THE CHILDREN FROM OVERSEAS

Year Published: 1940

Creator: National Film Board of Canada.

Description: The Children from Overseas is a 1940 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of its Canada Carries On series. It is an account of Britain's evacuee children who were sent to Canada during the Second World War. The film was directed by Ruby Grierson and Stanley Hawes and produced by Stuart Legg. Notable Canadian musician and actor Lorne Greene delivers ominous narration over fearful scenes of war (:35). Greene is well known for roles in feature flicks such as Battlestar Galactica in the 1980's. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau (:48) produced the feature. "The Children From Overseas" shows the desperate tale of the 1940 British evacuee children shipped to Canada during the Blitz as London and other major urban centers in Europe fell under heavy Nazi bombardment. Survivors flee Nazi Air raids in order to cross U boat infested waters for the safe shores of Canada. The episode traces the children's paths as they assimilate into Canadian life with foster families. The youth were able to relay their new adventures with their parents in England through a transatlantic radio connection. Air raid sirens wail over towers of London (:54). British push through streets (1:03) for air raid shelters (1:07). Signs tell children what to do (1:12). Spotlights kick on (1:14), gun turrets roll for the Luftwaffe (1:15). The children occupy themselves with tales of Hansel and Gretel (1:20) as guns blast for enemy air craft (1:53). Broadcast messages call evacuees overseas for safety (2:10). First groups of British youth (2:40) head for Canada. These initial groups fled from most dangerous portions of the industrial north (2:49). Vincent Massey (2:59) holds up one of the refugees. Massey served as the 18th Canadian Governor serving in office from 1952 to 1959. An LMS Jubilee class steamer (3:13) pushes off from station (3:23); riders wave goodbye. A barrage balloon hovers over the train’s path (3:34). Fields of the English country side (3:40) run past. Evacuees run for ships (3:52). Early evacuation ships steam into port (4:07). The captain interviews arriving refugees (4:45). Two youth play with a gas mask on the ship deck (5:06). A boy smacks on gum waving at the camera; a new arrival into Canada (5:15). A Canadian Mountie (5:22) greets new arrivals. Canadian trains further transport the youth to foster homes (5:39). The steam locomotive of the Canadian Pacific rail line (5:47) blows a horn and pushes off. Youth arrive in Canada (6:03) and tuck in for their first night of sleep in the new country (6:15). English students study in Canadian class (6:39). They relay their experience adjusting to life on land saved from wages of war (6:56); no food rations (7:18), a boy rolls a yellow ear of corn (7:28). A girl sips a glass bottle of coke (7:36). Clinic physicians check an evacuee’s chest with a stethoscope (7:42). Transatlantic radio towers (7:56). One boy uses a vintage NBC broadcast microphone (8:01). Christmas and the Canadian winter arrive at the train station (8:49). A female skier plays with snow skis (8:59). The kids throw garland and bells around a Christmas tree (9:08). Kids throw snow (9:53). Youth ride on horseback (9:59) in western mountains. Boys ice skate (10:06). The National Film Board seal closes the series (10:30).

Complete Record: The Children from Overseas is a 1940 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as part of its Canada Carries On series. It is an account of Britain's evacuee children who were sent to Canada during the Second World War. The film was directed by Ruby Grierson and Stanley Hawes and produced by Stuart Legg. Notable Canadian musician and actor Lorne Greene delivers ominous narration over fearful scenes of war (:35). Greene is well known for roles in feature flicks such as Battlestar Galactica in the 1980's. The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau (:48) produced the feature. "The Children From Overseas" shows the desperate tale of the 1940 British evacuee children shipped to Canada during the Blitz as London and other major urban centers in Europe fell under heavy Nazi bombardment. Survivors flee Nazi Air raids in order to cross U boat infested waters for the safe shores of Canada. The episode traces the children's paths as they assimilate into Canadian life with foster families. The youth were able to relay their new adventures with their parents in England through a transatlantic radio connection. Air raid sirens wail over towers of London (:54). British push through streets (1:03) for air raid shelters (1:07). Signs tell children what to do (1:12). Spotlights kick on (1:14), gun turrets roll for the Luftwaffe (1:15). The children occupy themselves with tales of Hansel and Gretel (1:20) as guns blast for enemy air craft (1:53). Broadcast messages call evacuees overseas for safety (2:10). First groups of British youth (2:40) head for Canada. These initial groups fled from most dangerous portions of the industrial north (2:49). Vincent Massey (2:59) holds up one of the refugees. Massey served as the 18th Canadian Governor serving in office from 1952 to 1959. An LMS Jubilee class steamer (3:13) pushes off from station (3:23); riders wave goodbye. A barrage balloon hovers over the train’s path (3:34). Fields of the English country side (3:40) run past. Evacuees run for ships (3:52). Early evacuation ships steam into port (4:07). The captain interviews arriving refugees (4:45). Two youth play with a gas mask on the ship deck (5:06). A boy smacks on gum waving at the camera; a new arrival into Canada (5:15). A Canadian Mountie (5:22) greets new arrivals. Canadian trains further transport the youth to foster homes (5:39). The steam locomotive of the Canadian Pacific rail line (5:47) blows a horn and pushes off. Youth arrive in Canada (6:03) and tuck in for their first night of sleep in the new country (6:15). English students study in Canadian class (6:39). They relay their experience adjusting to life on land saved from wages of war (6:56); no food rations (7:18), a boy rolls a yellow ear of corn (7:28). A girl sips a glass bottle of coke (7:36). Clinic physicians check an evacuee’s chest with a stethoscope (7:42). Transatlantic radio towers (7:56). One boy uses a vintage NBC broadcast microphone (8:01). Christmas and the Canadian winter arrive at the train station (8:49). A female skier plays with snow skis (8:59). The kids throw garland and bells around a Christmas tree (9:08). Kids throw snow (9:53). Youth ride on horseback (9:59) in western mountains. Boys ice skate (10:06). The National Film Board seal closes the series (10:30).

Transcription

e [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the whale of the band in the cities of biton the people go down into the shelters and the nightly Siege [Music] begins one night when Hansen and Greta was in bed the little boy John got up and sat in the keyhole and heard his mother and father say that he was going to to get rid of the children because they had nothing to eat when Hansel and grle had lost their way in the wood John said oh look what I see I see a sugar house come on and we'll run down to it [Music] for the children sleepless nights Jarred nerves comfortless surroundings but scarcely had the air Blitz Creek started when a message came to British parents from the people of the overseas Dominion send your children out to us we'll see to it that they are safe and happy but aftering that broadcast on the ballish and We're In It Together spoken by that Canadian man I think it would be a good thing if we was to let the kidy go there well would you like to go pet yes I'd like to go and what about you Terry would you like to go yes Mommy I could be a cowboy in Canada within 3 weeks the first groups of British children were on their way overseas 1500 of them Bound for Canada these were children whose homes lay in specially dangerous zones children from the industrial North from the Naval bases of do and Portsmouth from the dark areas of London and before ever they started on their Journey Canada sent her High Commissioner The Honorable Vincent Massie to bid her War guests welcome to their new [Music] home milk and cookies to pass the time and then the Great Adventure [Music] began behind them they left an England GED for war with the barage balloons keeping their silent watch in the sky behind them too they left the English Countryside the quiet rich fields that not even War can change so they sailed away most of them to safety but some to death by enemy action [Music] [Music] it was a great day when the first of the child Refugee ship steamed into a Canadian port a thousand excited hands waved from the rails a thousand Young Voices yelled a greeting to [Applause] [Music] Canada bringing my [Applause] now children here we are in Canada so before you leave the ship I want to ask you a couple little questions first of all where you SE on the V my name is Billy Bishop and for another thing I come from M and I'm 9 years old and I think Canada is a good place no he's got his good old W brother why George what have you brought this gas mask Canada for oh I just brought a souvenir then came the long awaited moment when they first set foot on Canadian soil and began to discover the new world for themselves the first person I saw when I landed said Doren Goodwin was one of the mounties about whom I had read so much and then she asked but where is his horse and then there was the special train that the children to their new homes Canadian trains said 8-year-old John yman are bigger faster and more powerful than English trains but rockier and when they start you hear a noise like an aid [Music] [Applause] alarm Journey's End and in homes all across Canada they found a heartfelt welcome waiting for them everywhere we English children went said one of them there were new friends and kind people doing their best to make up for the absence of our parents and so to bed to sleep for the first time in months in quiet and safety but there wasn't much sleep that first evening for just outside the window was a fascinating sight we spent the evening watching the lights they said those wonderful lights which we hadn't seen for a whole year we felt very happy and hopeful [Music] back to school but with new teachers and new lessons and here's what some of our young guests think of our Canadian schools it was strange having boys in the classroom and a master to teach us instead of a woman the boys seem to be just like English school boys same tricks and same excuses and they like talking and hate homework there seem to be many more date in English History even though Canada was discovered much later in my opinion 5 hours a day is rather hard in the brain don't you think so too but they soon discovered that there are some things in Canada to compensate even for 5our school a day no foods are rationed here that makes a big difference the first time I had cor on the cob I didn't know how to eat it I'd never Ted a hot dog filled with sickly yellow mustard I'd never sucked up coke through a colored straw the ice cream is bigger better and cheaper just to see that they don't get in digestion our clinics are watching their health and our doctors report that these English children have gained on an average between 10 and 30 lb in weight since they arrive by transatlantic radio the children both in Canada and the states keep touch with their parents in far off England love to you all right how do you like American food oh lovely you really do do you yes but I've got out of the like of having ice cream I hate it helloa hello Rona hello Hello darling and how are you all right Neville with you yes he's going to talk in a minute and dar yeah how are you all feeling oh okay okay okay that sounds a bit American to me I think you've been over there two two months now haven't you sure and and uh well what do you think about it Jolly nice it's Jolly nice is it now you have to say goodbye Alan say it old boy do you want to say goodbye to your mother and daddy goodbye Alan bye goodbye Dad goodbye mommy goodbye Dad goodby now the Christmas holidays are here and with them the Canadian winter to which our guests have so eagerly been looking forward and perhaps the most exciting discovery that these children from Britain have yet made in this strange new world is that Christmas here in Canada is just the same as the Christmas that they have always known 3,000 M away at home [Music] mothers of England we Canadians speak to you from across the sea we speak to you from the cities and the prairies and the mountains of the West your children are safe and happy in our wide land send us more of them for we like them and they like us we shall guard them well until your great fight is finished and you call them back to you again in this service we shall not fail you in your hour of trial [Music]

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