This Is Guernsey

By Shaun Shackleton

St Andrew’s School pupils prepare to leave home – just for the day. (0576098)

THE SUN was high over the harbour as the Trident V pulled up at the quay.

Workers hurried Townwards, while tourists unfolded maps and checked watches.

But all were oblivious as, in a poignant echo of 68 years earlier, mothers waited to say goodbye to their children.

‘I got some of their stuff from eBay,’ said Amanda de la Mare of her two, Lottie, 4, and Thomas, 9. ‘We made the suitcases ourselves.’

‘They have to take everything they would have taken back then,’ said Jo Oliver, who was waiting for her daughter, Casey Frampton, 6. ‘Spare clothes, spare pants, toothbrushes. Casey was quite sad.’

Then coaches arrived and the children disembarked: flat caps, bonnets and berets, gas mask boxes on strings around their neck, baggy socks and summer frocks, leather suitcases in hand. All with named parcel labels flapping in the breeze.

These were the 150 children of St Andrew’s School and today they were being evacuated to Herm – and me with them.

No sooner had the boat filled up than we were off.

To combat seasickness, head teacher Mary Sebire distributed barley sugars from a brown paper bag and a CD of Martin Cordall’s A la Prochaine played over the onboard sound system.

The children waved goodbye to their parents.

This was the 21st century and they were going only for the day, but it was incredibly moving.

We landed at Herm and 300 little feet stepped out onto the jetty and walked up the hill.

At the hall they were greeted by islanders and Herm schoolchildren and treated to jam sandwiches and tea on the lawn.

‘It was really moving when we left Guernsey,’ said St Andrew’s School deputy head Linda Paley. ‘They’ll remember that for the rest of their life.’

Linda is from Cheshire and said a lot of Guernsey people had been evacuated there during the Occupation.

‘We’ve been taking various classes and special assemblies. My class has been writing evacuation diaries. We’ve all had to do our homework.’

After tea a whistle was blown and the children were split into seven ‘evacuation groups’, headed by teachers and helpers.

They were shown around various places including the campsite, the school, the church, the forge where oxen were shod and the tree seat at the top of Belvoir.

I took the chance to ask Miss Sebire (pictured left in her period costume for the day) how the idea had come about.

‘Two members of staff suddenly got the idea while at a staff outing – it was a barbecue here in Herm, a retirement do – wouldn’t it be great to really evacuate children?’

During the Occupation, Mary had not yet been born, but her brother and mother were evacuated to Scotland.

Her grandfather was killed during the White Rock bombing.

‘I’m Guernsey born and bred and feel strongly about the children understanding the Occupation. Every year we do something, either about the evacuation, the Occupation or the Liberation.

Last year we went to the Underground Hospital but this is probably the most ambitious.’

Mary believes that such a trip makes the children feel they are in the role of those who went through it.

‘In this modern age there is so much virtual learning. At St Andrew’s we want to make the experience as real as we can: something they will remember.’

In fact the experience was so real that after the guided tours, the children marched to Shell Beach carrying their suitcases.

Inside each one was exactly what the original evacuees had to carry: a vest or combinations, one pair of knickers, two pairs of socks and handkerchiefs, as well as one bodice and a petticoat plus cardigan for the girls and one shirt and a pullover for the boys.

Other items included comb, towel, soap, facecloth, toothbrush and spare shoes or pumps.

Sitting on the beach looking out over clear-blue water, everyone gratefully tucked into rations of egg or cheese sandwiches, packets of raisins, dry biscuits with cheese, barley sugars, apples and oranges, all washed down with water.

But it wasn’t just the children who were authentically dressed – the grown-ups looked great, too.

‘I got my clothes from Claire Clermont,’ said Sarah Rouget, who was accompanying Daisy, 7, and Dylan, 5. ‘She has a degree in theatre costume.’

Claire was there with Freddie, 7, and Sylvie, 5.

‘It’s gone really well. They found it difficult to carry things over to Herm. It certainly brought it home to them.’

Sarah Hicks, whose daughter, Jodie, 8, is a pupil at St Andrew’s, said it had been a fantastic day.

‘They’ll remember it forever.’

Just as the originals, the children carried parcels and cases and wore gas mask boxes. (0576270)

‘They might understand Liberation Day a little more now,’ said Marti Hazlewood, who was there with Ellen, 9. ‘It’s good for the children to experience. Because it’s St Andrew’s, everyone is involved.’

Lunch finished, they started the long trail over the common back to the boat.

It had been a fantastic – if tiring – day and every one of the children I spoke to had loved it.

‘It was really good,’ said Alyssa Hale, 10. ‘Really exciting,’ agreed Jessica Bridle, 9. ‘But I’m glad to be going back.’

Brothers Sam and Ben Roussel – 8 and 10 repectively – enjoyed themselves.

‘I’m really sad to leave,’ said Ben. ‘It was good to split up,’ said Sam, smiling.

And what better or more inspirational way to pay homage to all those children evacuated during the war?

At the top of the steps, Mary turned to the children and as the ferry pulled in, shouted: ‘The good news is Guernsey is free and we’re allowed to go back home.’

And they all shouted back: ‘Hooray.’

But it was hooray for St Andrew’s School, too.