When the Siren Wailed

Published: 1974
Publisher: William Collins Sons & Co
Illustrated by: Margery Gill

Synopsis:

When the last War started in 1939 everybody was terrified that the enemy would bomb London to ruins, and careful plans were made to evacuate thousands of schoolchildren to homes in the country. The three Clark children were sent to Dorset. They were very young to leave home, and they had no idea where they were going to live when they arrived. They were fairly lucky, for the Colonel, although unused to children, was kind if gruff, and his ex-batman and wife gave the children love and affection.

But when the Colonel suddenly died the children learned that they were to be billeted on Miss Justworthy, who, it was rumoured, fed her evacuees cat food! Rather than face that, they made plans to go home to their mother in London.

But London, when they reached it, was very different from the London they had left behind. Half the buildings were down. There were great holes in the road. Barrage balloons floated overhead. And worse, when they finally did get off the bus at the end of the road, the road was no longer there...