Evacuation to Canada

Lesson at a glance

Suitable for: Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4

Time period: Second World War 1939-1945

Suggested inquiry questions: Use these documents to find out why children were evacuated to Canada during the Second World War.

Potential activities: Students research oral testimonies concerning evacuation in Britain during the Second World War.

Download: Lesson pack

How much care was really taken?

During the Second World War, children and those at risk were taken to places of safety to protect them from bombs and war damage. Often when we think of evacuation we think of people evacuated from London to the countryside. However, this doesn’t tell the whole story. Some children were evacuated to other British Dominions (countries that were part of the British Empire) such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

Use the original documents in this lesson to find out what happened to children who were evacuated to Canada. How was this plan organised? How were these children looked after?


Tasks

1. Read Source 1. This is an extract from a radio address given by Dr R.C. Wallace, Chairman of the National Committee for Children from Overseas.

  • Why is it useful for historians studying evacuation overseas in 1940 to know that this source is a radio broadcast?
  • Why was there a feeling that children of Britain ‘should be placed in safety’?
  • What was C.O.R.B.?

Place these events below in the correct order:

  • Provincial authorities took charge
  • Transported to provincial clearing centres
  • Children classified, transport arranged
  • Applications received
  • Received by Department of Immigration
  • CORB set up
  • Children placed in carefully selected homes
  • Same agencies could sort out any problem

2. Read Source 2. Extract from a radio address given by Dr R.C. Wallace.

  • What other forms of evacuation to Canada were there before the government plan?
  • Can you explain what Dr Wallace means by saying: ‘What we can do for these young people is small indeed when weighed against what their parents are doing for us’?
  • Why do you think Dr Wallace made this broadcast to Canadians?

3. Read Source 3. This is part of George Parr’s record.

  • How old was George when this form was completed?
  • Where had he lived before evacuation?
  • What had George requested?
  • How does the report describe George’s qualities and personality?

4. Read Source 4. This is an official memo relating to the placement of the Parr children.

  • What is the problem?
  • Remembering what George Parr wanted (Source 3), suggest three reasons why the ‘consideration’ is sensible
  • What is the final result?

5. Read Source 5. These are just two of many sources relating to George Parr and his two sisters.

Further evidence includes a psychiatrist report, special health survey, visitor’s report on their foster home, application form from their foster parents, together with many official letters. One letter from Mr Blois (Director the Department of the Public Health Nova Scotia) to Mr Reagh (George’s foster father) includes a request:

  • What do you think the large number of documents shows about the standard of care for these evacuated children?
  • What does the request from Mr Blois show?

6. Read Source 6. Letter from the Office of High Commissioner for the UK, Ottawa, Canada to the Director General of C.O.R.B.

  • What does the author of the letter mean by the words ‘top drawer’?
  • Why do you think the author asked that the homes should not be especially selected from the ‘top drawer’?

7. Read Source 7. This is another section from the letter seen in Source 6:

  • Why could Celia, mentioned in this source, be described as somewhat big-headed?
  • According to this source, how good was the choice of her foster-parents?
  • Why was the careful choice of foster-parents so important? (Try to use words from the source in your explanation)
  • Would this case be a good example to show parents in Britain worried about evacuating their child?

8. Read Source 8. This is more of the letter seen in Sources 6 and 7.

  • Where had these children come from?
  • Find three examples of evidence to suggest that they were enjoying their foster home
  • Is there any evidence to suggest that their foster father (Mr Kelly) was also enjoying looking after them? Explain your answer
  • Look back to your answer for Source 2c. Compare the broadcast with the report in Source 8 – why would this have been unsuitable to broadcast to Canadians?

9. Read Source 9. Near the end of the letter, the author writes, ‘I found it difficult to credit that these…households were not “show pieces”‘. Why do you think he wrote this?

10. Using all the source evidence you have examined, together with your previous answers, write a paragraph explaining your answer to: ‘How much care was really taken over Canadian evacuation?’

In your answer, make sure you:

  • Explain your opinion backed up with evidence
  • Identify whether real care was taken – or were official forms just completed?
  • Suggest whether this shows the whole picture – is there any suggestion that there might be different examples of care? Do you have all the evidence you need?

Background

Soon after Hitler came to power, Britain secretly made plans for evacuation – moving infants, schoolchildren and some adults to the countryside. In September 1939, several days before war was officially declared, the plan was put into action. Many evacuees returned home by early 1940 as the expected heavy air raids hadn’t taken place. With the Blitz later that same year, evacuation hurriedly begun again.

The original plans were just to evacuate people to places of safety in Britain, not overseas. As the Second World War progressed and an invasion of Britain became increasing likely, offers from British dominions and other countries were taken seriously. Many felt it would a sensible option, meaning children and others could be kept safe, far away from the war whilst also reducing the demand for limited food and resources in Britain.

Evacuation overseas began on a small scale and those featured in this lesson are examples of children send to Canada. The number of evacuees sent overseas was never to reach huge proportions though. Passenger ships that had been used to transport evacuees were soon needed for more important duties, such as movement of troops and prisoners. Once this began, any remaining passenger ships that could be used for evacuation became an even more obvious target for German U-boats.

In August 1940 the SS Volendam, carrying British children, was torpedoed, but thankfully all passengers were rescued. In September 1940, the SS City of Benares travelling from Liverpool to Canada was sunk with the loss of 77 children and over 200 adults. The British government immediately stopped the overseas evacuation scheme.

In total some 3,000 children were evacuated under the government scheme, with around 10,000 evacuated privately. This was a small proportion when compared with those evacuated within Britain. Nevertheless, as this lesson illustrates, the part played by British dominions in offering a place of safety and security for those in danger during the Second World War should not be overlooked.


Teachers' notes

In this lesson students explore another aspect of evacuation during the Second World War, namely the scheme which sent children to Canada. They investigate the organisation and bureaucracy behind the process and uncover the experiences of some of the children who were evacuated. All sources are provided with transcripts. Students could work on the sources individually or pairs and report back to the group with their findings.

To start with, students examine two extracts from an original broadcast by Dr R.C. Wallace, Chairman of the National Committee for Children from Overseas. The broadcast explains the origin of the Children’s Overseas Reception Board and how it organised the evacuation of children to Canada from parents who applied for their children to take part in the scheme.

The following source is an extract from the record of George Parr from the Department of the Public Health Nova Scotia (Canada). This is followed by an official memo relating to the placement of the Parr siblings. It is worth pointing out to the students that the photograph at the top of the lesson shows the three Parr children. Both sources are interesting as they infer a lot about how placements were made and how the children were cared for in the process. It is worth noting too that although the record for George Parr shows he was attending a school for the blind, this was only as a temporary placement when he reached Canada, and none of the Parr children were visually impaired.

Further sources show how child placements were monitored and news about them sent to parents at home. By way of conclusion, students are asked to make their own assessment of the proposition based on the evidence: How much care of the children was taken with Canadian evacuation? In addition, students could discuss with their students:

  • Why did Britain attempt this plan in 1940?
  • How did the organisation of Canadian evacuation compare to evacuation within Britain?
  • Take a look at some of these oral/written accounts of child evacuees during the Second World War?
  • What is the difference between evacuation and migration?
  • How does this evacuation compare to earlier attempts in the 19th Century to migrate children to Canada? Teachers could use our lesson in related resources on this topic in discussion.

Sources

Image : Photograph of Betty, George and Doris Parr at their ‘foster home’ in Canada – DO 131/47

Source 1 and 2 : excerpt from a radio address given by Dr R.C. Wallace (chairman of the National Committee for Children from Overseas) on 3 November 1940 – DO 131/45

Source 3 : History and record of George Parr from the Department of the Public Health Nova Scotia (Canada), 9 August 1940 – DO 131/47

Source 4 : Official memo relating to the placement of the Parr children – DO 131/47

Source 5 : excerpt from a letter from Mr Blois (Director of the Department of Public Health Nova Scotia) to Mr Reagh (George’s foster father) – DO 131/47

Sources 6 – 9 : letter from the Office of High Commissioner for the UK, Ottawa, Canada to the Director General of C.O.R.B., London, 23 September 1940 – DO 131/45


External links

Children and the Second World War
An online resource with information and first-hand accounts of the lives of children and their evacuation during World War II.

Northshields173.org
Information about the North Shields Air Raid in 1941, including personal stories and photographs.

Connections to curriculum

Key stage 1 & 2
Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.
A study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)

Key stage 3
Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day

Key stage 4
AQA GCSE History
Thematic study: Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day

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Lesson at a glance

Suitable for: Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4

Time period: Second World War 1939-1945

Suggested inquiry questions: Use these documents to find out why children were evacuated to Canada during the Second World War.

Potential activities: Students research oral testimonies concerning evacuation in Britain during the Second World War.

Download: Lesson pack

Related resources

The Home Front

How did people prepare for the war at home?

Child migration

Why were children sent to Canada in 1869-1913?

Evacuation to Shropshire

What happened to children who were sent away?