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Sunday, September 1 marked the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II. On that day in 1939, German troops crossed the border into Poland, setting off the greatest war the world has ever known.
Many children were uprooted and evacuated to various places of ‘safety’..............
The Evacuee's
Folkestone's train Station was a sad place that day,
With scores of children being sent away,
On the platform they waited, names on their label,
Carrying gas masks, those that were able.
The Battle of Britain had been fought and won,
But still the bombers continued to come,
The safety of children was an issue to solve,
So to send them to safe places a plan was evolved,
A young girl only nine, with her brother aged three,
Were standing together as quiet as can be,
They'd just left their Mother, at home quietly weeping,
As her children departed safe sanctuary seeking.
The train steamed away at a slow pace,
It soon picked up speed and started to race,
It's cargo of Children frightened and pale,
Leaving their families that they all loved so well.
They hadn't been told where they were going,
Their future uncertain, no way of knowing,
Who would look after them, where would they stay,
Would they come back to their families one day?
The train's momentum rocked many to sleep,
Some sat quietly, others tried not to weep,
At journey's end to a large hall they were sent,
To await kind host families was the intent.
Bleary eyed they sat patiently, until made aware,
Of volunteer families who said they would care,
As dusk came, only two children were untaken,
A girl and her brother had both been forsaken.
Many had said, "we'll take her but not the other"
The girl would reply, "I come with my brother,"
Then a couple who had turned up late came in,
"We'll take them both," they knew they'd not win.
Because my sister was adamant, she wouldn't be parted,
Tackling this nine year old wasn't for the faint hearted!
We'd always lived together down by the sea,
And we would continue to do so, as evacuee's.............
The young girl returned after the war, with her little brother.
To the siblings they’d missed and were reunited with mother,
The family was quite large and she helped mum, who fell ill,
Sadly mum never recovered, but our sister cared for us still.
As the years went on by and her siblings grew and could cope,
She found happiness with her own beau as we’d always hoped,
She excitedly left Folkestone to marry, eager to start a new life,
Enjoying many happy, well deserved times as a mother and wife.
She eventually returned to her birth place after many years,
Dogged by ill health, being cared for, she shed many tears,
In the year 2019, her fight ended, she lost her battle to remain,
I’ll never forget my big sister, her care, or that journey by train!
G.
