Children from twelve Isle of Wight schools will discover what it was like to be evacuated during the Second World War.
An annual event at Havenstreet’s Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which will be transformed to replicate a wartime station, is taking place between 23rd and 26th June 2014.
Organised by Isle of Wight Council’s heritage service, the event recreates the scenario that tens of thousands of school children went through over 70 years ago. Pupils and staff from the schools will all dress up in wartime clothes and will arrive at the steam railway with gas mask ahead of a ride on the train, mirroring the experience from the war years.
Pupils will also taste authentic wartime food, such as eggless cake, and will learn about rationing and make-do-and-mend toys.
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 an air raid shelter. They will also board a train and be waved off from the platform, giving them a real feeling for how it was for children to be evacuated all those years ago.
On Monday to Thursday there will be morning sessions held between 10:15 and 12:30 ,with trains leaving at 10:35 and 11:51 precisely. The afternoon sessions will be between 12:40 and 14:30 with the train leaving at 13:03 on Monday and 13:40 on Thursday.
The activities have been put together by the heritage education service to support the learning of students as part of their Key Stage 2 history programme.
