DURING WWII East Lancashire opened its doors to thousands of young evacuees who were forced to leave their homes and families behind during the German bombing campaigns.

Youngsters from major cities were welcomed into many homes across our communities and became part of the family,

In July 1944, 630 children who arrived in Blackburn in two trains from the London area, just in time for the long summer holidays.

Accommodated in rest centres for the first night, by the second they had all been billeted with families throughout the town.

Hundreds of others were also been welcomed into homes Burnley, Nelson, Colne and Padiham.

Chief billeting officer, Mr A Broughton said residents had responded splendidly in receiving children, who were 'of an excellent type'.

There had been no compulsory billeting and in some cases, some Blackburn families had taken in three or four children.

One woman from Balaclava Street, cheerfully took six.

When they arrived at Blackburn station, the children let out a big cheer after travelling for more than 12 hours.

Many of them told the Northern Daily Telegraph they had lost count of the number of times they had been evacuated, and had become used to being collected, counted, labelled, allocated to trains, delivered, sorted and shepherded.

This photograph, from the war years, shows a young Harry Dutson of Darwen, with the London evacuee taken in by the family.

In the background is St George's Church, which stood on the corner of Harwood and Vale Streets,