February 5, 2001 10:52: Thousands of youngsters in the region were separated from their families during evacuations in the Second World War. EMMA COUTTS-WOOD met children from one school who experienced some of the trauma for themselves

SITTING on a smoke-filled station platform, with tears rolling down his face, ten-year-old Conrad Nott is leaving his home for an unknown place.

He is just one of 60 schoolchildren from Slade Green Primary School who were evacuated to escape the Blitz.

Clutching kit bags and teddy bears, the children waved goodbye to their parents as they got into the bus not knowing where they were going to end up.

It is believed some of the children may have gone to Wales and the Midlands. But anxious parents will not know until they hear from their children.

Fighting back her tears, one mother said: I dont want my son to leave. I dont know where hes going or how the people will treat him when he gets there. I just pray to God he will be safe.

Once on the bus, the forlorn-looking children were taken to Horsted Keynes Station, near East Grinstead.

As soon as the children got off the bus, the sound of sirens ringing alerted them to approaching aircraft.

They rushed to the stations air raid shelter.

Air Raid Protection (ARP) wardens shouted gas masks on and children fumbled around in the dimly-lit shelter to open their kitbags.

One warden said: The children were panicky because they could hear the aircraft above but we managed to get them to stand against the wall.

After what seemed like an interminable 20 minutes, the ARP warden blew the whistle to give the all-clear and the children breathed a sigh of relief. They waited on the platform for the steam train with their school banner. Brothers and sisters were told to stick together.

Officers called out the names of children and, one by one, they got into different trains going to different destinations. Friends who were separated cried in each others arms on the platform.

Evacuations like this happened up and down the country. About three million children are thought to have been evacuated to places of safety in the countryside.

It was described as the biggest social upheaval so far this century.

Once the children arrived at their unknown destination, a billeting officer gathered all the children together and billet hosts pick which children they want like at a cattle market.

Voices of the children

Conrad Nott, 10, of Leycroft Gardens, Slade Green, said: I really dont want to go its so unfair. Im really going to miss my parents and I dont know when Im going to see them again.

Shanna Packham, 10, from Betcham Road, Erith said: I dont want to go. Ill miss my mum and my stepdad too much. And Im really worried I wont get a good billet.

Francesca Botton, 10, from Erith, said: Im frightened about being evacuated and Ill really miss my mum and dad. I just want to stay at home. But I suppose weve got to go. We cant stay in London because of the bombs.

Re-enacting the past

The re-enactment of the evacuations which took place during Second World War was organised by The Evacuees Reunion Association (ERA) and Bexley Council. Since last term, children in the borough have been learning about the plight of evacuee children and the day trip helped to bring that to life.The children, in period costume, were taken from Slade Green to the Bluebell Railway, in Horsted Keynes, Sussex to be evacuated.

Members of the ERA provided authentic equipment from the era and played various roles during the day such as air raid wardens, Womens Voluntary Service workers and billeting officers. The former evacuees also shared their experiences of evacuation with the children.