When the Sirens Wailed

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It is 1939, and the Clark family lives in South London. Although they are poor - and often hungry - they have a happy home.

There is talk that there may be a war with the Germans, and one Saturday morning the children are taken to the Town Hall to be given gas masks, which they must carry with them at all times. Then evacuation rehearsals begin: the war is probably going to happen, and when it does, all children in danger areas like London are to be sent to the country. All the children practice going to school with a suitcase, pillowcase or carrier bag, plus their gas mask and a piece of paper with their name, address and the name of their school on it.

The evacuation takes place on September 1st, 1939. Laura, Andy and Tim are taken to a village called Charnbury in Dorset. They are billeted with Colonel Launcelot Stranger Stranger and his servants, Mr and Mrs Elk. A new life begins for the Clark children - one in which they must take a bath every day, help the Elks, and go to bed early. They also get new clothes, and regular meals. The war is also changing the village - signs are taken down, the Colonel joins the Home Guard, and food rationing is introduced. In letters from their mother, they learn that Nobby has joined the Navy, and Rosie is working at a munitions factory in London.