by Roy C. Boud
This study is the first detailed account to be published of the evacuation of Leeds schoolchildren between 1939 and 1945. Drawing on previously unpublished material, including oral evidence, Dr Boud focuses on one large city to uncover the realities behind what has been described as the biggest social upheaval in the history of this country. The experiences of those involved in it – administrators, educationalists, parents, teachers and, of course, the evacuees themselves – are described and analysed. More particularly, the light that is shed on the relationships between the evacuees and their hosts in the rural reception areas of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire vividly reveals the success and failure, the comedy and pathos which characterised the entire undertaking.
This offprint of the second of the two articles in Volume 10 will be of especial interest to those who participated in the experience of evacuation both in Leeds and elsewhere, as well as to teachers and children who, today, study the topic as part of their school curriculum, but it also has much to offer those who are more generally concerned with the history of this traumatic period.
114pp; 14 figs
ISBN 0 900741 58 9
Joining the Thoresby Society offers a unique opportunity to engage deeply with the history and heritage of Leeds. Members enjoy exclusive access to our extensive archives, a complimentary annual publication, and a calendar of engaging talks, excursions, and events.