Newly Available report Cast Light On Life In Kindertransport Camps

They come through Holland, are only allowed to bring one mark out of Germany, and come into England in batches of varying numbers’ – Women’s Voluntary Services report on a visit to Dovercourt Refugee Camp, 12 January 1939 When the c h i l d r en of the Kindertransport began to arrive in England in 1938 not all were lucky enough to be housed with the hundreds of British families who volunteered to take in those fleeing persecution in Europe. For many young refugees, their first place of residence in England was a re-appropriated holiday camp like Butlin’s at Dovercourt in Essex. Thanks to the National Archives and the family history website findmypast.co.uk – which has recently added Kindertransport records to its collections – over 40 volumes of official reports on Dovercourt are now available to view online. These reports come from the Foreign Office, War Cabinet, Home Office, Education Ministry and the Ministry of Health and are mainly government correspondence detailing observations of the camp, the daily lives of the children and young people living there, and the journeys they had made. ‘The camp is on the seashore at Dovercourt and consists of a large number of wooden cabins, a little larger than bathing machines, each containing two bunks, one above and one below, and in some cases a third single bunk as well as a basin with running water. Except in a very few huts there is no heating’ – description of camp from official military report The accommodation at Dovercourt was sparse without being uncomfortable. Sanitation is repeatedly mentioned in the reports as being well taken care of, with ‘each lavatory hut divided into two halves, marked “Lads” and “Lasses”. In each half were three bathrooms and several latrines. A tap outside these huts provided constant hot water for filling bottles, etc. Charwomen clean the lavatory huts.’ Typically, winter presented its own difficulties in the camp. As the huts were almost entirely unheated temperatures frequently became unbearably low. According to one report, ‘the Commandant said that they provided each child with a hot water bottle and five blankets, and stressed the fact that their huts were for sleeping rather than sitting rooms. Stoves are installed in the main building.’ The reports tell of people, both local to the camps and refugees themselves, eager to help the Kindertransport children. One witness describes the camp leaders as ‘very keen, full of human kindness, vitality and emanating a cheerful atmosphere. Great efforts are made to stress the future hopes of the children and so help them to forget their past.’ All the helpers in the camps were volunteers and they included local public schoolboys, hairdressers, a ‘celebrated Arlberg ski champion’, and ‘the son of a well-known German motor manufacturer’. This desire to provide assistance was not limited to the individuals directly involved with Dovercourt. ‘Messrs. Marks and Spencer,’ one report states, ‘have fitted out these children where required from “top to toe”, including gum-boots, and two members of Messrs. Marks and Spencer’s staff have given their services gratis to attend in the camp.’ ‘In the afternoons, the elder boys play football. The other children go for walks, play indoor games and sew or write letters. They rehearse plays and songs and give a weekly evening entertainment. On other evenings they are entertained by local talent and various voluntary helpers.’ Daily life for those at Dovercourt was designed to be as positive and normal as possible, with the stated intention of camp leaders to help the children forget the tragedies they had escaped. A normal day would involve making beds and cleaning huts, with the older children helping the younger ones. Mornings would be occupied by lessons taken by local volunteers, some working with group leaders and others going to the local village school to learn English. Afternoons would be as described in the quote above with the children engaged in sports and entertainment. The happiness and positive attitude of the children are mentioned often in the reports: ‘The children looked very healthy, and said they were happy with real enthusiasm,’ writes one witness. Another says ‘they seemed wonderfully happy, considering all they had been through.’ The positive outlook of the children can possibly be partly attributed to their hearty – if perhaps slightly repetitive – diet. Children waited on themselves at meal times and, as seen by the menu above, it seems unlikely that hunger would have been a common complaint at Dovercourt. These reports offer a truly unique insight into a period of great tragedy and great warmth. If you want to find out more about the Dovercourt reports, or the records of those who travelled on the Kindertransport, they can be viewed on the findmypast website, along with guides on how to research your Jewish family history, at http://www.findmypast. co.uk/jewish-family-history Jim Shaughnessy Content Lead at family history website findmypast.co.uk