‘Omagh looked after them’

“The people of Omagh and the surrounding area went above and beyond to help Belfast schoolchildren during the war.”

Those are the words of local historian Dr Johnny Hamill, who will be giving a talk on the historical evacuation of Belfast schoolchildren during the Second World War to the Omagh area.

Nearly 3,000 children were evacuated to Omagh from Belfast, all coming from six schools in the south of the city: Linfield Public School, Botanic PS, St Jude’s PS, St Patrick’s PS, St Vincent’s PS and St John’s PS.

Children were first evacuated to the Omagh area from April 20, 1941 up until November 3, 1944. This month marks the 80-year anniversary of the evacuations.

A talk and event being organised by the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council named ‘Compassion in Crisis: The WWII Evacuation to Omagh’ will be held on November 28 at 7pm.

The heritage talk will be delivered by Dr Johnny Hamill.

The event will highlight the welcoming spirit of Omagh and Fermanagh during a turbulent time, as well as foster dialogue about current challenges faced by displaced individuals who are arriving in the local area in their time of need.

Dr Hamill said he wanted to draw parallels between the past and present, showcasing how communities can come together in times of crisis.

‘Well looked after’

“During World War II, the people of Tyrone really put their arms around these children and ensured that whilst they stayed in the county they were well looked after,” said Dr Hamill. “Over 3,000 children across the wartime were evacuated to the Omagh area, which constituted Omagh and its surrounding villages along with Strabane and Castlederg.

“Although the people who sent their children away to the area volunteered to do so, it was mandatory for people who had the means to house an evacuee to do it.

“Hundreds of children at a time were evacuated to the local area from Belfast.

“They came here via rail and were all placed with local families who looked after them. They attended local schools and churches, and some of these children spent some of the most formative years in Tyrone.”

Children of all ages travelled to Tyrone; children younger than five were accompanied by a female relative, while children older than that age travelled alone.

Tremendous efforts

Their parents had very little information on where they were staying; apart from that, it would be in the Omagh area. Once children arrived, they would send a postcard home with the address and names of the family they were staying with.

Dr Hamill told the Ulster Herald that there was a tremendous effort put in by local officials to organise the response to the evacuation with people from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and most of the homes were asked if they could house people by one local woman.

“The evacuations were all pre-organised to ensure that the local area was not swamped and that all the children could be housed in the right way and with the right people.

“Much of the door knocking and speaking to local families was done by Helen Hammond-Smith, who talked to nearly every family in Omagh, and she stated that very few of the families approached put up any resistance to housing an evacuee or multiple children who needed housing.”

Children would arrive via rail and be sent in a private car to be registered at three local sites: the Technical College, Omagh Academy, and the old Education Authority building. From there, they would be sent to live with a local family.

As many as 200 children in a day arrived in Omagh, with around 1500 children arriving during the bombing of Belfast in April of 1941.

l ‘Compassion in Crisis: The WWII Evacuation to Omagh’ will take place on November 28, at the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh. Book your tickets now at www.struleartscentre.co.uk or contact the box office on 028 8224 7831.