Evacuees Depart from Waterloo Station

SJ de Lotbinière describes the scene on the platform of London's Waterloo station as hundreds of inner-city children are packed onto trains heading for the country. Interspersed with interviews with youngsters and teachers, this recording, which was also broadcast to the USA and the Empire, gives a real sense of the pervasive determination to be cheerful as parents were separated from their offspring. Seymour Joly de Lotbinière (nicknamed Lobby) was over 6ft 8in in height and the tallest man at the BBC during his many years at the Corporation.

Originally broadcast 1 September 1939.