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Julie Summers
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When the Children Came Home: Stories of Wartime Evacuees Hardcover – 3 Mar. 2011

by Julie Summers (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 225 ratings
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On 1 September 1939 Operation Pied Piper began. Its aim was to place the children of Britain's industrial cities beyond the reach of the Luftwaffe. The figures are breathtaking. One-and-a-half million children, pregnant women and school teachers were evacuated in three days. A further two million children were evacuated privately. It added up to the largest mass evacuation of children in British history and its impact is still felt today.

Some children went abroad, others were sent to hostels or institutions, the majority were billeted with foster families. Some were away for weeks or months, others for years. Homecoming was not always easy and a few described it as more difficult than going away in the first place.

In When the Children Came Home Julie Summers tells the story of what happened when these children returned to their families. She looks at the different waves of British evacuation during the Second World War and considers the situations faced by returning evacuees. She explores how they coped both in the immediate aftermath of the war, and in later life. For some it was a wonderful experience that enriched their whole lives, for others it cast a long shadow, for a few it changed things for ever.

Using interviews, written accounts and memoirs, When the Children Came Homeweaves together a collection of personal stories to create a warm and compelling portrait of wartime Britain from the children's perspective.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster UK
  4. Publication date
    3 Mar. 2011
  5. Dimensions
    15.3 x 0.11 x 23.4 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1847377254
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1847377258
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

`I found myself so moved by passages in the book that when I tried to read them out to my wife, I had to keep pausing and take deep breaths.' --Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 20/3

`The story of the evacuees and their wartime experiences is the subject of a brilliant new book' --Daily Express 28/3

About the Author

Julie Summers is a bestselling writer, researcher and historian. Her books include :Fearless on Everest: The Quest for Sandy Irvine; a biography of her grandfather, the man who built the 'real' bridge over the River Kwai, The Colonel of Tamarkan, Stranger in the House and When the Children Came Home,a social history of servicemen returning to their families from the Second World War. She lives in Oxford.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK; First Edition First Printing (3 Mar. 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847377254
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1847377258
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.3 x 0.11 x 23.4 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 225 ratings

About the author

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Julie Summers

Julie Summers

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Julie Summers was born in Liverpool but grew up in Cheshire. Her first book, Fearless on Everest, published in 2000, was a biography of her great uncle, Sandy Irvine, who died on Everest with Mallory in 1924. Her grandfather, Philip Toosey, was the man behind the Bridge on the River Kwai and her biography of him appeared in 2005. Fascinated by how people cope with extreme situations, she has turned her attention on the effect of the Second World war on non-combatants - the women and children. Recently she published Fashion on the Ration, a book that looks at what we wore during the Second World War. Her book Jambusters, the story of the WI in wartime, has inspired ITV's brand new 2015 drama series HOME FIRES, featuring Samantha Bond, Francesca Annis and many others.

She describes herself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for her is to be a story teller. www.juliesummers.co.uk

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
225 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very moving and amazing, featuring the experiences of children evacuated from London.

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Emotional impactStories
12 customers mention ‘Emotional impact’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very moving, interesting, and informative. They also say it provides a good insight into the reactions of both evacuees and newcomers. Customers also mention that the book is heart wrenching at times.

"...Most of the stories are heart warming accounts of the war time spirit and the desperation of parents wanting to safeguard their children You will..." Read more

"An interesting book about what children felt during their evacuation in the Blitz and how their parents reacted on their return...." Read more

"Around 3 million children were evacuated during WW2. Some very heart warming memories also heart breaking memories in this book .Especially heart..." Read more

"...I read this book with delight and heartbreak. Aspects of evacuation that simply had not crossed my mind...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Stories’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the stories in the book amazing and well written. They also say the stories bring back many memories.

"Wonderful account of wartime history especially for lots of us older people who grew up i war years survival at its best" Read more

"Amazing stories. I was born during the war but I wasn't evacuated although we lived near the coast in Essex...." Read more

"Well written and brought back many memories for me. reading this type of book via the kindle means i read much more." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

ITMA
5.0 out of 5 stars The stories of WW2 Evacuees
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2011
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This book is about the mass evacuation of children and often their mothers from our Cities during WW2 and the long term effects on family life. It is a must read for anyone interested in what became of those children and their families after the war had ended. There were 4 mass evacuations and Julie Summers provides a detailed account of each of these and the monumental achievement of those involved. The facts and figures have been thoroughly researched, and this is an achievement in itself. The icing on the cake though are the real stories told by the evacuee children themselves. Now in their 60's and 70's they all say that their experiences profoundly affected them for the rest of their lives. Most of the stories are heart warming accounts of the war time spirit and the desperation of parents wanting to safeguard their children You will weep for those who suffered the sinking of the SS City of Benares and wonder at those who escaped from the invading Japanese in the Far East. Some stories give a shocking account of the abuse that some children experienced when placed with unsuitable foster parents, whilst for others it was the time of their lives. Highly recommended for its insight into the desperate years of WW2 and the profound effects that still ripple through our society today.
37 people found this helpful
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Alexandra
4.0 out of 5 stars Parents reunuited with children after the war
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2019
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An interesting book about what children felt during their evacuation in the Blitz and how their parents reacted on their return. It is very emotional and sometimes daunting. The book is based on facts and almost nothing is exaggerated or invented
One person found this helpful
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Stirling
5.0 out of 5 stars When the Children Came Home
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2014
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As an evacuee this book brought back so many memories of my time away from home, especially with regard to the thoughts of a missed parent. I was evacuated together with my two brothers, we were fortunate in as much we were kept together by our foster mother, Mrs. Cook, in Briton Ferry,(Llansawell), South Wales. Not only did she take us in, but also the lad from next door, Ernie Slaughter, and another lad from our home area. Ernie was one of those evacuees that remained in Wales after the war and lived in the Swansea area for the rest of his life. My brothers and I returned home after a few months, just in time for heavy bombing and the 'Doodle Bugs'. The one thing that has concerned me for many years since our evacuation is what our mother had to go through. Our father, a naval pensioner, was recalled for war service in 1939, he lost his life in 1941. What must our mother had felt, seeing us off from Twickenham Station then returning home to an empty house, unaware whether she'd ever see her children again. Fortunately we returned to a mother who was my 'Rock' for the rest of her life.
12 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 July 2021
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I’m currently half way through this book and it has totally changed my understanding of what evacuation really meant and the effect on children and families. As a child of the 60s I knew very little about this, just that children were evacuated to keep them safe in WW2, however this book has opened my eyes to how difficult it was for children settling in at their billets and then returning to their families; sometimes after years away. I’d definitely recommend this book
One person found this helpful
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Susan Janet
3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read I'm sure
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 November 2018
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Purchased this book as a gift for a lady who was an evacuee during the war .She was very pleased to receive it .
One person found this helpful
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vikki
5.0 out of 5 stars when the children came home
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 January 2014
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Around 3 million children were evacuated during WW2. Some very heart warming memories also heart breaking memories in this book .Especially heart breaking were the stories told of the sinking of SS City of Benares, when many lives were lost. Many children suffered by being placed with unsuitable foster parents, some had never had children and had no idea how to care for them. Many though, appeared to enjoy their new lives and forged long lasting friendships and were upset when they returned home to their families. This must have been very difficult for the parents who had reluctantly let the their children go away.Some thousands of miles away. I will recommend this book to some of my friends who were of the opinion that these children were SENT AWAY by their parents. Another good read will be History of child evacuation.
2 people found this helpful
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Dancing Queen
4.0 out of 5 stars Evacuees
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2013
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I haven't read this yet, but I have had a quick browse and it seems great. Delivery was quick and no problems. Having used 'evacuees' as a research topic and hearing what the various people had to say I will be be very interested to see what this books says on the subject.
One person found this helpful
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Ginger
5.0 out of 5 stars war time Evacuees
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2022
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Wonderful account of wartime history especially for lots of us older people who grew up i war years survival at its best
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Woggy
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s a real history of young people during a terrible time.
Reviewed in Canada on 26 January 2024
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I didn’t expect such an awe inspiring depiction of the experiences of youngsters during the war. Being born in 1943 in the South of England I had no knowledge of real life situations of that time. Brilliant. Thanking the author for the amount of research that has been done to educate us.
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J. Schwarz
5.0 out of 5 stars Very moving, well researched book about evacuated WW II British children's experiences before, during and after the event.
Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2016
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Wonderful book, with very moving photos and stories. Julie Summers did a great many interviews of the children - former children, now adults - and their families and siblings, if they did not survive. She also researched the officialdom and their laws and rules which impacted the evacuations. I openly cried when reading chapter 7, "Children of the 'City of Benares'", which goes into great detail of the torpedoing and sinking of one of the 19 CORB [the Children's Overseas Reception Board scheme] vessels carrying excavated children and their adult escorts among other passengers and crew. of the ninety children, 30 were killed instantly. The stories of what happened to the others - often told by the surviving children in interviews - will haunt me for a long, long time. Nevertheless, the majority of the evacuees "claimed to have judged the experience to have had a positive effect on their subsequent lives....". The older the children, the easier it was to see it as a great adventure, even if they were homesick or lonely at times, or "were later troubled by their return" to England after the war. One of the best books I've ever read, and I read a lot of books about WW I and II along with mysteries, about a book or two a day (health issues keep me from roaming about). Enjoy!
18 people found this helpful
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Alain
3.0 out of 5 stars Très intéressant par moments mais inégal, car assez répétitif.
Reviewed in France on 27 August 2013
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Instructif. L'histoire du naufrage est bouleversante. L'organisation des évacuations m'était mal connue. Je trouve la construction du livre un peu brouillonne.
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Barbara Cundari
5.0 out of 5 stars A really well researched book
Reviewed in Canada on 2 August 2017
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This book was a real eye opener. Had never really thought about the tremendously different experiences of the children who were evacuated during World War ll ....some very distressing, for both the evacuees and their parents, and others surprisingly positive. This is a very comprehensive overview of the whole evacuation experience, well researched and very accessible. Includes many personal stories and interviews, and is a ''must read'' for anyone who wants to really understand both the short and long term effects on the families of the children who were evacuated. I found it fascinating and very touching !
One person found this helpful
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Linda L. Shook
5.0 out of 5 stars So sad, but still so very interesting
Reviewed in the United States on 1 December 2015
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So sad, but still so very interesting. I was born one month after Pearl Harbor in western Washington state. And even though there was a chance this area could have been bombed..it wasn't. And I was safe with my parents until my dad left for the Army in July 1942 and then my mom took me and moved in with her family in eastern Washington. Other than my dad not being around...I have no memories of the tragedies of war that these children experienced....and my dad returned safely in the fall of 1945. My parents home was a loving, happy home thru my entire childhood and my parents remained happily together until she passed away on their 48th wedding anniversary October 8, 1987.
6 people found this helpful
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