Operation Pied Piper Analysis
"Leave Hitler to me, sonny - you ought to be out of London,” was a very prevalent slogan which echoed across Britain back in World War II referencing to Operation Pied Piper, an evacuation of several million children, that took place early September of 1939 through March of 1946 (Prest; Zimmerman). Although the majority of evacuees had rather pleasant experiences and loving homes, others were not as fortunate. Guardians took advantage of them and callously maltreated some, while for others the psychological and emotional strain of being displaced and completely isolated from everything and everyone they knew, provoked feelings of being abandoned and unloved, which their young minds and fragile hearts found difficult to comprehend.
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Her father had recently passed away, and left her mother to care for and look after their three young children and the family businesses; “[his] news agent, tobacco, and confectionery business” – a daunting responsibility to carry during World War II (O'Shaughnessy). Due to the steadily increased restrictions on their rations and the occurrences of bombings in their hometown, Sheelagh – age 7 – was evacuated from Silvertown Viaduct alongside her eldest brother Ivor – age 9 – and younger brother Alan – age 5. They boarded a bus headed for Paddington Station. Neither the kids nor the parents received any information about their children’s locations or family placements, which left many parents feeling distressed and alarmed, especially since they could not accompany their children to the train station. Once the fatigued children arrived at their location, “a hall located on Albert Street in Jericho, Oxford”, their provisional custodian hauled them “through the streets in groups [,] whilst the billeting officers” went door-to-door in pursuit of individuals who would be willing to supervise a child of their choice (O’Shaughnessy). Sheelagh, along with both of her brothers, were “almost the last to be [selected] as no one [sought] 3 children together”, due to the significantly increased financial burden (O'Shaughnessy). Splitting them up and placing them into two separate homes became the only option. Sheelagh and her younger brother, Alan, were placed with Mr. and Mrs. L in “a small house on Nelson Street”, and her older brother, Ivor, and another boy at Walton Crescent, housed with a “family of seven plus another evacuee” (O'Shaughnessy). Mr. and Mrs. L frequently vocalized their disdain and contempt for Sheelagh and they lacked any
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Her father had recently passed away, and left her mother to care for and look after their three young children and the family businesses; “[his] news agent, tobacco, and confectionery business” – a daunting responsibility to carry during World War II (O'Shaughnessy). Due to the steadily increased restrictions on their rations and the occurrences of bombings in their hometown, Sheelagh – age 7 – was evacuated from Silvertown Viaduct alongside her eldest brother Ivor – age 9 – and younger brother Alan – age 5. They boarded a bus headed for Paddington Station. Neither the kids nor the parents received any information about their children’s locations or family placements, which left many parents feeling distressed and alarmed, especially since they could not accompany their children to the train station. Once the fatigued children arrived at their location, “a hall located on Albert Street in Jericho, Oxford”, their provisional custodian hauled them “through the streets in groups [,] whilst the billeting officers” went door-to-door in pursuit of individuals who would be willing to supervise a child of their choice (O’Shaughnessy). Sheelagh, along with both of her brothers, were “almost the last to be [selected] as no one [sought] 3 children together”, due to the significantly increased financial burden (O'Shaughnessy). Splitting them up and placing them into two separate homes became the only option. Sheelagh and her younger brother, Alan, were placed with Mr. and Mrs. L in “a small house on Nelson Street”, and her older brother, Ivor, and another boy at Walton Crescent, housed with a “family of seven plus another evacuee” (O'Shaughnessy). Mr. and Mrs. L frequently vocalized their disdain and contempt for Sheelagh and they lacked any