Home Front - Evacuation
Many schools across the North East geared up at the beginning of September 1939 to receive evacuees from other parts of Scotland. To facilitate this, schools were closed until 11 September to allow for the arrival, billeting, and general settling in of the large amounts of evacuees.
It was not only children who were evacuated – mothers, siblings, and even teachers were also evacuated from the cities.
The following examples from various school log books show how different schools coped with these new arrivals.
On the 2nd September 1939, the day before war was officially declared, the headmaster at Culter School writes that :
"Approximately 813 evacuees from Glasgow were detained at Culter Railway Station last night, and were received by the Headmaster who is Assistant Reception Officer. They were taken to the school from which they were afterwards distributed to billets. Those who could not be sent to billets were housed for the night in the Recreation Hall and the Public Hall in Culter".
This arrival of over 813 people in Culter must have resulted in quite a feat of organisation to have the majority of them billeted by the next day. It must also have increased the local population somewhat!
The school at Collieston, though not operating the "double-shift" system following the arrival of evacuees, nevertheless sounds like it may have been rather cramped, as the headteacher notes on 11 September 1939:
As this entry from Portlethen School shows, not all evacuees had very far to travel - in this case, they came from Dundee, around 60 miles away.
Inverey School was situated around 4 miles to the west of Braemar and must rank as one of the remotest in the area. Nonetheless, the war had an effect on it, and a number of evacuees were sent, as the headteacher notes:
[Originally from our online Home Front exhibition, 2010]
It was not only children who were evacuated – mothers, siblings, and even teachers were also evacuated from the cities.
The following examples from various school log books show how different schools coped with these new arrivals.
"Approximately 813 evacuees from Glasgow were detained at Culter Railway Station last night, and were received by the Headmaster who is Assistant Reception Officer. They were taken to the school from which they were afterwards distributed to billets. Those who could not be sent to billets were housed for the night in the Recreation Hall and the Public Hall in Culter".
This arrival of over 813 people in Culter must have resulted in quite a feat of organisation to have the majority of them billeted by the next day. It must also have increased the local population somewhat!
"School re-opened today. Twenty-two Glasgow pupils were enrolled. Ten in the Infant Department and twelve in the Primary. Miss Reston from Glasgow is teaching Prim I & II and the Head Teacher Infants I & II. The Glasgow children have been absorbed - no "double-shifts" being necessary. The cloakroom is being used as a classroom but furnishings for it are required.
Two privately evacuated children have been enrolled. The roll - including Glasgow children is now thirty-five."
As this entry from Portlethen School shows, not all evacuees had very far to travel - in this case, they came from Dundee, around 60 miles away.
"With the arrival of Misses Phimm, Honeyman and Sutherland from Dundee, a "double-shift" system began today. Local scholars attend 9.0 am to 1.0 pm and Dundee scholars 1.0 pm to 5.0 pm. The schools attend alternate Saturdays 9.0 am to 1.0 pm."
Inverey School was situated around 4 miles to the west of Braemar and must rank as one of the remotest in the area. Nonetheless, the war had an effect on it, and a number of evacuees were sent, as the headteacher notes:
"School reopened this morning. The local children are to attend the morning session while the Evacuee children from Glasgow will attend in the afternoon."
The addition of 22 Glasgow pupils, along with 2 others who were privately evacuated (meaning they were not part of the Government scheme) more than doubled the original school roll of 13 - it is no wonder that the cloakroom had to be used as a classroom!
[Originally from our online Home Front exhibition, 2010]
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