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Looking Back: Temporal and Spatial Connections of Post-War Migration and Displacement Through the Eyes of the Toronto Telegram

Toronto Locations

For the duration of the war, hundreds of families and children moved across seas to be out of harm's way from the destruction of World War II. The affectionate name "War Guests", was given to those who evacuated their home countries, but with the inference. that they would be returning to their homes once the war had concluded.

The War Guests that were photographed primarily consisted of those from the United Kingdom, but also included a few from France and Austria.

Toronto Telegram photographers captured a certain excitement and worry of those arriving.

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"Many miles across the ocean from the dangers of hun bombs, young Robin Kingsley, son of Capt. Charles Kingsley, R.A.F., and Mrs. Kingsley, is shown here on the edge of the swimming pool on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Grant Glassco, just north of Maple. On the diving board are Dick and June Glassco, who will be his companions "for the duration," as Robin will make his home with the Glasscos." (Caption on back)
"Seventeen young war guests of Canada gathered at the Union Station last night to board a train that whisked them off on the first leg of their long journey back to their homes in the British Isles. Some of them are shown in these pictures. Margaret Cowie, who came to Toronto from Edinburgh to st ay with Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Godson, was just 14 when she arrived. Now she is 19-and pretty-and she had two handsome male friends on hand to bid her good-bye. One was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy, Bill Westlake, of Toronto, while the other was an RCAF man, Don Gray, of Windsor, and formerly of Edinburgh. Like Margaret, Don came to Canada when he was 15 but not at 20, he is not going back home. He is now a Canadian citizen and what's more, he's in the air force. He served overseas and saw his parents in Scotland while there. Twelve-year-old John Gomm, of Hounslow, Middlesex, found it anything but easy bidding his pals good-bye. And the eyes of Teddy Hill were suspiciously bright as he watched Bill Leak give John's haversack a final little tug. John has been the guest of Bill and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Leak, 10 Ardmore road, for the past five years. Lionel Dawson, 15, has been staying with Mr. and Mrs. Stiver at their Unionville home. He comes from Norwich, Englad. With him in Unionville were his brothers and sister, Neville, 17, Gerald, 11, and Betty, 13. At home is another little brother and a baby sister whom they have never seen." (Caption on back)
"Each more than 53 pounds heavier, and 14 inches taller, both Donald and Olive Stewart, war guest brother and sister now 14 and 15 years old, are returning to-morrow to their mother and grandmother in Dumfries, Scotland. They arrived in Canada in 1940 to live with their uncle and aunt, Dr. and Mrs. T. O. Chenoweth of 1 St. Edmunds drive. Donald is returning armed with complete knowledge of local birds, trees and flowers, which he gained by forming a nature study club in the neighborhood a few months after he arrived. He and the other boys met every Tuesday and rose at 7 o'clock some mornings to take part in the nature hunts sponsored by the Royal Ontario Museum. Though Donald has lost his Scottish accent, he has not lost his original Scottish desire to become a minister. He plans to study in Edinburgh. At University of Toronto Schools he won a scholarship the first year, excelling in public speaking. Olive, who was nine when she arrived, has developed her talent for music at the Toronto Conservatory and has passed its grade nine examinations with first class honors. She is not quite so certain about her future, especially after having to leave all her young friends at Lawrence Park Collegiate. She, to[o]. has lost her Scottish accent but, "we hope we can retrieve it before we start school in the fall because if we don't we'll be teased," they say." (Caption on back)
"Wife of an English Presbyterian minister, Mrs. William Buckingham, of Worthing, Sussex, and her two sons, ten-year-old Reay and Ian, seve, stayed over in Toronto to-day as guests of United Church of Canada officials. They are en route to Moose Jaw, where they will live "for the duration" with Mrs. Buckingham's uncle, T. D. Mackay. "We are very glad to be away from air raids," Mrs. Buckingham said. "It wasn't so bad in Sussex, although we went through several, but my boy Reay was at school on the Isle of Wight and it was terrible there, due to the German plans trying to bomb Portsmouth." "We're looking forward to Canada," Reay interjected in precise English accents. "It's our first visit to Moose Jaw. Of course we've been East." "To Eastern Canada?" "Oh, no!" the little boy answered. "Malaya, you know, in the East." "Did Ian go to Malaya, too?" "He was born there," Reay said, "so he really couldn't go, if you know what I mean." Their father, they said, was in the Reserve." (Caption on back)
"These war guests are members of a party of 28 children, mothers and guardians who arrived here last night as guests of the International Business Machine Co., Ltd., of Canada. Through the offer of Thomas J. Watson, president of the International Business Machine Corporation of New York, the group, consisting of the families of representatives of the International Time Recording Co. of Great Britain, a subsidiary of the U.S. firm, was brought to Canada for the duration of the war at the expense of the company. Upper left, Margaret Lemond, aged 10, of London: upper centre, Mrs. E. M. Kelk, of Birmingham, and her two daughters, Panela, aged 13 (left), and Betty, aged nine; upper right, Joan Pathie, aged five, of Exeter; lower left, five boys ranging in age from three to six years; lower right, Godfrey Spencer, aged eight (left), and Anthony Spencer, aged six. The two brothers, from Cheswick, near London, travelled with their aunt, Mrs. G. A. Butler, while their mother and father remained in England." (Caption on back)

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