Operation Pied Piper Collection

The evacuation called Operation Pied Piper was the British government decision to relocate its children out of urban centres to locations where the risk of bombing attacks was low or non-existent

Evacuees during World War Two. 3rd September 1939

Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, walking down a country road. 1939 / 40
Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, walking down a country road. 1939/40

Three weeks old Raymond Ratford, the youngest evacuee, photographed with the mother. The second convoy of London evacuees

Children of St. Benedicts Road School, Small Heath during their evacuation rehearsal 28th August 1939

World War Two, evacuation of children. Written in the faces of these children, setting off to safety is a tale of fears and doubts hardly formed in their bewildered minds

Paddington Station, c1940
A group of nurses wave off a train load of evacuees during World War 2. The mass evacuation of children from cities and towns, known as Operation Pied Piper, began in 1939

Children waiting to be evacuated from Southampton 1940, to avoid the WW2 German air raids

Children from London evacuated to South Wales. October 1940

Evacuated Birmingham schoolchildren seen here cooling off with an ice cream whilst taking in the sights of Stratford of Avon. 4th September 1939

Evacuees arrive in back in London. It was good to to see a London bobby again. 4th September 1940

Evacuees from Bitterne Park School, Southampton. June 1940

Children evacuated from Lathom Road, East London during World War II. Circa 1939

A little group of Birmingham children who as a result of the evacuation, have exchanged the citys crowded streets for the peace and calm of an un-named Warwickshire village. 4th September 1939

Evacuated Birmingham schoolchildren seen here taking in the sights of Stratford of Avon. 4th September 1939

Coo they ve taken to country town life have these Bzz Bomb evacuee kids from Rainham, Essex. This cheery party was photographed walking through Wilmslow, Cheshire. July 1944

Headmaster of St Michaels Church School, Buckingham Palace Road, giving children last minute instructions for tomorrows evacuation. 3rd September 1939

A deserted village, Stokenham, Devon, England, World War Two. The US Army have taken over the village in South West England, whilst the inhabitants have been evacuated to safety

Evacuees in Southampton, Hampshire. June 1940

Scene in Church Street, at Isle Abbotts Village in Taunton. Evacuee children surround village postman Bertie Adams hoping for parcels and letters from their London and South Coast homes

Children evacuated from London during World War II. Circa 1939

Mrs Rivers walking with evacuee children at St Pancras. They are returning from Suffolk. September 1939

Scene in the queue at Paddington Station, London, for the train to Wales. July 1944

Evacuees in London. Circa 1939

Children being evacuated from East Coast areas. 2nd June 1940

Evacuation scenes at Euston Station, London, boarding a train to Lancashire. July 1944

Evacuees at a London station. Circa 1939

Evacuees in Birmingham. June 1940

Wardens with tin hats hold children hands as they walk from Moor Street Station in an evacuation exercise prior to the outbreak of WWII. 1st September 1939

Children of St. Benedicts Road School, Small Heath, listen to instructions from the head master during their evacuation rehearsal 28th August 1939

Pupils of Walworth Central School, making their way across the Elephant and Castle on their way to their receiving station for the great evacuation. 6th September 1939

Evacuees during World War Two. 26th August 1939

Headmaster of St Michaels Church School, Buckingham Palace Road, giving children last minute instructions for tomorrows evacuation. 3rd September 1939

Flashback to the dark days of 1939, as Liverpool children board a bus to take them to safety. 1st September 1939

Evacuation rehearsal at St. Michaels Church School, Buckingham Palace Road
Evacuation rehearsal at St.Michaels Church School, Buckingham Palace Road. 4th September 1939

Headmaster Mr Rixon gives last minute instructions to children at St Michaels Church School, Buckingham Palace Road for their evacuation the next day September 1939

World War Two - Evacuation of children

Evacuees bound for Canada arrives at their assembly point for registration before going on to join their ship. The practice of evacuating children overseas stopped after a liner carrying several

WW2 Children Evacuees Children carry and push along their belongings in improvised wheelbarrows as they are evacuted to the coutryside for their safety during WW2

Children of Pimlico, London who attend St Michaels Church School on Buckingham Palace Road, packing for tomorrows evacuation

Rehearsal of evacuation at St Michaels School London 1939 WW2

Schoolchildren at St Michaels Church School in Buckingham Palace Road London rehearse for a possible evacuation during WW2 1939

World War Two - Evacuation of children from the safety of the English countryside at the start of the Secopnd World War

Evacuated children leave with their cases from their Leicestershire home as they head for London from where they were evacuated during the bombing raids. June 1945

Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, running down a country road. 1939 / 40
Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, running down a country road. 1939/40

Naval cadets from the Thames Nautical College training ship HMS Worcester are being evacuated from Greenhithe to the countryside

Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, England. 1939 / 40
Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, England. 1939/40

Evacuated children go for a ramble in Wye, Kent. 1939

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"Operation Pied Piper: Safeguarding Innocence Amidst War" In the midst of World War Two, the British government made a crucial decision to protect their most vulnerable citizens - the children. Evacuated children in Wye, Kent, were captured walking down a serene country road in 1939/40, leaving behind their familiar homes and embarking on an uncertain journey. Among these young evacuees was three-week-old Raymond Ratford, photographed with his mother. The image symbolized the heart-wrenching separation experienced by families during this time. Operation Pied Piper aimed to ensure their safety amidst chaos and destruction. At St. Benedicts Road School in Small Heath, Birmingham, children rehearsed for evacuation. Their innocent faces masked both excitement and fear as they prepared for an unknown future away from home. Paddington Station became a hub of emotions as children waited anxiously to be evacuated from Southampton in 1940. This mass movement sought to shield them from German air raids that threatened their lives daily. Even amidst uncertainty and upheaval, moments of joy emerged. Birmingham schoolchildren found respite from the scorching summer heat with ice cream treats while on evacuation duty – a small taste of normalcy amid turmoil. As some evacuees returned back to London after periods spent away from home, relief washed over them at seeing familiar sights once more – including the comforting presence of London bobbies who ensured their safety throughout this trying time. The impact of war was etched onto every face; it was written in the eyes and expressions of these brave young souls who endured unimaginable circumstances during World War Two's evacuation efforts on September 3rd, 1939. London sent its precious cargo across borders too – South Wales welcomed evacuated children from the capital city in October 1940. In unfamiliar surroundings but surrounded by newfound companionship among fellow evacuees, they embarked on a shared journey towards hope and survival.