To Absent Friends

Last year we ran an exhibition on Newburgh’s evacuees, exploring the memories and experiences of fourteen local people. During WW2, Newburgh was a reception area, and 172 evacuees arrived here on 2^nd September 1939 from Edinburgh, by train. Our exhibition, based on research in Fife libraries and archives, looked at the wider picture of evacuation across the whole of the UK. We also gathered fourteen stories given by people with current strong local connections. For the launch of the exhibition we held an afternoon tea at the TICC, to thank those who had given their stories – above is a picture of the occasion, which was in parts very jolly, and in parts bittersweet. 

In putting the exhibition together, we became aware that time was not on our side. There are fewer and fewer people each year who have live memories of WW2. John Stark made a short and moving toast ‘to absent friends’ on the occasion of our afternoon tea, and at this time of year, especially, we will remember them. 

A short book – ‘Newburgh’s WW2 Evacuees’ has now been published and is on sale for £5 in the Laing, with profits to the Museum. 

The Evacuees’ exhibition is running again, alongside our exhibition of the servicemen who gave their lives in the two world wars of the 20^th century. We hope that as many of our friends as possible will get along to see it. We’ll be closing for the winter soon after Armistice, apart from planned and booked visits – so now is the time. 

The picture below shows a handful of pictures of the amazing efforts that were made on the Home Front to achieve victory in WW2.