This morning, Year 5 children from St Martin’s Primary School experienced what their grandparents or great grandparents may have gone through in June 1940, with a re-enactment of the evacuation.
The idea was to help them understand what Guernsey’s children must have gone through at the outset of World War Two as the German army approached us.
The children walked with their teacher to the Constables’ office to have their replica documents stamped so they could be ‘processed’. Dressed in occupation-era outfits, they all received a special St Martin’s Parish Liberation chocolate bar.
They then learnt more about the 100 pupils from St Martin’s school that were really evacuated to England 85 years ago.
St Martin’s pupils have been re-enacting the evacuation for many years.
David Beausire, Senior Constable at St Martin’s Douzaine, has been involved in conjunction with the school and said it remains very important.
“Basically we do this every year, it’s important for children to learn from history, some of the children that went to St Martin’s school in World War Two went without their parents to England. Not just to be delivered to the boat on the harbour, but actually to England.
“This is a massive thing, it must have been very scary. “
Guernsey’s voluntary evacuation scheme saw more than 5,000 children evacuated along with their teachers. Around 500 mothers acted as ‘teachers helpers’.
In total around 17,000 people were evacuated.
Of the children who went, many did not see their parents again for the five long years of the occupation. Some never returned home after the war.
Some of the evacuated headteachers re-established their schools in England, in order to keep the pupils and teachers together throughout the war.
Mr Beausire went on to say how evacuation was the biggest cause of disruption to children’s lives.
“You learn from history, so that you don’t repeat anything that wasn’t good,” he said.
Among the children who re-enacted the evacuation was nine year old, Olivia Elliot.
“It feels chaotic,” she said.
“Yesterday, it felt like a peaceful school day, but today it’s like, first thing in the morning ‘let’s go!’ If that is what it was like for days then I don’t think I could have managed that. Knowing if you’ll get the evacuation boat or miss it. I’m happy I wasn’t born then.”
When questioned on how she’d feel at the idea of being evacuated, for indefinite time, Olivia wasn’t keen at all.
“I don’t think I’d do it, if my sister went, I’d go with her. I’d hope I get put with her becasue she is seven and I’m nine, I’d want to make sure I was with her to ensure she was okay with everything.”
St Martin’s teacher, Sandra De Sousa said the pupils have been doing lots of other work around the evacuation too ahead of their re-enactment.
“We have been learning about World War Two, since January. We’ve looked at how the war began and the local impact; the evacuation, the invasion, the occupation and now we’re building up to liberation. So the children are getting a little taste of the evacuation experience. The excitement but also the un certainty…the not knowing how long the’re going to be away for.”
St Martin’s Douzaine in conjunction with St Martin’s School have built a float that will be in the cavalcade on Liberation Day next week.
The float has been built in the shape of the school and will have the names of the 100 evacuees from the school on one side of it.
It has taken up to 80 hours to build by volunteers.
The float will form part of the Liberation Day cavalcade that is due to arrive in town during the afternoon of Friday 9 May, as part of the 80th anniversary events.
