Family Historian User Group

Is there anywhere I can find out more about where a relative was evacuated to as a child during WW2? I imagine that there might be a register somewhere which is as yet unavailable due to it being in the relatively recent past, but I thought I check you with guys in the know

Could someone confirm/refute also that pregnant women were also evacuated? If so would this necessarily be with their existing children?

Where can I find out in a more general way about how evacuation was organised?

Regarding the men who were called up to serve, where can I find a list of occupations that were exempt and of any other criteria? What was the upper age limit to be called up?

Thanks again for everyones help [smile]

ID:2515

There is a short article on reserved occupations on the peoples war site at the bbc

My ex-husband was born in Oxford because his mother had been evacuated there from London when the Blitz started...however, she wasn't happy away from John's dad so she moved back again after John was born, taking him with her. They had no other children so can't answer the second half of that question.

In other wars, my father was born in Fort George, the headquarters of the Seaforth Highlanders, during WW1 because all the regimental wives had been moved into the Fort while the regiment was fighting in France. Wanted to keep an eye on them I suppose!

Jocelyn

There's a useful site at http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ev ... on_WW2.htm which includes a transcript of a government advice leaflet issued in 1939.

It says 'The government have accordingly made plans for the removal from what are called “evacuable” areas to safer places called “reception” areas, of school children, children below school age if accompanied by their mothers or other responsible persons, and expectant mothers and blind persons.'

The rest of the leaflet is also relevant and also provides much background information.

My father was a butcher, which was a reserved occupation - at least it was at the start of the war. I should imagine that  any occupation connected with feeding the country was also reserved. As the war progressed, however,  my father's occupation became gradually less reserved, as it were. At first he was required to spend two days a week with the local fire brigade in Harrogate, Yorkshire, In 1943/4 the job of butcher must have come off the reserved list altogether and he was sent his 'call up' papers.  He expressed a preference for the RAF but was told that as the Fire Service had trained him he had to stay with it. From that point on he was a full-time member of the National Fire Service and was stationed on airfields in Kent for the remainder of the war.

There's also an article on conscription at http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/conscription.htm - don't know why I couldn't find it earlier!
Hope this helps