Evacuee Boys (9 page)

First of all I want to convince you that your assumptions – that it would be silly to camp in an open field where there are no shelters – is entirely incorrect and erroneous. Of course, when you are in a town with lots of houses and buildings, then if an air-raid occurs, your best policy is to stay in the house or go to a shelter and then you will be protected from flying glass and debris. In the country, however, the best thing to do is to go out into a field – far away from houses and be on the ground. Then you will not be hit by glass or debris. That is the reason why they make trenches in open places such as Hyde Park.

We shall be camping (if you do not want us to go alone, we need not except when we are on a Troop or Patrol camp) in a field like that, where we shall be safer than anywhere else from aerial attack. It is doubtful whether a German bomber would waste bombs on an open field. The tents will be camouflaged so as to be invisible from the air, & so – if you refer to the cruelty of German airmen who machine-gun women and children – he will not even spot us. If where is a direct hit near us, it does not matter whether we are in a town or in the country or in a field, it will finish us off. THE CHANCES ARE THAT WE ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE HIT IN AN OPEN FIELD where there is no object in bombing or machine-gunning than in Melksham or any other places. Besides do you imagine that the Scouting authorities and the Ministry of Home Defence would permit camping if it was unsafe! Camping is prohibited within a certain radius of military objectives as I can safely say that we shall not be attacked & we are safer in the fields than in town.

Up to now I have explained why you should not forbid me to camp. Now I shall say why it is important that you should send me camping, not keep me at home, as you know, my physique is weak, & I need as much open air, sunlight and exercise as I can get hold of, & I should never miss a chance of strengthening my muscles, expand my chest, & making me look more like a champ. You know that whenever I came back from camp I looked healthier & better than ever. Besides it will relieve the monotony of country-life, & of swotting for the Cambridge & it will give me a better chance to get on more friendly terms with other boys – another very important factor in my after-life. You know very well that you cannot get on without any friends, & I have no real friends up to now in the true meaning of the word. As a Patrol Leader, my presence is almost essential at a camp to set good example to other boys, to gain experience and to instruct recruits from the experience & knowledge I have gained.

The camping ground is only 3½ miles from Melksham so we can cycle there in about 20 minutes at the most. I hope I have convinced you upon this point so I ask you to write saying that you give me & John permission to camp any time during the camping season, signed by one of you. THERE IS NO NEED FOR UNEASINESS OR ANXIETY on the matter as the Scoutmaster & other Scouts are quite proficient in A.R.P. [Air Raid Precautions] & first aid, the two factors which are most important nowadays. Remember this when you want to argue from the point of view that there are no shelters to protect us. – The use of shelters is for protection from flying glass & debris. In an open field far away from houses, glass & debris cannot reach you. In Melksham, there are no shelters that would protect you from direct hits so you are safer in the fields.

By now you will have heard that Italy declared War on us, & I am just hoping that Hungary will keep out of it until she is invaded by Germany & she comes in with the allies. Otherwise I think it will only help us defeating Germany for Italian troops are not much good. I daresay in a few weeks time Mussolini will find it safer in Abyssinia than in Rome.

Please send some money as soon as you can because I have the laundry to get out (2/8) & we have no money. There are other things to buy too, such as a new spoke for the bike John is using, & my tyres will not last long either.

I am afraid John cannot write on this letter because he is in school. I am going on Thursday.

Lots of love from,

Andrew

25
June
1940

Dear Mum & Dad,

I am afraid I cannot be quite as prompt in my reply as you might have expected, because the matter of reevacuation naturally wants a great deal of consideration & I admit that I have not yet come to a conclusion & I have had no adequate chance to speak to a master yet.

However, here are my arguments. Naturally it would be hard for all of us to be separated for such a long time, but if other things point to the fact that it would be more advantageous for us to forget the sentimental side of the question then we shall drop that. Of course it would be a grand thing to go overseas for a short time especially to the U.S.A. In fact I should ask you to consult Uncle Arthur
18
on the matter. But another more important question is, how will it affect our education! I shall be sixteen in December so I shall probably have to come back then, & I doubt if John would want to stay there any longer whereas I do not see how he could come back, since you sent him to be safe. My Cambridge studies will have to be interrupted, & I do not know whether it would not ruin my career if I did not get that, as you cannot get very far without some qualification as the Cambridge, Oxford or Matriculation. Naturally it would have a good effect if I could see something of the New World, but am I not too young to go & ‘see the world’? I think that the time for that will come when I shall have finished my home education & shall be called Dr. Andrew Forbat.

Another point for which we might not be eligible in that we are not British subjects. They can only take a limited number at a time & the first 20,000 has been over applied for. I rather think that they will consider British boys’ applications first, & by the time our turn might come I shall be sixteen.

I shall not say whether I want to go or not. It is a question of is it better to stay or go. Certainly it would be adventure, fun, new experience & friends, but on the other hand I might lose valuable education & a career of a lifetime. The other two factors are more of safety, & sentimental feeling. I leave you to balance all these up one against the other & decide.

We had an air-raid warning last night when a south west town was raided, but no bombs were dropped in or near Melksham & I think it was a waste of time staying under the stairs, for two hours. I bet Granny was excited when the sirens were sounding in London.

I endeavour to post the letter tomorrow which a few lines from John & do not be cross for being slow to reply.

The winder of my watch fell off & I took it in. It will cost me 3/6. Besides, my bicycle tyres are really worn through, & they will cost me in the neighbourhood of 5/6. It seems to me that I shall have to try & get a part time job outside school-hours, with your permission of course.

With lots of love from,

Andrew

2
July
1940

Dear Mum & Dad,

Thank you very much fo[r] your last letter, & as I was disappointed in the ‘enclosure’, I am afraid this will have to be an ‘expensive’ letter.

I have not got the job of taking the paper round but I shall try with the milk, or other before-school jobs. I must earn a few shillings a week, because I very badly need new tyres for my bike, as they are so worn-out that I get a puncture every other day.

I have had a very pleasant time at camp last week-end. Mrs. Kelly gave me 2/6 as my share towards buying the food, otherwise I could not have gone. This week-end I hope to go to a Patrol-Leaders’ Camp at Lacock, & after that John will be able to come with me every time.

I thank you for the advice about air-raids – of course we should not have been looking out of the windows anyhow. From now on, I ask you to carry your gasmasks all the time. In my opinion, the Germans are likely to invade us any hour now, & I think that one of their methods of creating panic will be by gas. You must be prepared for real mass air-raids on London too, as they will hope to cause as much confusion as possible. Very likely, they will come from the West by aeroplane, because they will not expect to find so much resistance there. Be prepared, however and whichever way they strike, and follow the instructions on your leaflet ‘If the invader comes’ carefully. Have you cleared the office of inflammable materials? Did you tell your neighbours about putting out fires caused by incendiary bombs? Do you know how to use a stirrup-pump? If I were you, I should see your warden about these matters.

I am afraid it would be impossible for us to come down to London now. I have already missed a great deal through my mumps, & I am stilly busy catching-up. I could not afford to come down now. Besides, we are faced with the most critical weeks of the British Empire, & I think it would be to our mutual advantages if, for the time being, we should stay-put. What about you coming sown to see us though!

I have just heard (3-7-40) that instead of summer holidays, we shall have Mondays & Fridays off throughout July.

We shall have no P.L.s’ camp this week-end – but we might go camping all the same. The trouble is that the six-form boys (for only they are going this week-end) do not want John to go with them. But I shall do my best to persuade them.

Well I shall leave off now, to post the letter. I am afraid it always takes come time to get a letter finished & posted. If you can please send my tent down. Don’t forget to put money in the next letter, & please write two notes (one to Mr. Redfearn & one to the Scoutmaster) that you give me permission to be A.R.P. messenger.

Lots of love from,

Andrew

13
July
1940

Dear Mum & Dad,

Thank you for the letter & the money inside it. (Not for the grumbling about not writing).

I am afraid I have a bit of bad news but don’t worry. John fell on his arm while running and split the radius and the ulna (two bones in the forearm). John was playing on Thursday night, & while running, he slipped on a bit of wet wood. I[t] was all out-of-shape, & John thought it was dislocated. He went straight to Dr. Campbell, who told him to go to the hospital at 10.30 a.m. At the hospital he had two X-ray’s taken & the Doctor found that it was broken. He put it in plaster (gipsz) & then applied a large arm sling. HOWEVER, PLEASE DON’T worry, he did not even cry when it happened – it does not hurt much, & the situation is far from serious, in fact it is quite a lucky accident (‘But it’s not a proper fracture’ – shouts John) – hence can you see that he is all right.

I had my first wages today, together with your 2/- however, result of day’s spending leaves me with 2½
d
. Here – my statement of account – all important items:-