Did you know that entire schools were evacuated from London to Oxted during the Second World War and Limpsfield Common was used for tank training exercises ahead of the D-Day landings?
When war loomed in 1939, thousands of children were evacuated from cities to the relative safety of the countryside—a moment etched in the memory of a generation. For Anthony Collins and Ken Clark, the first of September marked the beginning of a journey that would take them from south London to the quiet lanes of Oxted and Limpsfield in Surrey. Unlike the often-portrayed tearful toddlers with name tags, Ken and Anthony were part of the lesser-remembered wave of older schoolchildren—independent, observant, and full of curiosity.
In the run up to VE Day, 8 May and Surrey Day on 10 May, we’ll be running some fascinating accounts that depict life in wartime Oxted & Limpsfield… We hope you enjoy them.
Continue reading “A Boy’s War: Two Evacuees’ Memories of Oxted & Limpsfield”
