EVACUEES who were sent to Dorset during the Second World War come under the spotlight in a new book.

History researcher Gillian Mawson has collected stories from 100 people who spent the war years as evacuees in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales for her new book Evacuees: Children’s Lives on the World War 2 Home Front.

The stories are accompanied by treasured family photographs and eight of the stories relate to Dorset evacuees.

Also included are stories from adult evacuees who accompanied evacuated school children.

Gillian has shared some of the stories of Dorset evacuees with Looking Back.

John Honeybone, then aged eight, was evacuated with his mother and sisters from Barnet to Portland in 1944.

He said: “We left because of the doodlebugs; my friend was killed and our house was hit.

“Mum said ‘We have lost our roof, so we are going’. My Dad was in the army. We were sent to two different billets but we were not happy there. We then went to stay with Mum’s brother who lived on a council estate right next to Portland dockyard.

“Tunnels next to the dockyard were used as ammunition dumps, so if a bomb had hit them, that would have been the end of Portland!

“My parents were constantly worrying about this. There were three bedrooms, so it was overcrowded with Uncle Arthur, Auntie Ada and their three grown-up children, plus me, Mum, and my sisters.

“They were a very down-to-earth family and kind to us. Aunt Ada used to walk round with an uncut loaf of bread under her arm and ask ‘Are you hungry duck?’ and if we said ‘Yes’ she would cut us a slice of bread and spread it with butter.

“We attended school but the local children were unfriendly. Our accents stood out and we were called ‘incomers’.

“I really wanted to see the big ships in the dockyard, so one day I walked to the gates. There was no one on guard duty so I walked in. Suddenly blue lights were flashing and I was arrested! It was even mentioned in the local newspaper!”

Doreen Frisby, aged 12, was evacuated with Walworth Central School to Sturminster Newton in September 1939.

She remembers: “A boy scout took me and another pupil, Joyce, to the home of Mr Steve and Mrs Vi Goddard.

“It was a two-up, two-down thatched cottage. We often wonder what Vi thought of the two London girls standing on her doorstep, one 11-years-old and one 12. They were brave to take us, as they were only in their twenties and had been married just a short while.

“There was no definite place that we could call ‘school’, so we spent a lot of time walking between the village hall, known as ‘The Hut’, and other buildings for our different lessons.

“In June 1940 our school occupied some of the manor house buildings which belonged to the local Squire, at Hinton St Mary, a mile and a half away.

“In spite of needing clothing coupons, we managed to keep in uniform, although there were some small changes.

“Our teachers – wonderful ladies – tried to maintain the standard as in pre-war London, both in appearance and with lessons.”

Gillian’s book shows that many evacuees came to love their ‘foster parents’ and stayed in touch with them after the war. Some evacuees, however, were less well treated and her book is devoted to their unhappy stories.

Every evacuee’s tale is different and this book, with its combination of 100 stories and family photographs, paints an intimate picture of the different ways in which the British people opened up their homes to evacuees.

Before writing Evacuees: Children’s Lives on the World War 2 Home Front, Gillian interviewed 200 evacuees for her book, Guernsey Evacuees.

Some 17,000 people fled Guernsey to England in 1940, via Weymouth, just before Germany occupied the Channel Islands. Sadly, many of the people she interviewed have since died.

Gillian said: “I think it is vital that the memories of our evacuees are recorded now before they are lost forever.”

See next week’s Looking Back for more evacuee memories. Evacuees: Children's Lives on the WW2 Home Front by Gillian Mawson is available now and is published by Pen & Sword.

Gillian’s evacuation website can be found at evacueesofworldwartwo.wordpress.com 

Do you remember John Honeybone from his time on Portland? Or do you have any stories and pictures of evacuees in this area to share? If so, get in touch with Looking Back on 01305 830973.