“THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SENT TO SAFETY!”

The aim of the evacuation scheme was to send children and adults to safety until the war was over, but few places in the UK were completelyseries.) The only witness, an auxiliary coastguard, saw the boys climbing through the wire from his lookout post half-a-mile away. In his statement to the inquest into the death of two of the boys – Harry Dale, a local boy, and Ronald Munting, an evacuee – the coastguard said that when he saw the boys trying to enter the minefield he waved a red flag and blew his warning whistle. One of the gang, 11-year-old Peter Reed, said that Harry and Ronald, himself and four others, went towards the minefield. Harry and Ronald entered first, by getting through the wire fencing, and shortly afterwards the explosion occurred. When asked by the coroner if he had noticed the danger warning notices, Peter replied, “The only notice I have ever read is one which states that there is danger when a red flag is flying and planes are exercising.”