Description:At any one time in the past some children were on the move, whether as ‘child migrants’ sent to the colonies, as evacuees during World War 2, or as refugees escaping from war or persecution.
Children travelled to and from Birmingham, on their own, with other children, or in family groups. Between 1874 and World War 2 over 6,000 children were sent to Canada and Australia by Middlemore Homes, most of whom never returned. On 1 September 1939, two days before war was declared against Germany, over 25,000 children were evacuated from Birmingham to other parts of the UK.
Those who came to Birmingham included children from Belgium during World War 1, children from Austria in 1920, and Jewish children escaping Nazi persecution in the 1930s. Some of these children stayed in Birmingham whilst others returned home. At times of major world crises Birmingham school children raised money and awareness on behalf of children at risk in other parts of the world.
Image: Evacuation of children from Snow Hill Station
World War 2 affected the lives of children far more than any previous war. The fear of enemy bombing raids over British cities led to the mass evacuation of children to safer, rural areas. Between August 1940 and April 1943 Birmingham was hit by 77 enemy bombing raids, killing over 2,000 people and destroying over 5,000 homes.
The first evacuation train left Birmingham at 8.20 am on Friday 1 September 1939. Over two days more than 25,000 school children, 4,000 teachers and over 12,000 mothers with small children were evacuated from the city. There were further evacuations in October and November. About 175,000 children remained in the city, and the schools which had closed on the outbreak of war had to reopen. Many children were schooled at home.