History of Oceania

Were some children evacuated to different countries?

During World War II, a significant evacuation effort called "Operation Pied Piper" was put into place by the British government to relocate schoolchildren from urban areas considered at danger of bombardment to safer rural locations. During the conflict, the program moved over 1.5 million children. While the majority of the children were displaced inside the United Kingdom, between 1940 and 1945, some were also sent abroad as part of the government-sponsored wartime evacuations.

Here is a brief summary of the foreign evacuation destinations for British children during World War II:

Canada: The British Children's Overseas Reception Board helped send roughly 1,500 children to Canada as part of a program known as "The Children's Overseas Reception Scheme." The majority of these children came from the Channel Islands, particularly the island of Guernsey. In safe, welcoming Canadian homes, they were given lodging and education.

Australia: Although not as many British children were sent to Australia as to Canada, some did so as a result of the British and Australian governments' cooperation. These kids who were evacuated were given sanctuary from the war and access to education in Australian schools and foster families.

New Zealand: Another nation that welcomed a tiny number of British children who had been evacuated during the war was New Zealand. They shared in the experiences of their Australian and Canadian counterparts.

Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe): A small group of British children were transported to Rhodesia as part of the evacuation effort.

Children were not forcibly evacuated; rather, parents took the decision based on their own assessments of the children's safety. Evacuation was also voluntary for the countries of destination, and they accepted children on the basis that they would be provided for and educated according to the existing rules and regulations of their respective nations.

In general, the wartime evacuations of British children abroad were an attempt to preserve vulnerable lives and give kids who were experiencing war firsthand a more serene environment in which to continue their education and growth.