World War II Coin Pack - The Evacuation of Women and Children, 1940

Product History

George VI - Nickel Brass Threepence.

Obverse - Bust of George VI Reverse - Thrift.

During World War II three pence would buy one weeks ration of tea, 1 lb of rice or two whole herrings.

After war was declared on Germany in 1939 it was envisaged that the prime target of Germany would be the city of London. The government devised a plan that all children, and all those women who were not on any form of service, should be sent to safer areas of Britain. These places were away from strategic targets like cities, ports, airfields and industrial centres. Although many children had been evacuated in the early months of the war, the largest evacuation from London started on 1st September 1940. Included in the evacuees were : children up to the age of fifteen, mothers, expectant mothers, elderly and frail people and hospital patients.

All major railway stations were choked to capacity as trains altered timetables, plus additional trains had to be scheduled, to move the vast number of evacuees out of London.

Front Image - Many children were moved to the countryside where it was safer. Here children evacuated from London are seen working on a farm, cutting firewood.

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