I was a 9 year old at Barnsole Road School in 1939. We were evacuated by train from Gillingham to Herne Bay the day before war was declared, complete with gas mask, small suitcase & name label. Two of us were billeted with the Duncans in New Street ( I've kept in touch) & had a happy time as we didn't really understand what war was all about & H.B. had been one of our "days out" holidays during the summer (my Dad had 1 week's annual holiday, standard before the war). I well remember the morning that war was declared, for the air raid siren "went off" just round the corner on the roof of the fire station and it was LOUD! Schooling was part time as we shared with the local school and we had parent visits every 2/3 months. At the end of the "phoney war", the school was re-evacuated in mid 1940 to Bargoed, S. Wales. I was lucky, as an Aunt who lived in Shepperton, Middx. offered to have me, for there was no way my parents could have visited that far. My friend went with his Brother ( G'ham County Sch.) to Sandwich initially and then Rhymney, S. Wales. Very remote " up the valleys", I remember him saying they had a travelling picture show on Saturdays, probably in the church hall where the " tuppenny rush" really was that, to sit on a mat at the front! We all came back home in late 1941/42. At that age, the real war was remote and, if anything, exciting. We had an Anderson shelter in the garden into which we went when there was a raid (mostly at night), aircraft (friend or foe), even " doodlebugs", (as long as the "engine" was still running!) were there to be watched and we ate reasonably well (my Dad had an allotment). In 1945, I became a Shorts' apprentice, building Sunderlands, etc. so did have just a tiny bit of input toward the war effort. DaveSmith55.