Byron's Babbles

Another bit of history from The Kilns. The house in Oxford, England and home of C. S. Lewis, served as living quarters for teenage girls during Operation Pied Piper. During World War II Operation Pied Piper was a major evacuation program that took place in the United Kingdom. The operation aimed to protect children, particularly those living in urban areas, from the dangers of bombing raids by evacuating them to rural locations.

Some important things to remember about Operation Pied Piper include:

1. The evacuation: Starting on September 1, 1939, over 3 million people, mostly children, were evacuated from cities and towns to safer areas in the countryside. The initiative ended in 1946.

2. The reasons behind it: The main objective of the operation was to safeguard children from the devastating effects of aerial bombings by the Nazis. By relocating them to areas less likely to be targeted, it was hoped that their lives would be protected.

3. The process: Children were often separated from their families and housed with host families or in designated reception areas. Some experienced homesickness and difficulties adapting to new environments, while others formed lasting bonds with their hosts.

4. Post-evacuation challenges: After the initial wave of evacuation, many children returned to their families in cities due to the lack of immediate bombing threats. However, when intense bombing resumed later in the war, further evacuations occurred.

5. Long-term impact: Operation Pied Piper had a significant impact on the affected children and society as a whole. It highlighted the vulnerability of civilian populations during wartime and raised awareness about the need for child protection services and support systems.

It’s important to note that while Operation Pied Piper was a crucial part of history, it may also contain personal stories and experiences that contribute to the broader narrative of the human experience during times of conflict. I became interested in learning more about Operation Pied Piper while reading The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry.

While at The Kilns this week I had the opportunity to spend some time in the room where the children stayed (see photo). I tried, but couldn’t, to imagine what it must have been like to have a luggage tag put around your neck and shipped off to be picked out of a line and then spend long periods of time with people you did not know. I did love the story told while I was here at The Kilns that Jack (what everyone called C. S. Lewis) would sneak the girls out through the window to take them for fish and chips. That really raises him on the coolness scale for me even further. Don’t you agree?

The other notable area on the site is the bomb shelter (see photo). It is hard to imagine living less than an hour from London where bombs were falling and wondering if and when it might happen in Oxford. It is believed that Oxford was safe because it was being saved by Hitler to be his capital of Europe.

This was some very interesting history and certainly shaped many lives.