People's Voices in a People's War: Aberystwyth 1939-1945: Aberystwyth Prepares for the Arrival of Evacuees 1939

In 1939 the Government Evacuation Scheme listed places in England and Wales that were designated as evacuation areas from which young children and vulnerable people were to be moved to safer locations. Cardiganshire was one of ten evacuation reception areas nominated in Wales.

The Ministry of Health Memo in 1939 identified the people who should be evacuated:

* Children of school age in organised groups accompanied by their teachers
*    Pre-school children with mothers
*    Expectant mothers
*    Blind and cripple population so far as removal be feasible

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/homefront/evacuation/pdf/britain.pdf

Aberystwyth Borough Council Minutes of 1939 give a picture of when information was received in Aberystwyth and the actions taken. One of the early steps undertaken in January 1939 was an assessment of the accommodation available in the town.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/homefront/evacuation/pdf/britain.pdf

A letter dated 1st April 1939 from the Ministry of Health informed the Council that Aberystwyth was to be a reception area for Liverpool and that the first group who would be evacuated would be unaccompanied children in school units - but no more than the number for whom voluntary offers of accommodation had already been received. The Ministry decided that 4,000 persons could be accommodated in the town and the Council had the responsibility to make detailed plans for their reception, consulting with transport authorities and the evacuating area.

A few days later on April 5, the Council set up an Evacuation Sub Committee made up of representatives of the YMCA, the WVS, elementary schools, the British Legion, Urdd Gobaith Cymru and a representative of each church and chapel in the town.

In May,at a conference of local authorities in Cardiganshire it was initially stated that the county as a whole would be expected to receive 14,200 persons under the Evacuation Scheme but at this point in time the estimate was for 3,190 evacuees to come to Aberystwyth, 2,360 to Aberystwyth Rural District and none to the other boroughs and districts in the county. The Aberystwyth allocation of 3,190 was made up as follows:

Elementary school children   1450
Teachers and helpers   140
Pre school children and mothers/guardians   1440
Expectant mothers   120
Adult blind persons   40

They would arrive in four train loads of 800 persons each, two trains arriving on each of the first two days of evacuation. Householders who had volunteered to take children were sent letters of thanks from the Ministry of Health and the Mayor. They were also given a card to display in the window to show that they had volunteered to take on this form of National Service. These probably reflected the sentiments shown in the poster below.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war

In June 1939, the Council received news that the University College of Wales was expecting to receive 250 students from London and 250 from Liverpool. It was hoped that the students would be able to make use of houses on the College’s list of approved lodgings. Because of these extra numbers the Town Clerk requested a reduction by one train load of evacuee children to be received in Aberystwyth because it was felt that an unfair burden had been placed on the town compared with the rest of the county. There were also fears that the schools would be unable to cope and that the town’s water supply might prove inadequate.

By July 1939 arrangements had been made for a Medical Officer of Health and first aid staff to be in attendance at Alexandra Road Schools when the children arrived. Each church and chapel would appoint an Assistant Billeting Officer who would collect their group of children from Alexandra Road School, take them to be fed and then show them to their billets. The formal order to evacuate children was given on 31 August 1939, three days before war broke out. The photograph below shows evacuees leaving Liverpool for Aberystwyth in September 1939

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/second-world-war-local-evacuees-10512910

The WVS and local places of worship played a key role in receiving the children. However there were serious concerns about some children’s health. On 4th September 1939, the Council received a letter which asked, “owing to the verminous character of a large percentage of the evacuees received into the town” what steps would be taken to cleanse them? The Council decided that nurses would carry out initial checks referring children on to doctors when necessary. The Ministry of Health had stated that evacuees would be given medical attention free of charge.

By October 1939, the Chief Billeting Officer reported that the following evacuees had arrived in Aberystwyth:

971 unaccompanied children
53 Helpers
41 teachers
231 mothers with 351 children of pre- school age.

Evacuees Arriving at Aberystwyth on their way to Alexandra School, photo NLW/LLGC

Before long plans were made for play areas in the town for the children, for example at Plascrug. On 7th October, an entertainment for evacuees was held at King’s Hall arranged by the High Sheriff of the county. That same month the Council appealed to Liverpool authorities for extra clothing for evacuees and requested a female doctor and health visitors

On December 17th, the Director of Education of Liverpool visited Aberystwyth to check on how the children were faring. Meanwhile a Christmas party was arranged for the evacuees at the Kings Hall which was largely organised by the WVS, with funding towards it requested from Liverpool.

A bright spot at the end of the year was the decision to open The King’s Hall cafe on a Sunday to allow parents from Liverpool to come and meet their children and have meals at cost price. Once again the WVS were key in providing this opportunity and their frequent appeals for volunteers throughout the land hints at both their industry and organization and also the need of as many hands as possible to do this vital work.