Long-lost tale of one town’s war evacuees

Anew book tells the story of Newburgh’s Second World War evacuees. Helen Welsh has put pen to paper to tell the tales of 14 Newburgh-linked evacuees.

The Fife town, which at that time had a population of just 2,000, was a reception area to 132 evacuees from across Scotland in 1939.

Helen, who is the vice chairperson of Newburgh Ancestry and History Society, was inspired to write when she curated an exhibit on the subject at the town’s Lower Laing Museum.

Those featured in the book had stories of being moved around the country, or taking in evacuees from the cities, or indeed of the challenges faced by their parents’ generation who had to respond to war on the home front.

Ms Welsh offered an insight to her interest on the topic and said the story of evacuees in Scotland is one that is largely untold.

“I found this fascinating because it shines a light on the bigger national picture and gives an insight to what it was like in these small reception areas.

“When you look up evacuation stories most of them are based in the south of England.

“There’s very Scotland.

“I’ve been collecting 14 stories that just wouldn’t have been heard,” said Helen.

“I gathered far more materials than I could use little about in the exhibition so I thought I’d do a wee book.”

Helen dived in to the archives to reveal the scale of the effort undertaken by the people of the town.

“I read the headteacher’s logbooks which are kept at the Fife Archive in Glenrothes. The roll of the primary school was something like 150 pupils. The logs start by talking about getting the piano tuned and before they know it, they start gas mask drills and lo and behold he’s got 132 evacuees coming his way.”

“It really was a major effort all round,” said Helen.

The book, entitled Newburgh’s WW2 Evacuees: Tales from Our Town, is available from the Lower Laing Museum or on Amazon priced at £5.55.

Helen is now teaming up with a local student filmmaker in an effort to bring the tale of the evacuees to life.

UNTOLD: Helen Welsh’s book is a rare look at child evacuees in Scotland.