M.E.R.G.

[Colin walsh]

I was evacuated early 1944 from union street Rochester, due to the onset of V1flying bombs or"doodl bugs"went to Pickering in Yorkshire ,to a family called Beryman,Thay had a small holding,never so well of in my life,alli coud eat ,home grown ham,pork and all the fresh veg we wanted.school was shared with the locals,mornings for them,afternoons for us ,to be honest it was better than home,
My second eldest sister married there son George who was in the navy at the time.fortunatly not all evacuees had a bad time😀

[MartinR]

(OT for Kent) My family moved to Sheffield in 1965.  In the north and centre of the city there were still areas awaiting rebuilding.  Mind, we had moved up from the Black Country and I can remember playing on bomb sites in the early 1960s, one was directly opposite us across the main road on the way to school.

[Smiffy]

I remember being surprised myself when this was discussed on the old forum. I believe it was actually much later in the war when this took place, after the air space around Sheffield had been secured. I'm sure Alan can confirm.

[MartinR]

Evacuated to Sheffield to avoid the bombing?  Someone was having a laugh!  See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Blitz

[AlanTH]

[castle261]

[Smiffy]

Dave Smith,
 
Blimey! One of the few people who could tell Stork from butter!

[MartinR]

Not just schools were evacuated.  The residents of Watts' Almshouses were evacuated to Eylesden, a Georgian house in Sutton Valence.

[Dave Smith]

castle261. Interesting that you were only in Newington "a short while", before moving to S.Wales- but not "up the valleys" as we did in July 1940. It would be useful for future historians if we knew where all the schools in the Medway towns went, in 1939 & then 1940. I've mentioned mine, Barnsole Road & I know Gillingham County went to Sandwich, followed by Rhymney but what about Napier Road, Woodlands Road,Byron Road,Richmond Road,Marlborough Road, possibly others in Gillingham? Then of course yours at Glencoe Road & many others in Chatham, Rochester, Strood. Can anyone help please? Just one at a time will be fine. A couple of stories from that era. The Duncans with whom I was billeted were a poor family & didn't have butter. At home I always did, so I knew their " butter" was Stork Margarine that my Mum used for cooking but I just couldn't eat it so always had bread & jam. I kept in touch- Christmas cards & the odd letter, plus a couple of visits in 1966/67, right up until the eldest daughter died about 6 years ago; the Mother lasted until she was 97 although the Father went many years before. They never ever heard from Donald who was also billeted with them; not one peep which I thought sad. In Rhymney, my friend said they didn't have a cinema, only a travelling pictures set up in the local hall where, on a Saturday morning they could sit at the front on a mat for 2d. He was billeted with the Parson & they had to learn the 12th psalm in Welsh.

[castle261]

My story began in September 1939, I was a week off 12 years old. we all walked from Glencoe Road
School on the White Road Estate Chatham, to the railway station, boarded a steam  train, then to
Gillingham, Rainham, Newington, where we all got out. seven miles from Chatham. My brother & I,
were bilited with an old Barge Master, in Church Lane. We were there only a short time, when we were put on another train, this time to Pontardawe in South Wales. My brother two years older.
went one way, he went to Clydach, so we were four miles apart (`You will never be parted  so the government said ).  I was bilited with a nice homely old lady, with a 13 year old daughter.
After three months she broke her leg, so I had to move. across the road to a married couple with a
son, who worked in a . The father worked as a coal miner. bath night, every night, the father would step into the bath in front of the fire, & made the water all black, when he finished the son stepped
in, & made the water all white.( always remember that ) The lady of the house was a socialite, she was always out, when I came home from school, so I had to wait outside until she returned at 5pm.
I told my mother in a letter, she contacted Mr Semple, he had me moved, to an engine driver & wife
trouble there, they were always rowing, and swearing. Another move, home then, with Mr. Semple.

[castle261]

I have a feeling there will be many stories, told on here -- D.S.

[Dave Smith]

Castle261. I was one of the original evacuees from Gillingham who went not all that far into the countryside, away from the Military target that the Medway Towns obviously was ( dockyard, Shorts,seaplane & airport works, R.M. barracks, R.E. barracks, HMS Pembroke, etc .). On the day before war was declared, I went with my school- Barnsole Road- to Gillingham station, boarded a train to? & ended up in Herne Bay. I knew it well as it was one of the seaside destinations for a " cheap day return" during my father's annual week holiday from the dockyard. We walked to a church hall & were selected by those who had volunteered to take evacuees. Donald O'Bray & I went to live at 8, New Street with the Duncans. Father, a "coalman"-delivering from the station yard in the lorry- Mother, part time work as a cleaner at the Main hotel, Daughter Pat, worked as a chambermaid in the main hotel,eldest son Geoff, about 10 or 11, younger son "buster" about 8. A poor family but with a heart of gold & we settled in well. School was shared with the locals, one week they went in the morning & we in the afternoon, the next week alternate. Lots of stories if anyone is interested. We were there for a year( the phoney war) before the school moved to South Wales- Bargoed. My parents said they would never see me, so an aunt took me in, living at Shepperton, Middx. until 1942 when I, & most of the S.W.contingent, returned home.

[castle261]

This is an organisation that I was personally in starting. Many of you were ex - evacuee`s.


Well, I was invited to a ladies house, back in the 1990`s as she knew my brother, who was an
evacuee in the hostel, she was a nurse in South Wales. She was Elsa, later Mrs. Frank Semple,
wife / & deputy Mayor of the Mayor of Chatham. Her intention was to invite others she knew
to start M.E.R.G. ( Medway Evacuee Reunion Group ). We met at her house, ten of us, to form
the group. Later we met, at the bowling alley, where Chatham Library is now. Later we aquired
a hall in Rainham, by the `Cricketer`s ` car park. where we used to meet one Wednesday a
month. We had quite a few members for that social afternoon, people were engaged to give talks.
We organised a reunion to various places where evacuee`s were bilited, in Wales. This went on
for many a year,until Mrs Semple announced, she would not be able to run the club, any longer.
She was about 100 years old then, she would not like to run the club, any more. in HER NAME.
The club ran on, for a while longer under another chairperson. Then the old member`s began to drift away. so it was decided to close the club.  A part of Medway history gone, but not forgotten..
Maybe some member`s have relatives who were members, or parents. Some stories to tell - HERE.