Before The Last All Clear

by Ray Evans

Some recall it as the greatest adventure of their lives. For others, being a wartime evacuee was a nightmare. These are the witty yet deeply poignant memories of a man still haunted by the cruelties he endured. During World War II, around three and a half million British children were evacuated away from possible air raids in the big cities in one of the largest social upheavals Great Britain has ever seen. One of those children was Ray Evans. This is the story of a young evacuee from Liverpool sent to live in the Welsh town of Llanelli. Separated from his mother, brothers and sisters, six-year old Ray was dispatched to a series of families who ignored, exploited and brutalised him. Pushed from pillar to post, he finally finds happiness with a family who make him so welcome that he is reluctant to leave when war ends. Set in a world of ration books, air-raid sirens and ever-present danger, this is a candid and direct account of wartime Britain as seen through the eyes of a child.

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Ray Evans was six years old, he and his siblings were all evacuated from Liverpool, which was in danger of being bombed during World War II. They were sent to South Wales in September 1939. Although his mother wanted the children to stay together, it was not possible and they were split up. Before the Last All Clear: Memories of a Man Still Haunted by the Cruelties He Endured is Ray Evan's memoir of the time he spent in Wales during the war, the horrible conditions in which he lived, and the situations and people he encountered before finally returning home in 1945.

This is an incredibly personal memoir that opened my eyes to situations I never really knew about. When the war began many children were evacuated from areas that were likely to be in the throws of the war. I first read about children being evacuated from one place to another during the war in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer. That was fiction. This was real life.

Ray Evans tells of the many different homes in which he was placed during his time in Wales. The first place was that of a couple. The husband wanted Ray and his brother to stay with them; the wife did not. And she made their lives a living hell while they stayed with her. Then he moved on to a home that was so dirty and miserable he realized he didn't have it so bad at the first place. Evans offers anecdotes about his time in these homes, and in the schools where he was teased, and it breaks your heart to think of how he suffered.

But he also provides some lighthearted stories and a glimpse into the last family that took him in, which was so kind he didn't want to leave them. The memoir is written as stories told by a grandfather to his grandchildren, which was the original intention of the book. Evans wanted to put his stories on paper so they would never be lost. The writing style is not refined, and there's a bit of skipping around in terms of time frames, but the stories Evans has to tell are definitely worth hearing.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were a child in World War II Britain, it’s quite possible that when you arrived at school on a normal day in September of 1939 you were greeted with a note to be taken home to your parents immediately. Over 3 million children were evacuated from Britain to Wales, Canada and even the United States. This is the story of one evacuee and his family and you’d best get tissues now.

Ray Evans was one of nine children in a home in Liverpool and was 6 years old when he and his older siblings were shipped off to live with volunteer families in South Wales. Ray’s dad broke the gas meter in the basement to get money for shoes for his children to wear on the train. They were happy kids but certainly not wealthy. He was told to stay with his oldest sister but, upon arriving in Wales they found girls went with girls and boys with boys. Ray and his brother Frank went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Jones while the girls went to live with a Mrs. White who immediately welcomed them with open arms.

Mrs. Jones, not so much. It was her husband’s idea to take in two evacuees and she never let the boys forget it. An obsessive compulsive person, she had a strict schedule and God helps the person who interfered! They ran away from her and were them sent to a Mrs. Simmons and her two sons who made Mrs. Jones look like the Virgin Mother in comparison. Ah well…

This book made me cheer for Ray and his brothers and sisters and also broke my heart. This isn’t any “Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” evacuation story. This is real and should be read by any student of World War II, history in general and any advocate of children. Ray did good in writing this and three cheers to Morgan James for publishing it!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life experiences of ordinary people can be particularly powerful simply because they can be easier to relate to for most readers. I love reading about Abraham Lincoln, a man I greatly admire, but I'll never know what it is like to give a speech in front of a huge crowd or live in the White House. But I can imagine the heartbreak of being separated from one's family at the tender age of 6. I can imagine the adventuresome spirit that led a young boy to walking on the railroad tracks or fighting unkind treatment the only way he knew how.

I'll admit that the writing in this book is not the best, it doesn't flow very well. In addition some of the flashbacks don't fit very well where they have been placed in the book. But neither of these things is surprising when one considers that the author left school at the age of 14 and has no formal writing background.

The story is interesting enough to make it easy to overlook the problems and gives an interesting perspective on the events surrounding what has come to be known as the Battle of Britain. I had no idea that so much bombing took place all over the country. Most of what I've read on the topic focuses on London. The book conveys the ups and downs that Ray experienced as he moved from place to place, sometimes wanted, other times very much unwanted. The experiences he shares are sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes infuriating. For someone who works with children as I do, I found the treatment Ray sometimes received troubling. Unfortunately, all to many children today are treated in a similar manner.

Overall, I found the book well worth reading and recommend it to those who like reading about history, especially from the viewpoint of a child.

[Carol W · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was offered the chance to read and review this book by the author, I was delighted.
I enjoy history and find there is something quite magical about reading social history told by those who lived it.


Ray Evans was evacuated, along with his siblings, at the beginning of World War II from the city of Liverpool to Wales. He was only 6 years old, in a strange town, living with strangers and separated from his family.


Ray recalled stories of his war-time experiences to his grandchildren and his daughter suggested he put these stories into a book. Before the Last All Clear is the result of that.


The book makes for fascinating reading, sometimes very sad, sometimes happy and sometimes shocking. The author recalls the stories with such clarity as if they happened yesterday in past tense, sometimes as if the stories are happening in the present tense and he is re-living the events.


The author occasionally darts back and forth in time to recall the stories, so not always in chronological order, which reminded me very much of how grandads tell their wartime stories to children.


A very personal and emotional account of the author's life during the war. It must have been very difficult for him to revisit some of those events.


I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading social history and memoirs.


I did enjoy reading Ray's stories.

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before The Last All Clear is the memoir of Ray Evans, a child evacuee during WWII.

A sad and tragic tale, Ray talks about how the school sends him and his brothers and sisters home with a letter about all children and women to be evacuated immediately and the must always carry a gas mask.

This is the time that air raids happened all of the time, and although Ray's parents knew the children were going to be split up, it didn't happen as they had anticipated.

Ray is sent to many different homes and as a young boy, it impacted his life greatly. The foster families were not always kind, and some were downright cruel. Ray speaks about his struggle and his personal goal to survive with candid aplomb. He eventually does find a loving family but it takes years and what he had been through prior to that home will live in his memories forever.

Before The Last All Clear is a birds-eye view of wartime Britain through the eyes of a young boy. Heartrending, horrific and yet written in such a clear cut way as to enlighten the reader. Details of the nauseating turmoil that the people had to endure is only a backdrop to Ray's personal story. What he experienced would probably mentally break a majority of people. Ray sought that light and endured. A truly remarkable novel.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that you should definitely read! It is not a "feel-good" book but it is a worthy read for sure. To see this time through the eyes of a child is eye-opening. I have a 6-year-old so this one hit me a little harder and I imagine my little one going through this. Get the box of kleenex and spend some time with this book!


At the age of 6, Ray was evacuated out of Liverpool to South Wales, along with his 9 siblings. The siblings were split up (boys with boys and girls with girls). Ray and his brother Frank were sent to live with Mrs. Jones, who was very strict and not very loving.


The stories were told in the fashion of a grandfather telling his grandchildren his memories. The flashbacks were not always in order but then, when telling old stories, when are they? I did not find it confusing and actually liked it. The memories weren't all sad and hard to read about. There are some fun memories as well which help to break up the hard memories.


I learned a lot from this book as well. I honestly never really knew a lot about the evacuation of the children in Britain. To see it through the eyes of a child was heartbreaking but again, it was a must read! If you like history, want to know more about WWII, this book is for you!

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the Last All Clear is a memoir/biography of Ray Evans. During the second world war, Ray Evans was one of three and a half million children to be evacuated when German declared war against Britain. This evacuation split up his family and, from the eyes of a child, we see the circumstances in which these children spent six years of their lives in billeted in strangers homes, not always welcome, sometimes abused and neglected. Before the Last All Clear reminds all of us of the gratitude with which we remember the sacrifices made by citizens, soldiers and their families as our freedoms were fought valiantly for, for us and future generations.

[Billi Tiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the Last All Clear is a poignant look at a terrible time in the world’s history through the eyes of an innocent child. Mr. Evans’ retelling of the events of his life as an evacuee during WWII provides a vivid reminder of the horrors of war and the victims that are sometimes forgotten; the children of the fighting nations. Mr. Evans’ writing style is simple and straightforward making this a quick read. There were a few places where the author digresses and causes a break in the flow of the story. However, overall it well done and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical books, especially WWII memoirs.

[Nancy Schneiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did my senior thesis on the evacuation of the children of London during the Second World War. This was a very touching account of the hardships and cruelties some children endured. The writing is marginal, but the story is lovely. It turns out that the author lives in Williamsburg now.

[Jennifer]

Review forthcoming...

[Paula Kougeas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting memoir of a young boy who is evacuated from Liverpool to Wales for 5 years during WWII. Not great writing, but a good story.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a easy, sad read. You can tell the author is not a writer, but still a good book.