Isle of Wight schoolchildren are this week discovering what it was like to be evacuated during the Second World War, at a special re-enactment event at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet.
Organised by Isle of Wight Council’s Heritage Education Service, the event (18th-21st June) recreates the scenario that tens of thousands of schoolchildren went through at the beginning of the war.
Pupils and staff from the schools are this week dressing up in Second World War clothes and will arrive at the steam railway complete with gas mask ahead of a ride on a train, mirroring the experience from the war years.
Those attending this week’s event will taste authentic wartime food, such as ‘eggless’ cake, learn about rationing and make-do-and-mend toys and experience a school room environment with lessons.
As happened during the war, there’s every chance the lessons could be interrupted at any time by an air raid siren – if this happens, the pupils must cram into a makeshift air raid shelter. As they board their train and are waved off from the platform, they will get a real feeling for how it might have felt to be evacuated all those years ago.
Councillor John Hobart, Cabinet member for environment and heritage has said:
“This is an interesting and thought provoking chance for our school children to gain a small insight into the war that they would not be able to obtain from their school books.
“Experience days such as this ensure that future generations are made aware of the great sacrifices that have been made in the past for them to live freely today and helps bring to life, albeit in a small way, just what children of their age experienced at the time.”
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The activities have been put together by the Heritage Education Service to support the learning of students as part of their local history programme.
