Photographs of Kenneth Grant, 1938-1940
Reference: NRO/07866/3, 4, 5
Suggested age groups: KS2, KS3, KS4, Lifelong Learners
Subject areas: WW2
CONTEXT
Kenneth Grant was born in 1930. He lived in High Heaton, near Newcastle, and went to Cragside School. The first photograph (NRO 07866/3) shows Kenneth at home before the war on a tricycle.
Just before war was declared in 1939, Kenneth was evacuated to Morpeth, but returned home after Christmas.
The second picture shows the coat tags used on Kenneth Grant’s second evacuation from High Heaton. In July 1940, he was evacuated to Lowther Castle in the Lake District. All the children being evacuated had these tags pinned or sewn to their outer clothes. Each school had a different colour tag so they could easily be told apart.
The last photograph shows Kenneth and other pupils from Cragside School his at Lowther Castle, where they lived from July to October 1940.
ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1
Background
Kenneth Grant was born in 1930. He lived in High Heaton, near Newcastle, and went to Cragside School. Just before war was declared in 1939, Kenneth was evacuated to Morpeth, but returned home after Christmas. In July 1940, he was evacuated to Lowther Castle in the Lake District.
SEE
See: Where did Kenneth Grant live?
See: Where did Kenneth go to school?
See: When was Kenneth evacuated to Morpeth?
See: When did Kenneth return home from Morpeth?
See: When was Kenneth evacuated to Lowther Castle?
See: When did Kenneth return home from Lowther Castle?
THINK
Think: Why might Kenneth have been evacuated twice?
Think: Why were children evacuated in school groups?
Think: Why were children evacuated to areas such as the Lake District?
Think: What did evacuees take with them when they left home?
DO
Do: Using Google Maps, look up Kenneth’s address. What can you tell about Kenneth’s home life from seeing his home?
Do: Compare Kenneth’s home to Lowther Castle. How different would his life as an evacuee have been compared to his home life?
Do: Draw a postcard image of Lowther Castle and write a postcard home as though you are Kenneth arriving at Lowther Castle for the first time.
Do: Create a gas mask box and evacuee coat tag.
Do: How does everyone feel about being evacuated? Would different people have different reactions to being evacuated? In groups, imagine you are a group of children from Kenneth’s school who have been evacuated to Lowther Castle. Script a conversation between the children sharing your different opinions on being evacuated. Perform your scripted conversation.
Resources
ACTIVITY 2
Background
Kenneth Grant was born in 1930. He lived in High Heaton, near Newcastle, and went to Cragside School. Just before war was declared in 1939, Kenneth was evacuated to Morpeth, but returned home after Christmas. In July 1940, he was evacuated to Lowther Castle in the Lake District.
SEE
See: Where did Kenneth Grant live?
See: Where did Kenneth go to school?
See: How many times was Kenneth evacuated?
See: How long was Kenneth evacuated for?
THINK
Think: Why were children evacuated during the Second World War?
Think: Who else, other than children, were evacuated during the Second World War?
Think: What types of areas were people evacuated from?
Think: What types of areas were people evacuated to?
Think: Why was there a second wave of evacuations?
DO
Do: Do you live in an area that people would have been evacuated to or from? Take a survey of the people around you to find out the most popular answer. Plot the answers on a bar chart.
Do: Can you find evidence online of people being evacuated to or from your area?
Do: Create a map showing Kenneth’s journey from High Heaton to Morpeth and Lowther Castle.
Do: Create an animation or series of drawings showing some of the different views Kenneth may have seen on his journey.
Do: Look at the Imperial War Museum’s evacuation posters. Design a poster to encourage parents to evacuate their children.
Resources
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/north-east-memories-day-world-11816858
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/evacuees/
https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/the-evacuation-of-children-during-the-second-world-war/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/categories/c1156/index_6.shtml
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
Imperial War Museum website, page about child evacuation: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war
You Tube website, British Pathe film of children being evacuated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPs8hbksOg8
BBC Teach website, includes radio report of evacuation and interviews with children and host families: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/history-ks2-world-war-2-clips-ww2-evacuation-index/zvs3scw