True Stonehaven Evacuee Story

Christella Aitken was six when she was evacuated from her home in Dundee. She was evacuated with her sister Pearl, 10 and brother David, 11. They were taken by train to Stonehaven on the 1st November 1939. When they arrived in Stonehaven they were taken to the Town Hall with 400 other children. The Women’s Voluntary Service was looking after them and is now called the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service.
An hour later adults came to choose which child they would adopt for the duration of the war. They were all given to people who lived in Kincardineshire mostly.  Stella, Pearl and David were left to last as they were thin and scruffy. Fortunately a very kind lady called Mrs Murray came and said she would take the two girls but poor David would have to go to someone else. A farmer came in and said he would take David.
There were only five children that were staying in the town of Stonehaven out of all the 400. The rest were in other parts of Kincardineshire. It was Stella, Pearl and three other girls. Mrs Murray had a boarding house, (somewhere people would come and stay if for example they had a job in Stonehaven but lived in Laurencekirk as the bus fare would be quite a lot so you would stay at a boarding house during the week) next to the picture house (cinema). Mrs Murray had lots of chores for the girls such as cleaning, dusting, setting tables and polishing.
Their treat was getting to go to the pictures for free and getting to go for a swim in the sea. They were fed well as there was homemade jam, baking and soup.

Their brother was less fortunate as he was staying on a farm and had lots of dirty jobs and there was not enough food for everyone staying at the farm so David was nearly starved to death. David hated it so much that he decided to run away. So after two years of staying on the farm he started to make his way back to Dundee. He walked most of the way but got lifts when he could. Back in Dundee there were four to a bed at their house to keep warm. He had two younger sisters at home aged two and four years. They were still at home, as you had to be at least five to get evacuated.

Back in Stonehaven Stella and Pearl were attending Dunnottar primary school. At the end of the war Stella was returned to Dundee aged 12 and hated attending a chapel school. She kept on writing to Mrs Murray begging if she could come back again as she had grown to love it in Stonehaven. She did come back to Stonehaven two years later when she was 14 and able to leave school. Stella is still living in Stonehaven today aged 76 and never returned again to Dundee.
Unfortunately Pearl died this year aged 81 and had never been back to Dundee.
While Pearl and Stella were staying in Stonehaven the government would have given them the basics for their upkeep from a system called The Parish. Mrs Murray would also have been paid a small amount of money for looking after them. Stella and Pearl were some of the lucky children that had been evacuated to Stonehaven as they were provided with food and beautiful second hand clothes from some of the more wealthy families in the country. They had all of this whereas their brother would not have had any of it

By Catherine Welsh

An Evacuee's Story - Imagined Evacuee Story

We marched into the school holding our noses, as we smelled cowpat. We sat at desks so rusty and old nails jagged our backs. One by one the children were taken away by their carer leaving me on my own with only my thoughts to comfort me. After a few hours we gave up hope and my only choice was to go home with the teacher. The teacher’s home was rat infested, there were spiders almost everywhere and in the cupboard where they scurried about in the rotten food I was going to be forced to eat. I was missing Dundee already.

Dear Diary Evacuee

Imagined Evacuee Story  - P7B October 2009 by J Warren

Dear Diary,
Day 1, 5th May 1942

I went on the train and I sat beside my teacher, Miss Carbon. My mother picked out my best dress, it was brown and it had frilly bits at the bottom, brown shoes and two piggy tails with a purple ribbon wrapped around my head.
 It was roughly about 9:00, Miss Carbon said it was going to be a long journey, so I had a snooze for a few hours. I didn’t really bring anything to play and muck around with, I only brought my teddy.
The long hours went by and then the train stopped at Stonehaven, I was frightened and nervous meeting my new family, I didn’t know what they would be like.
I stood up and walked to the train doors, Miss Carbon popped her head out the window, as it slowed down she got out then I followed her. We walked down to the town square where all the guardians were. Everyone looked at me in a funny way but  I looked around  and  I saw this smiley family, they had two girls and aged seven and the other one was aged nine so round about my age, I thought to myself, they look really nice. A couple of minutes later they picked me and drove me home in a weird looking car well it was nothing like my car in London.
We eventually got to their cottage it was in the middle of a farm with lots of cows, horses and lovely people. I looked at the cows and horses and I never seen anything like it, I wondered what they were Fiona, aged nine said what they were. Fiona said, ‘’when you have settled in, we could feed the horses apples and carrots,’’. I was a bit scared at first, I thought they would bite me.
The next morning we had our breakfast and lunch they called it a brunch we had lentil soup it was tasty.

The days were getting more fun.



11th of July and it is also the start of the evacuation

Dear diary today is the 11th of July and it is also the start of the evacuation. I was going to a little town called Stonehaven. I was excited but at the same time devastated as I was split up from my family. I was sitting on a bench in my best clothes at the train station with a lot of adults staring at the scared children, looking lost and talking to each other.
A really nice couple that have no children and live in a small neighbourhood called ‘Sterling Street’ has picked me. It's quiet and homely and I think I’m really going to like it. Their names are Ben and Barbara Jones, they have a little Scottie dog called Oliver too. I have my own room, which is massive and I have a good view of the glittering sea.  Their house is a mansion, I’ve never seen anything quite like it!
For tea I had roast chicken with tatties, mealie and a great big splash of warm gravy. It was delicious! After tea they asked me what I like and what I like to do and just a bit about me. I replied with I love swimming, I like chicken, I really like dogs and I would quite happily walk Oliver every day. When I had finished I said goodnight and went up to my room. I was so tired that as soon as I fell into the soft, white, crisp sheets I couldn’t get out of bed again.
This morning I awoke with a soft knocking at my door and Barbara saying “Come on sleepy head get up,” so with that I got up, had a wash, brushed my teeth, brushed my hair and got dressed. When I got downstairs there was a cooked breakfast sitting on the table with a hot mug of tea. I had never had bacon before but boy do I love it! After breakfast I cleaned up and went outside to walk Oliver on the beach. I paddled and played until I was so tired I nearly fell over, so I decided I would go back to the house. When I got back I planted some flowers and I had to feed the animals, so on with my wellies and out into the garden. When I had finished all my jobs I went inside to make a jam sandwich and a drink of apple juice.  Barbara and I had tea together because Ben was still at work. We had fish, boiled potatoes, salad and for dessert a lovely homemade Victoria sponge Barbara had made during the day with cream. When we had finished tea I cleaned up around the house and we had a singsong with the piano. We were dancing and laughing just having a really good time. When we were in the middle of dancing Ben got home he had a slice of the cake and joined in dancing too. After two hours or so I thanked them for a lovely day and went upstairs.
The next morning I got a lie in and woke up at 9:30. I went downstairs and had a bowl of hot porridge and a big glass of fresh milk. Today was the day I was looking forward to most, I was going swimming with Ben! I got a new blue costume with a pair of goggles and I was ready at the door in under five minutes.
The journey to the pool was at least half an hour but the whole way I was looking at the beautiful scenery. When we got there it wasn’t busy at all so we basically had the whole pool to ourselves. I was having the best time of my life! At home I only got to go swimming about twice a month and I hadn’t done it since February so to be in the water head to toe was fabulous! After we had been swimming for about three hours because I never wanted to come out!  Ben bought me a sweetie for the journey home and couldn’t stop me from thanking him so much. When we got home Barbara told me to put all my wet swimming things into the washing basket and then I walked Oliver with Barbara in the woods. As we were talking Barbara told me that we were going to the Movies then out for tea at the best restaurant in town. I was even more delighted than I was when I heard I was going swimming! I had never been to a movie before but everyone at school back home talked about it.
I was getting ready for the best night of my life. I put on my new clothes and shoes and curled my hair and Barbara put some lipstick on me and some eye shadow. I felt like a movie star!
When we had finished seeing the movie and finished our meal we went back to the house to find the happiest dog in the world to see his owners. I love Stonehaven and I think I like it better than home!

Diary of an Evacuee


Dear diary, on Monday, the 20th of July 1945, I woke up feeling very happy because I have three days until I could go home and get away from this dump.
Breakfast was very good because I had toast. I had not had toast in a year, when I was eating it, I mumbled,” This is so gooooooooood!! “
 After breakfast I went to work on the farm cleaning and gathering up the animals. It was tiring work but I got
through it.
“ Lunch Time”, Mrs Deans shouted, so I went and had lunch with Mrs Deans and Mr Coleman. After another great lunch I went to feed the chickens.
When I was feeding the chickens I found an egg. After that I went upstairs to pack for going home. After tea I went to bed.
On Tuesday the 21st of July I woke up like normal. I did the same, as yesterday but at 3:30pm there was a bomb. I was lucky as I, Mrs Deans and Mr Coleman where not in the house cause we were feeding the chickens.
The house was destroyed, bits of wood, metal and stones everywhere. All those happy feelings had been crushed into a million pieces.
That night we slept in the Anderson shelter, and it was horrific.
On Wednesday the 22nd of July, my feelings were sort of back, half and half to be more honest.
As you know our house was destroyed yesterday, and all my feelings had been destroyed.
At 4:00pm I get to go home to Clydebank, Thank You Lord!! Mr Coleman said that Clydebank had been bombed heavily so I might not get to go back, but I knew I would. Later that day someone came to the house saying, “So sorry to say this but you will have to stay here for another month, goodbye.” I was so annoyed I could just drop dead.



Emma's Evacuee Story


I was waiting in the Stonehaven Town Hall to be picked. I don’t have any brothers or sisters just me my mum and my dad. My mum had dressed me in my nicest clothes, to hope that someone nice might pick me, then to get a good nice stable home.
A lady, man and two children came along. They asked me some questions like my name, which is Rose, my age that is nine, and where I came from, I come from the city of Glasgow.
The people were very jolly they looked quite rich. The lady was called Marie, and she was wearing a beautiful silk and grey satin dress and white shoes. The man was wearing a suit and white shirt and he was called Alan. The two children who are twin sisters were called Ella and Sally were 10, they were each wearing a pink dress.
I went home with them, and Ella and Sally showed me where I would be sleeping. I was sleeping in a tiny room with a bed and a pot of Daisies in the window. Sally said “If you want you can put pictures on the wall to brighten it up a little bit.”                      
I said, “Thank you very much, I do have a few pictures.”                            
Ella then asked if after I was unpacked I would like to come and see the rest of the house.
Marie then called us for some dinner; it was lovely, sausages, mashed potatoes and carrots. Marie said that it was Ella’s favourite!
I am now in bed writing this, but I am going to sleep now. Goodnight.
Sally woke me up at 7:00am to tell me the things that I had to do today. There was hoovering the kitchen and dining room, then mopping them. After that I went to the shop to buy the ingredients to make a cake for after dinner.
We went for a walk along the sea and paddled in the sea. Then we went home to have dinner and cake.
After dinner and before I went to bed Ella gave me a book to read, she said that it is her favourite. I am just about to start reading it now.
I have just got a break from doing house chores because I was up all last night reading the book that Ella gave me. Alan found out this morning before he went to work. Alan works at a farm, so is not fighting in the war. My punishment is to do the entire housework top to bottom for one whole week!

Evacuation


Evacuation started a few days before war broke out. The government worried about the children in the cities, because of heavy bombing that may happen. After a few months without sign of any bombs some children came home. But they came home at the wrong time, because a few days later the Blitz started and a second wave of evacuation started. The children only brought essentials the boys and girls only took one pair of shoes, six handkerchiefs and two outfits.

By Erica Fraser