Operation Pied Piper

As well as being the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 2 today also marked the 70th anniversary of Operation Pied Piper, the mass evacuation of 1.5 million children, mothers, pensioners and vulnerable people from the cities to the perceived safety of the countryside. My Mother was an evacuee so i decided to see what she could remember of the time.

Not everyone was evacuated in September 1939, Mum doesn't think she was as she could remember sheltering from the German bombers so it was perhaps in 1940 when she, aged 5, and some friends were among children evacuated from Birmingham and sent into the countryside. She ended up in a hall somewhere near Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire. Her older brother had gone elsewhere but Mum was told to "stay with Brenda" and so she went off with 4 friends to stay with the Rileys in a farmhouse near Donisthorpe.

The experiences of evacuees differed greatly, some were very well cared for while others did not have a good time. My Mum's experiences were "OK", most of the family looking after them were nice though there was some "spite" from others.

Whether that is why they decided to run away back to Birmingham, as happened when my Mum's elder brother joined them, is unknown. They sneaked away from the farmhouse and got on a bus for Birmingham. My Mum being told to not admit she was 5 so she wouldn't have to pay the fare! When they got back to Aston they were immediately spotted and then sent back to their evacuation house after no doubt a talking to by the police!

Mum's Mum came to visit them when she could though later on they got a cottage near to the Riley farmhouse and lived there for some time before returning to Birmingham once the threat from bombing had lessened, perhaps in 1942.