I suppose I should begin this log by telling how my Vicar rang me up and asked to speak to me. I rapidly ran over some of my major misdemeanours and failings on my way down to the Vicarage, but I was soon able to forget them when his first words asked “How would you like a trip to Canada?” It appeared that they were going to send a C of E chaplain on each boat with children going overseas. There were many reasons, some personal, and some otherwise, why I thought I would like to go but the best reason (for which I had only my personal opinion) was that I am what is known as “good with children”, and thus ought to go.
There followed in due course an interview with Canon Hyde and the filling in of several forms and statements. I was put down for the fourth boat to South Africa and told that I might expect to start about the beginning of August.
to Wendy. March 1940
Tuesday 30th July
The news was soon made public that the Government scheme for the overseas evacuation of children was indefinitely postponed, so it came as quite a surprise to me when Canon Hyde rang me up and asked if I would go to Canada the following week. I heard on Tuesday July 30th and the next few days were spent in clearing off areas of odd jobs and trying to have everything straight.
Thursday 1st August
I heard on Thursday that I was to be in Liverpool on the following Sunday at 3pm. I spent Thursday in town collecting hymn sheets and so on from the SPCK, and trying to meet mother. We missed each other for three hours and I think both of us got rather agitated about it. However we eventually met and all was well.
I spent the evening with Wendy. We met a Canadian who said that he didn’t like England because people were so unfriendly. I am sure that I shall not feel the same about his country!.
Sunday 4th August
On Sunday I took Holy Communion at seven o’clock at the Parish Church and afterwards the Vicar offered a short act of dedication. I went up to town by the 8.03 to Victoria with Wendy. We tried hard to keep the carriage to ourselves by eating plums at the stations – and eating them rather ostentatiously, but to no avail.
We got to Euston with one and a half hours to spare and found that we could not get a proper breakfast. However we spent an hour studying human nature and satisfying human needs in the buffet. I had great difficulty in getting a seat on the train which was crowded. I gathered from labels that a large party was going to Australia. The farewell between Wendy and myself was simple yet I think gathered more than its fair share of attention. Why should not parsons be allowed some show of affection?
John describes the train journey in a letter:
At Some Hostel
attached to Liverpool University
August 4th
My Darling!!
I shall have to be particularly careful over my first letter, shan’t I? I shall have to try to be, anyway; but it’s getting late and I’m feeling less and less responsible for my actions and so I shall probably…
…trail off…
as your mother does sometimes!
We had a pleasing journey up. I had my corner seat all the way and for most of the time there were only three of us in the carriage. I discovered some other CORB people on the train, but they were so frightful looking that I kept quiet about myself. Do you think that was wrong? Subsequent meetings and conversations have proved that I was right. We have got two frightful women who talk and are very helpless and want to know this that and everything and are in fact an absolute menace to society and particularly to our poor leader. I was very glad when he said to one of them ‘Will you please not interrupt me!” and said it quite briskly, too.
Well, I’ve rambled off on a red herring (or two!). I am now back in the train. The three sailors were out of the carriage most of the time. They came back for the last hour and kept us all amused. I really enjoyed talking to them. They were mainly concerned about the yarn they would pitch to the old man as they were four hours over their leave! They tried it over once or twice till it sounded pretty convincing! The scarlet lady was going up to join her husband and the other girl was a very quiet Irish girl going home to Liverpool “to have a nervous breakdown”. I had lunch with her. Opposite us was a man who subsequently proved to be the doctor in our party. The train was absolutely stifling – especially when we stopped which seemed to be pretty frequently. We arrived nearly an hour late, and then the fun began.
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I quite expected to be organised from that moment: and so we were – after a fashion. I found a lady with CORB labels looking rather lost, so we joined forces. I searched for some CORB representatives and found a little group of very bulky and breathless men with many more chins than seemed to go round with decency. They made us walk from the top of the platform to the bottom, put our bags on one cart, took them off again and walked us back. You never saw such chaos. Eventually we all piled on to a special bus and went off to the Education Offices. There a still bulkier official wheezed at us. We carried our bags off the bus, spent a quarter of an hour there getting lists of our children, and then carried bags on to the bus again. After a bit of humming and hawing we were taken off to a boys’ school. There we found that the children had arrived and learnt the truth which was gradually becoming obvious. Neither the escorts nor the children had been expected in Liverpool today!! We spent some time there while our leader found out about our accommodation. Then we went off to a girls’ school to drop one girl there, and then back to the boys’ school to take two boys back. Then we came on to this hostel -which is quite a pleasant place. They gave us quite a good cold supper. After this we had a meeting. Our leader is a most delightful and charming man and has with him a wife of a like disposition. I am glad to say we hit it off straight away and he chose me deputy leader! He had a frightful time as he knew nothing of the arrangements (which in fact had not been made!) We were given passports and more papers and told a few things. The children are at present under the care of their land escorts. They have a medical test tomorrow and are then handed over to us. I have got 15 boys from 14-5 years old.
We don’t know when we are starting and we may not even go from here! Ours is the first big batch of children and one of the Ministers is up here – also a carriage full of press people. We were told by our leader that the future of the whole scheme depends upon our success. I only wish that Minister had been carted round in that bus with us.
Take care of yourself dear
All my love
John
The Children’s Overseas Reception Board (CORB) was a British government sponsored organisation. The CORB evacuated 2,664 British children from England, so that they would escape the imminent threat of German invasion and the risk of enemy bombing.
Wikipedia
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