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My Mother, Violet Florence Brooks, known to the family as ‘Doll’, to some friends as ‘Vi’ died in 1987. The sad business of clearing her flat, collecting photos and going through papers and correspondence was suddenly brightened by an extraordinary find. In a package, which included her final wartime Identity Card, was a small envelope 5.5x3.5 inches, which had been ‘Opened By Censor’ — it contained the story of the very generous and selfless gesture made by Nell Coates of North Queensland, to an old friend in the old country. Nell’s letter:

“20-8-40 PO Mossman N Queensland Australia

My Dear Vi,
I feel I must write and hope this reaches you, as I’ve written two air mail letters, and still no reply from you. In case you have not received them, it’s regarding Brian and Beryl if you would like them to come out to me for duration of War, I would look after them as my own. I have nominated them to save delay, if you consider them to come it would leave you to manage baby through these terrible air raids. I feel for you Vi dear in such ordeals. I wish you could come too, don’t hesitate if it’s possible you know our home is yours, and Ed will do all he can to help you. I’m enclosing the reply I had, but if you don’t send them the nomination just means nothing, it’s only to save delay your end. Well Vi dear, I should be glad to hear from you, I picture all sorts of things that could have happened since you wrote last, let me have Mum’s address so that I can write there in case you leave your address.

How is Harry? In England I guess. What a sight London must be, I saw a bit of the defence on the pictures, we here don’t know there is a war on, the other night it relayed an air raid that had taken part at Dover. One could just picture it from the last war, although it’s hundreds this time, and Ed said what are you trembling for, so thank goodness we are out here.
I haven’t heard if Mum has heard from Joe or Ernie, so don’t know if they are in khaki.

Well Vi dear, glad to say we are all well here, and the winter weather is lovely.
Hope you are all well and Jasmine doing well, keep a brave heart, victory is ours.
God bless and take care of you all.
Cheerio for now and write soon. With all our love and best wishes
Your loving Pal Nell XXXXXXX”

There were two letters to Nell from the ‘State Children Department’, Brisbane B7. One dated 10 July 1940 acknowledged receipt of her “desire to care for the children, Beryl and Brian Brooks for the duration of the war”. The second dated 31 July 1940 (just three weeks later) informed her that the United Kingdom Government had given further consideration to the transfer of children during the war, and had decided “in view of the existing conditions to postpone the scheme.” The ‘existing conditions’ were the many deaths of evacuee children from U-boat attacks.

I learned that there had been an official scheme called CORB — Children’s Overseas Reception Board — reluctantly set up by the government in response to a flood of offers from America and the Dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) to take in British children until the war was over.

I don’t know if Nell Coates was an old school or work friend of Mother’s, but having emigrated to Australia, they had stayed in touch. Now I had discovered she had generously offered to sponsor my sister (10) and me (5) on the other side of the world. The paperwork was in progress when a tragic sinking terminated the scheme. The torpedoing of the SS ‘City of Benares’ cost the death of some eighty evacuee children, including four from nearby Southall.

Finding the Australian documents after my mother’s death made me realise what a very generous offer had been made by her friend, Nell. To offer to take on two extra children in wartime, possibly permanently, was a really selfless gesture. My regret is that I never got to thank her.

I knew of mother’s friend Nell in Australia but I hadn’t known that I nearly became Australian so long ago. If we had gone, would we have come back, or would I be writing this in Australia? Would we have survived the voyage? I particularly like her stirring closing sentiment: “… keep a brave heart, victory is ours.” But not for five long years.

There was one more document, a ‘Cable and Wireless’ cablegram “Via Imperial” dated 16 September 1945 with very happy news about her missing husband: “ED SAFE SINGAPORE - HAPPY REUNION SOON - ALL WELL LETTER FOLLOWING - LOVE TO ALL NELL”. I’m pleased it was a happy end to her war, she certainly deserved it.

If any of Nell and Ed’s children, Ted, Joy and Beryl, or their children read this, I hope they will accept it as a very belated ‘Thank You’ to a brave and very generous lady, one they can be especially proud of.

Revised extracts from ‘A Sheltered Childhood ~ Wartime Family Memories of an East Acton Child’

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