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Treason: A Story of Children Evacuated in 1940
A thrilling story of children in wartime
In the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of children were evacuated from British cities and sent to areas of the country where it was regarded that they would be safer from bombing.
This Government operation was named "Pied Piper". The first evacuations were in 1939 and the second wave in 1940, at the time of the Blitz.
Children went to stay with complete strangers, who had been deemed by the authorities to have spare space in their homes. The hosts were obliged to take the children. Many were unenthusiastic about having a young guest staying with them for an unspecified length of time and there were incidences of unkindness and even cruelty.
"Treason" is a story about two such city children. Judith is a twelve-year-old girl from London, an only child from a very privileged background. She finds herself billeted in a farm on the Isle of Wight. The farm is run by Mrs Orton, a widow, who lives with her twelve-year-old son, Jimmy,
and her handicapped brother-in-law. They are joined by another evacuee guest, Alfie, an eleven-year-old boy from a working class family in
Portsmouth.
The story tells how their lives change and how the guests adapt to a very different way of life. Like all children they enjoy adventure, but the one on which they embark gets them involved in a danger to their lives and leads them to TREASON!
This is a story for children to learn about this tragic time in history, without hearing about the horrors of war, but still what children their own age had to endure during a time which changed everyone’s lives.
In the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of children were evacuated from British cities and sent to areas of the country where it was regarded that they would be safer from bombing.
This Government operation was named "Pied Piper". The first evacuations were in 1939 and the second wave in 1940, at the time of the Blitz.
Children went to stay with complete strangers, who had been deemed by the authorities to have spare space in their homes. The hosts were obliged to take the children. Many were unenthusiastic about having a young guest staying with them for an unspecified length of time and there were incidences of unkindness and even cruelty.
"Treason" is a story about two such city children. Judith is a twelve-year-old girl from London, an only child from a very privileged background. She finds herself billeted in a farm on the Isle of Wight. The farm is run by Mrs Orton, a widow, who lives with her twelve-year-old son, Jimmy,
and her handicapped brother-in-law. They are joined by another evacuee guest, Alfie, an eleven-year-old boy from a working class family in
Portsmouth.
The story tells how their lives change and how the guests adapt to a very different way of life. Like all children they enjoy adventure, but the one on which they embark gets them involved in a danger to their lives and leads them to TREASON!
This is a story for children to learn about this tragic time in history, without hearing about the horrors of war, but still what children their own age had to endure during a time which changed everyone’s lives.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2022
About the author
Michael E. Wills
18 books57 followersI was born on the Isle of Wight and after attending school there, I trained to be a teacher. I worked for two years in a secondary school in Kent before re-training to teach English as a Foreign Language. After a career in education both in UK and in Europe, I now have time to write about things which fascinate me, and foremost among my many interests is history. I like to tell stories about ordinary people who get caught up in historical events and thereby portray the lives of characters both real and fictional.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2023
Judith and Alfie have been evacuated to the Isle of Wight. Judith comes from an upper class background while Alfie is working class. They end up on a farm where Mrs Orton lives with her son Jimmy. The children have to adapt to life in the country and a new family. They also have to solve the mystery of the flashing lights that go off every night. An interesting read.
January 29, 2024
Clifftop Farm in Wartime Series - books 1-3
The only people still remaining were Mr Stevens and one child who had not been chosen: a tearful boy in a disheveled grey jacket, with a black eye, dirty knees, and a smear of raspberry jam across his mouth.
Operation Pied Piper saw hundreds of thousands of children evacuated from major cities in England, and sent away from their homes and parents to the country, to places of low importance, where there was a low risk of bombing. Children from all walks of life were sent together, to a new life, a layover place, where they would be fostered by families who had the space for them until it was safe for them to return home.
The Clifftop Farm in Wartime series by Michael E Wills follows the lives of Judith, who grew up in a privileged household in London, and Alfie, from a working-class family in Portsmouth, as both find themselves on the same farm after they are sent to the Isle of Wight. The series highlights the experiences of wartime children in England, who were sent to the countryside for their own safety, providing an educational, yet adventurous, story for younger children to learn about certain aspects of history without exposing them to the horrors of the Second World War.
The first novel in the series joins Judith and Alfie as they arrive at Cliff Top Farm, having left their parents and homes for the first time, and travelled for many miles by themselves, with only their classmates and teachers as company. Country life is a shock to both Judith and Alfie, and as they get stuck into the jobs they are assigned on the farm, they begin to realise what is normal and what is not. While it is normal to have to muck out the horses and geese, and help around the house, it is not normal for a bright light to flash at a quarter to nine each night, during blackout hours, or to pick up German Morse Code on the wireless while trying to listen to Children’s Hour. As they start to poke around, Judith and Alfie, joined by Jimmy, whose mother owns the farm, begin to find more and more strange things. What is Uncle Don really doing when he is shut in his room with his wireless, and why is the farm hand, Merve, so quiet? There is a mystery afoot, and the children are determined to solve it.
It came to a halt, almost by the side of Alfie. He stood rivetted to the spot. The sign on the side of the plane was a black cross with a white surround. On the tail was a swastika. He was aghast, it was a German plane!
As the series progresses, more mysteries arise for the children to solve. With the landing of a German plane, and a German pilot who seems almost too happy about his plane being shot down, the question arises about how much of what the pilot says can be taken to be true. As the war progresses, the farm is joined by a group of Italian prisoners being put to work, as the Ministry of Food tells farmers to start growing potatoes instead of wheat. With the progression of the war, life for the children continues to change, and the difference between their old and new lives is stark – especially when Judith’s mother comes to visit, and discovers her daughter is living, and working on, a farm, and being made to look after animals and clean the house. However, while Judith’s mother may not be entirely happy about where Judith is living, she is certainly one of the luckier children. Those taking in the refugee children were not always happy about their new charges, or were not suited to parenting young, traumatised, children. This is shown through Alfie’s younger sister, Pauline, who was separated from him when they reached the Isle of Wight. Siblings did not always get to stay together, and the families they joined were not always welcoming to their ‘guests’.
Alfie supported Jimmy by blurting out, “Yeah, I think Jimmy is right! And we are going to get evidence that Mr Chivers is dishonest!”
“Yeah, and we’ve got an idea about how we can do it. We actually saw him taking stuff from a lorry and putting it in the old garage.”
“What sort of stuff ? asked Vera.
“Sugar, tea, and tinned fruit. I’m sure they are black marketeers.”
Sitting in court, Jimmy and his mother learn the verdict for their beloved dog, Billy. It is said that Billy attacked Mr Chivers, and bit him badly on the hand for no reason. Jimmy and Mrs Orton both know that Billy was only scaring Mr Chivers off, who was trying to steal rationed eggs from their henhouse, but the court does not listen to them. In an attempt to save Billy, the children try hiding him in several places, so he is not taken from them, and in doing so, they uncover illicit operations happening on the island. A group of people are smuggling rationed goods, and the illegal activity might be just what the children need to prove Mr Chivers a dishonest man and save Billy. But black marketeers are dangerous people, who will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, and gathering evidence is not quite as easy as the children thought. As more and more food items were rationed, people began growing desperate and began trying to find food items wherever they could – for example, stealing eggs from those with hens, or turning to the black market, where items such as tea and sugar were available.
There is a definite clash between the children, with Jimmy, whose home has been overtaken by the ‘guests’ staying with them, Judith who is used to having other people do work for her, and Alfie, who is still very young and struggles with the responsibility that has been placed upon him. They are at odds with each other, but have no option but to work together, for there is no escaping the fact that they will act as siblings until it is safe for Judith and Alfie to go home. Mrs Orton certainly deserves some respect, for she is not only running a farm in a time of war, but also takes in two additional children to raise, and works hard to keep the peace between them, and make sure they are all clothed, fed, and have the emotional support they need.
The series bears a close resemblance to The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence, with an unlikely group of children working together to work things out. The big difference, of course, is the time period, but for children who enjoy books such as The Roman Mysteries, The Clifftop Farm series is a likely progression, and provides an insight into an important era of history, in a lighthearted way, with the focus on the mystery at hand. The war, while being present, makes up the setting of the novels, rather than being the main subject, allowing readers to learn about and understand some of the events of the war while being about to relate to some of the struggles of Jimmy, Judith, and Alfie. To be able to connect with the children of this novel, gives young readers an insight into the Second World War in a controlled manner, so they can understand the time period without needing to know the dark details of the war.
The writing style, with a clever use of words and directional storytelling, of this series is perfect for a younger audience, especially to teach what life might have been like for children their own age during the Second World War. The addition of the ‘True Facts’ snippets running alongside the story, like articles in a newspaper, helps to reveal the truth behind certain events which allows a deeper understanding of the events of the stories and help the reader to understand what is happening in certain scenes.
With exciting stories of mysteries and an unlikely group of children working together to solve them before something bad happens, The Clifftop Farm in Wartime series by Michael E Wills is a wonderful introduction for young readers to the Second World War and allows them to begin learning about the events of the past without the concern of them learning about the horrors the Second World War brought to the lives of those living during the war. It is a brilliant series of novels, which entices the reader with adventure, while softly educating.
Review by Ellie Yarde
Yarde Book Reviews & Book Promotion
The only people still remaining were Mr Stevens and one child who had not been chosen: a tearful boy in a disheveled grey jacket, with a black eye, dirty knees, and a smear of raspberry jam across his mouth.
Operation Pied Piper saw hundreds of thousands of children evacuated from major cities in England, and sent away from their homes and parents to the country, to places of low importance, where there was a low risk of bombing. Children from all walks of life were sent together, to a new life, a layover place, where they would be fostered by families who had the space for them until it was safe for them to return home.
The Clifftop Farm in Wartime series by Michael E Wills follows the lives of Judith, who grew up in a privileged household in London, and Alfie, from a working-class family in Portsmouth, as both find themselves on the same farm after they are sent to the Isle of Wight. The series highlights the experiences of wartime children in England, who were sent to the countryside for their own safety, providing an educational, yet adventurous, story for younger children to learn about certain aspects of history without exposing them to the horrors of the Second World War.
The first novel in the series joins Judith and Alfie as they arrive at Cliff Top Farm, having left their parents and homes for the first time, and travelled for many miles by themselves, with only their classmates and teachers as company. Country life is a shock to both Judith and Alfie, and as they get stuck into the jobs they are assigned on the farm, they begin to realise what is normal and what is not. While it is normal to have to muck out the horses and geese, and help around the house, it is not normal for a bright light to flash at a quarter to nine each night, during blackout hours, or to pick up German Morse Code on the wireless while trying to listen to Children’s Hour. As they start to poke around, Judith and Alfie, joined by Jimmy, whose mother owns the farm, begin to find more and more strange things. What is Uncle Don really doing when he is shut in his room with his wireless, and why is the farm hand, Merve, so quiet? There is a mystery afoot, and the children are determined to solve it.
It came to a halt, almost by the side of Alfie. He stood rivetted to the spot. The sign on the side of the plane was a black cross with a white surround. On the tail was a swastika. He was aghast, it was a German plane!
As the series progresses, more mysteries arise for the children to solve. With the landing of a German plane, and a German pilot who seems almost too happy about his plane being shot down, the question arises about how much of what the pilot says can be taken to be true. As the war progresses, the farm is joined by a group of Italian prisoners being put to work, as the Ministry of Food tells farmers to start growing potatoes instead of wheat. With the progression of the war, life for the children continues to change, and the difference between their old and new lives is stark – especially when Judith’s mother comes to visit, and discovers her daughter is living, and working on, a farm, and being made to look after animals and clean the house. However, while Judith’s mother may not be entirely happy about where Judith is living, she is certainly one of the luckier children. Those taking in the refugee children were not always happy about their new charges, or were not suited to parenting young, traumatised, children. This is shown through Alfie’s younger sister, Pauline, who was separated from him when they reached the Isle of Wight. Siblings did not always get to stay together, and the families they joined were not always welcoming to their ‘guests’.
Alfie supported Jimmy by blurting out, “Yeah, I think Jimmy is right! And we are going to get evidence that Mr Chivers is dishonest!”
“Yeah, and we’ve got an idea about how we can do it. We actually saw him taking stuff from a lorry and putting it in the old garage.”
“What sort of stuff ? asked Vera.
“Sugar, tea, and tinned fruit. I’m sure they are black marketeers.”
Sitting in court, Jimmy and his mother learn the verdict for their beloved dog, Billy. It is said that Billy attacked Mr Chivers, and bit him badly on the hand for no reason. Jimmy and Mrs Orton both know that Billy was only scaring Mr Chivers off, who was trying to steal rationed eggs from their henhouse, but the court does not listen to them. In an attempt to save Billy, the children try hiding him in several places, so he is not taken from them, and in doing so, they uncover illicit operations happening on the island. A group of people are smuggling rationed goods, and the illegal activity might be just what the children need to prove Mr Chivers a dishonest man and save Billy. But black marketeers are dangerous people, who will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden, and gathering evidence is not quite as easy as the children thought. As more and more food items were rationed, people began growing desperate and began trying to find food items wherever they could – for example, stealing eggs from those with hens, or turning to the black market, where items such as tea and sugar were available.
There is a definite clash between the children, with Jimmy, whose home has been overtaken by the ‘guests’ staying with them, Judith who is used to having other people do work for her, and Alfie, who is still very young and struggles with the responsibility that has been placed upon him. They are at odds with each other, but have no option but to work together, for there is no escaping the fact that they will act as siblings until it is safe for Judith and Alfie to go home. Mrs Orton certainly deserves some respect, for she is not only running a farm in a time of war, but also takes in two additional children to raise, and works hard to keep the peace between them, and make sure they are all clothed, fed, and have the emotional support they need.
The series bears a close resemblance to The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence, with an unlikely group of children working together to work things out. The big difference, of course, is the time period, but for children who enjoy books such as The Roman Mysteries, The Clifftop Farm series is a likely progression, and provides an insight into an important era of history, in a lighthearted way, with the focus on the mystery at hand. The war, while being present, makes up the setting of the novels, rather than being the main subject, allowing readers to learn about and understand some of the events of the war while being about to relate to some of the struggles of Jimmy, Judith, and Alfie. To be able to connect with the children of this novel, gives young readers an insight into the Second World War in a controlled manner, so they can understand the time period without needing to know the dark details of the war.
The writing style, with a clever use of words and directional storytelling, of this series is perfect for a younger audience, especially to teach what life might have been like for children their own age during the Second World War. The addition of the ‘True Facts’ snippets running alongside the story, like articles in a newspaper, helps to reveal the truth behind certain events which allows a deeper understanding of the events of the stories and help the reader to understand what is happening in certain scenes.
With exciting stories of mysteries and an unlikely group of children working together to solve them before something bad happens, The Clifftop Farm in Wartime series by Michael E Wills is a wonderful introduction for young readers to the Second World War and allows them to begin learning about the events of the past without the concern of them learning about the horrors the Second World War brought to the lives of those living during the war. It is a brilliant series of novels, which entices the reader with adventure, while softly educating.
Review by Ellie Yarde
Yarde Book Reviews & Book Promotion
February 23, 2023
Treason by Michael Wills is specifically geared towards a pre-teen or young adult audience with the intention of providing useful historical background and information in an entertaining way.
Very early on in the book, you are introduced to several children, Judith Neville and Alfie Field, both coming from vastly different backgrounds but two of the 800,000 children packed onto trains in September 1939 and sent from London to live with strangers in the English countryside, far away from the bombings during WW2.
Known as Operation Pied Piper, millions of people, most of them children, were shipped to rural areas in Britain as well as overseas to Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The government evacuated almost 3 million people during the first four days of the operation, making it the biggest and most concentrated population movement in British history. This separation of children from their parents was extremely traumatic, the trauma lasting for years, and the author does a good job in showing the anxiety many children experienced, especially with the selection process by host families, some who ended up being less than ideal hosts.
Judith, from the outset, is a spoiled little rich girl whose only worry is if she will miss her riding lesson or if she can wear her cardigan her mother bought from Selfridges... and that the talk of her going on some kind of holiday is a mere inconvenience.
Alfie, on the other hand, a fighter who is suppose to take care of his sister on the journey, is separated from her and finds himself alone after all of the other children are chosen by families after arriving in the far off town of Ventnor. Finally, he ends up in the same house with Judith, who is placed with the Orton family consisting of a mom and her son, Jimmy, and wheel-chair bound uncle, and a strange farm hand named Merve.
Life at the Orton’s is quite different than either of them have ever known and they have to learn, especially Judith, the ins-and-outs of running a farm; not to mention, the challenge each of the children have in getting to know each other.
But the resilient children adapt quickly, and during the day to day activities, they form a bond while listening to the Children’s Hour each evening and riding horses near the beach. But one of their other pastimes leads to a mysterious occurrence while listening to Jimmy’s wireless in his room. Without a doubt, they hear the dots and dashes of morse code tapping out across the air waves. Not sure what it all means after translating the code, all three are pulled into a mystery right there near the Orten’s farm.
In addition to the suspicious code, Judith sees a flashing light out her window in the direction of Merve’s cottage and the guest house. Enter the sinister figure of Roisin O’Rourke, the older unmarried lady living in the guest house – a woman with a dark secret, and a war widow from the first world war.
The children team together to solve this mystery, and in true Hardy Boys style, their lives are on the line before solving this unexpected case. While their parents sought to send them away from the dangers in London, they unwittingly sent them straight into the German plan to invade Britain by occupying the Isle of Wight.
This is an easy story for children to learn about this tragic time in history, without hearing about the horrors of war, but still what children their own age had to endure during a time which changed everyone’s lives. Also, the author uses a clever technique of inserting ‘historical titbits’ into the storyline, sort of an educational snack for a young person to chew on while following what happens with these three children. And since the book is short in length, the narrative maintains the attention span of a youngster in an interesting way, using phrasing and words more in line with the target audience.
“Treason” by Michael E. Wills receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
Very early on in the book, you are introduced to several children, Judith Neville and Alfie Field, both coming from vastly different backgrounds but two of the 800,000 children packed onto trains in September 1939 and sent from London to live with strangers in the English countryside, far away from the bombings during WW2.
Known as Operation Pied Piper, millions of people, most of them children, were shipped to rural areas in Britain as well as overseas to Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The government evacuated almost 3 million people during the first four days of the operation, making it the biggest and most concentrated population movement in British history. This separation of children from their parents was extremely traumatic, the trauma lasting for years, and the author does a good job in showing the anxiety many children experienced, especially with the selection process by host families, some who ended up being less than ideal hosts.
Judith, from the outset, is a spoiled little rich girl whose only worry is if she will miss her riding lesson or if she can wear her cardigan her mother bought from Selfridges... and that the talk of her going on some kind of holiday is a mere inconvenience.
Alfie, on the other hand, a fighter who is suppose to take care of his sister on the journey, is separated from her and finds himself alone after all of the other children are chosen by families after arriving in the far off town of Ventnor. Finally, he ends up in the same house with Judith, who is placed with the Orton family consisting of a mom and her son, Jimmy, and wheel-chair bound uncle, and a strange farm hand named Merve.
Life at the Orton’s is quite different than either of them have ever known and they have to learn, especially Judith, the ins-and-outs of running a farm; not to mention, the challenge each of the children have in getting to know each other.
But the resilient children adapt quickly, and during the day to day activities, they form a bond while listening to the Children’s Hour each evening and riding horses near the beach. But one of their other pastimes leads to a mysterious occurrence while listening to Jimmy’s wireless in his room. Without a doubt, they hear the dots and dashes of morse code tapping out across the air waves. Not sure what it all means after translating the code, all three are pulled into a mystery right there near the Orten’s farm.
In addition to the suspicious code, Judith sees a flashing light out her window in the direction of Merve’s cottage and the guest house. Enter the sinister figure of Roisin O’Rourke, the older unmarried lady living in the guest house – a woman with a dark secret, and a war widow from the first world war.
The children team together to solve this mystery, and in true Hardy Boys style, their lives are on the line before solving this unexpected case. While their parents sought to send them away from the dangers in London, they unwittingly sent them straight into the German plan to invade Britain by occupying the Isle of Wight.
This is an easy story for children to learn about this tragic time in history, without hearing about the horrors of war, but still what children their own age had to endure during a time which changed everyone’s lives. Also, the author uses a clever technique of inserting ‘historical titbits’ into the storyline, sort of an educational snack for a young person to chew on while following what happens with these three children. And since the book is short in length, the narrative maintains the attention span of a youngster in an interesting way, using phrasing and words more in line with the target audience.
“Treason” by Michael E. Wills receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company.
January 29, 2024
Michael E. Wills' "Treason" seems like a fascinating children's classic set during a time of war, though I have not read it yet. In order to create a timeless story that navigates the complexities of war while preserving the innocence of childhood, Wills deftly combines themes of adventure with those of loyalty and courage.
June 16, 2025
There are other books which feature evacuees, notably Goodnight Mr Tom. They aways seem to feature East End kids. Yes, they were nearly all evacuated, and for many it was a horrible shock. Both for the child and family taking them in (whose adult men were mostly gone to the war). But most kids in London were in the same boat (including the royal princesses, although Princess Elizabeth refused to go and joined the WRVS instead, driving an ambulance in the blackout). Evacuation also hit other major cities — Portsmouth’s naval connections made it a target too — so it was good to see a mix of backgrounds turn up at the door of Mrs Orton, who was struggling to keep the farm going with all the shortages that the war was causing.
So, for creating a perfect background, really true to not only the facts of England in 1940, but the Englishness of life at the time too, this book deserves its five stars.
And then there’s the story. Interesting, engaging, engrossing and intriguing. Like an onion, the layers peel away until you wonder how on earth anyone can escape, or stop the baddies in time. The layers are also full of opportunities for a sharp reader to outguess the plot. Then it twists and fools them, then it twists again. Superb tension, excellent writing yet still with the typical gentleness of the area’s rolling hills. Requires effort… but not daunting.
Recommended for good readers eight years and up, especially those doing WW2 in their history classes.
So, for creating a perfect background, really true to not only the facts of England in 1940, but the Englishness of life at the time too, this book deserves its five stars.
And then there’s the story. Interesting, engaging, engrossing and intriguing. Like an onion, the layers peel away until you wonder how on earth anyone can escape, or stop the baddies in time. The layers are also full of opportunities for a sharp reader to outguess the plot. Then it twists and fools them, then it twists again. Superb tension, excellent writing yet still with the typical gentleness of the area’s rolling hills. Requires effort… but not daunting.
Recommended for good readers eight years and up, especially those doing WW2 in their history classes.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews