Britain’s mass evacuation of children and other vulnerable civilians began on 1 September 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland and two days before Britain declared war.

The government had prepared for the possibility that war would bring rapid bombing of British cities. Its evacuation scheme was intended to move people considered particularly vulnerable from densely populated areas to places thought less likely to be attacked.

Schoolchildren were one of the main priority groups. They were generally evacuated together under their teachers’ supervision rather than sent away individually. Younger children could travel with their mothers or another responsible adult. Expectant mothers and some disabled adults were also included.

Children were told to bring their gas masks, warm clothing, a change of underwear, night clothes, toiletries and food for the journey. Schools provided convenient units for organising them. Children assembled before being taken to railway stations and other departure points, often without knowing exactly where they would eventually stay.

At the other end were reception areas, usually towns and rural districts considered less vulnerable to bombing. Local authorities had to find billets in private homes for those arriving.

The government had prepared for a much larger evacuation than eventually took place. Around 1.5 million people used the official scheme during the first movement. In London, more than 600,000 were evacuated through the organised operation.

Most of the first evacuation had been completed by the evening of 3 September, when Britain declared war on Germany.

For many children, the move meant leaving their parents and living with strangers. It began before anyone knew when the expected bombing of British cities would start or how long the separation would last.