OverSixty July 2023 Digital

OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | ISSUE 5 | JULY 2023 21 LIFESTYLE Evacuation to!ree Bridges DOROTHY TAYLOR REMINISCE T he day was September 1, 1939. War with Germany was threatening to break out, and in Englandwhere I was liv- ing at the time, the government decided to evacuate as many children as possible for their safety, away from the city, into the nearby country areas. We had been instructed on that mem- orable day to assemble in the school playground at 9am. I was eight years old at the time. My two brothers, older sister and I stood waiting in trepidation for the headmaster to address us. We stood be- fore himwith our small cases at our sides, some sandwiches for the day’s journey tucked in our pockets and our gasmasks hanging around our necks. “Good morning children, thank you for all turning up so promptly today. I want you all to assemble now, two by two in crocodile formation, and we are going to walk to the station. A train will take us to some kind people in the country who will look after you. Your mothers will leave us now, but you must all be brave as I know you will be. And those of you who are older, please look after someone younger than yourselves.” With those words ringing in our ears, we slowly moved out of the school gates, and as we did so, one of the mothers ap- proached me and thrust her little three- year-old girl into my arms. “Here Dor- othy, I know you are a good girl. Please take care of Jennifer for me.” With tears streaming down her face, she vanished into the crowd. !e little girl, who I had barely seen before, was by my side, her teddy bear clutched tightly to her chest. I looked down and said, “Hello Jenny, give me your hand. Shall I help you with your case? We will be "ne together.” Soon the station was reached, and we were ushered onto a waiting train. Whis- tle blowing, it slowly left the station. !e day passed slowly, with Jennifer falling asleep on the seat beside me. After a few hours we pulled in to a little coun- try station in Sussex, which the platform signs told us was called “!ree Bridges”. “All out, all out!” came the shouts fromthe porter, who ran along the platform open- ing the doors, urging us to disembark. Soon the teachers who had come with us formed us into another long crocodile. We had no ideawherewewould be going, but steadily we were led through narrow country lanes where cows grazed con- tentedly beside us in the "elds as the sun rose higher in the sky. On that autumn day, after a walk of about half an hour, we arrived at the village school’s playground. We were all getting weary after the early start to the day andmost of us were happy by this time to sit on our cases and eat any remaining sandwiches our mothers had given us that morning. Soon the people from that small town and surrounding countryside came walking and driving into the school playground. “I’ll have a small boy” one would say, while another declared their preference for an older girl. It seemed no one wanted two little girls of Jennifer’s and my ages, for after an hour or so, we were the only ones remaining in the deserted playground. “I’m tired and hungry, Dorothy,” said my little compan- ion to me in a sad voice. “I know Jenny. Just a bit longer. Some- one nice will come for us soon,” I replied. Not long after that, a dilapidated car came into the school grounds with a broken-down old armchair in the back. It belonged to the local upholsterer, who, with his wife, had come at the end of a busymorning’swork to see if any children remained to be given a home. After a glance at our two weary "gures, they said “Yes, we will take those two little girls.” And with that, Jennifer and I were put into the rear seats of the vehicle and o# we went with them to their home. !at night, I helped Jennifer to undress andwe lay inbed together, as sheclutched her small teddy bear in her arms. I knew my role in life had changed dramatically that day. I was no longer the middle child inmy own family being cared for by older siblings as well as my parents. I was now the one responsible for a younger person needing my help and support. How I wished that I would be up to the task, and I determined to domy very best. Contribute an original, unpublished story and, if printed, we’ll pay you cash! See page 9 Photo: Getty Images LIFESTYLE Sent away at the outbreak of World War Two, her life would change forever WIN! 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