Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air raids.”
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Operation Pied Piper “Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and
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So begins C. S. Lewis’s fantasy masterpiece, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Not unlike young wizard Harry Potter, when the four Pevensie children step onto a train leaving London, they are embarking on a journey that will test them in ways they cannot even imagine. They will have a grand adventure full of wondrous discoveries and terrifying peril, but these opening lines only hint at the terrible danger they have just escaped. War has torn them from their parents.
During World War II, as German bombers flew over England’s cities, it became clear that bombs would not only hit factories and other defense targets, but also homes and schools. In 1939, the British government issued evacuation orders. Called Operation Pied Piper, the plan to move children to safety relocated kids from London and other cities, to host families in the countryside, where there were few military targets. An evacuation journey often began with a walk to school. Then it was off in buses to the station, where special trains were waiting. It was quite exciting, but most children felt sad as they waved goodbye to their mothers and the steam train puffed away. Every evacuee had a gas mask, food for the journey (such as sandwiches, apples, chocolate) and a small bag for washing things and clothes. Pinned to the children’s coats were labels. On the label were each child’s name, home address, school and where he or she was going. Often the journey took several hours. Life for evacuees Though evacuees missed their homes, many enjoyed the country. Country life was full of surprises. Some city children had never seen a cow, and were startled to see where milk came from. Seeing carrots growing in muddy fields, one child said in disgust ‘ours come in tins’. Locals and evacuees went to school and played together. Most became friends, though local children sometimes said it was unfair when the ‘townies’ were given sweets and parties! Children were massively affected by World War Two. Nearly two million children were evacuated from their homes at the start of World War Two; children had to endure rationing, gas mask lessons, living with strangers etc. Children accounted for one in ten of the deaths during the Blitz of London from 1940 to 1941. quoted from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2/evacuation/
Adrian Mitchell’s stage adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe begins with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy boarding the train that will take them to the Professor’s home, giving the audience a glimpse of the terror they leave behind.
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