When the Siren Wailed by Noel Streatfeild

It is 1939, and the Clark family live in South London. Although they are poor - and often hungry - they have a happy home. One Saturday morning the children are taken to the Town Hall to be given gas masks, which they must carry with them at all times. Then evacuation rehearsals begin: the war is probably going to happen, and when it does, all children in danger London are to be sent to the country. All the children practice going to school with carrier bags, plus their gas mask and a piece of paper (pinned on with a safety pin) with their name, address and the name of their school on it.

The evacuation takes place on September 1st, 1939. Laura, Andy and Tim are taken to a village called Charnbury in Dorset. They are billeted with Colonel Launcelot Stranger Stranger and his servants, Mr and Mrs Elk. A new life begins for the Clark children - one in which they must take a bath every day, help the Elks, and go to bed early. They also get new clothes, and regular meals. Change is hard, especially for Andy, but over time the children adapt to their new life and they begin to thrive with better food and outdoor activities but the war is continuing and coming closer to their village. Sadly the Colonel dies and so the children are set to be sent to live with Miss Justworthy. The children met her when they arrived in Charnbury and they are so frightened of this woman who is is rumoured, feeds children cat food.

Andy decides they all need to run away back to London, back to their mother, and hopefully back to their father who has joined the Navy. Their journey is quite an adventure but the scene when they finally reach their street will break your heart.

"There was Mansfield Road, SE8 stuck up on the wall. But where was Mansfield Road? Where all the condemned houses had been there was nothing. Nothing at all. It was impossible to see where number 4 had once stood. There was just a large open space covered in rubble."

This book was first published in 1977 but my copy (cover above) is a reissue from 2021. What a discovery. If you loved Goodnight Mister Tom you must hunt out When the Siren Wailed. Noel Streatfeild (Ballet Shoes) creates such authentic characters in this book - especially the three young children - Laura, Andy and Tim. I love the way she is able to write their South London accent.

I read in the author notes that Noel Streatfeild worked as an aid raid warden, ran a mobile canteen for air raid shelters and saw her own flat destroyed in the bombing of London during World War II. These experiences absolutely shine through in her writing. I did find this review, with lots of plot details, where the writer thinks this book won't appeal to a modern child but I completely disagree. 

Here is the letter Laura sent her mother when they arrived to live with the Colonel:

Dear Mum and dad it is a bit of airite ere there is flars in the garden what Mrs Elk says what I can pick I have luvly new cloes you did orter see my blue flock luv Laura.

Here are some of the older covers, one with a slightly different title:

Here are some other books about children evacuated during World War II:

Evacuation and it's consequences:

• Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
• Vinnie's War by David McRobbie
• The War that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Carrie's War by Nina Bawden
• Letters from the lighthouse by Emma Carroll