MILES FROM HOME
Evacuees in Timberscombe During the Second World War
On the first weekend of September 1939, just before Britain declared war on Germany, 1.5 million British schoolchildren and mothers with children under the age of five were evacuated by train from the large cities most likely to be attacked. They were billeted in private homes in rural villages across England. Forty of them were placed in a small Somerset village called Timberscombe. Only a few are still living.
Pieced together, these first-hand accounts create an intimate portrait of a small English village during war time, its people and the evacuees who lived among them.
“A wonderful collection of personal anecdotes which bring this vibrant portion of history to life. Bit by bit, one finds in these stories the connections between friends and neighbours, teachers and parents, shop keepers and other villagers and shared experiences of community and war. The snapshot becomes a three-dimensional movie.”
“Skillfully woven in with descriptions of the local gentry and rural society, and written with empathy about the situations encountered by the village children and their urban visitors. An excellent read.”