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in: Episodes, Stories of War, The Stories Of Sodor, Episodes uploaded in July

Evacuation

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Evacuation is the first episode of Stories of War and the thirty-first episode overall.

Evacuation/Transcript

Plot[]

On September 3, 1939, people and engines on Sodor listen to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's speech and his announcement that Britain and Germany are now at war after the latter ignored the former's ultimatum to withdraw troops from Poland. Edward then says he still gets chills in his smoke box whenever he remembers that day and the effect the utter terror that the declaration of war had. Everyone knew what the Nazis were capable of, and some legitimately feared that they would steamroll Britain, which were reinforced by the Germans blitzing across Europe in the spring of 1940. It also become very clear early on that this Second World War would be radically different from the first…

Throughout the first ten months of the war, the Nazis triumphed against Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. During the Battle of France in May/June 1940, Operation Dynamo was carried out from the beaches at Dunkirk. Over 338,000 Allies soldiers had evacuated to England, and it claimed to be a great victory for the media and the event had motivated Britain to properly assemble herself for war. Winston Churchill had become part of the wartime coalition government and quickly appointed numerous pro-active ministers who sped up the production of aircraft, coal and other necessities. The engines were crucial in getting the nation ready. Thanks mostly to the Fat Controller's preparations, Britain's railways were primed to support her. Just like during the First World War, the Big Four were unified into a single force. Engines from all four rail companies bustled about the network delivering weapons, vehicles and materials to wherever they were needed. Edward remarks how amazing it was how quickly the engines forgot their differences and what only mattered now was survival.

One day, in June 1940, Colin, Gordon and Henry are at the Fort Sudrian and have finished their shunting. Colin wonders where the huge amount of petrol is going and Gordon says he learned from one of the captains who said that this was part of a supply shipment for General Wavell's Expeditionary Force in Africa which is fighting against the Italians. The three engines then talk about politics and different ideologies. Henry decides to get back to work before the "enemy" arrives, but before they can, Benson bustles in and demands what the three engines are doing. Gordon tells the R.O.D. engine that they were just pondering the circumstances of the conflict. Benson scolds them and tells them their chaps on the front lines must be well supplied if they are to continue fighting and demands them get back to work. Gordon mutters that he suddenly finds himself craving the front lines if it meets being away from Benson, which Henry agrees with.

The next morning, Gordon has arrived at Arlesburgh to pick up a goods train. Falcon, Atlas and Stanley are there too, and notice Gordon feels down. They ask Gordon if it was because of the run in he had with Benson as they had heard about it from Colin, who he came by that morning. Gordon agrees with the three Mid-Sodor engines about Benson's attitude, but realises that Benson had been right to scold him, Henry and Colin. He then explains to the three engines about what Benson had said to them. Atlas points out to Gordon how much work he's done since the war started. Gordon gloomily says it isn't the same as being on the line of fire with the soldiers, but Stanley advises Gordon that front line service is a terrible ordeal. Gordon does agree, but before he can say more, Arlesburgh's stationmaster suddenly runs up to him and tells him that Mr. Star wants him to report to Barrow at once and to get there as quickly as possible.

Gordon swiftly makes his way to Barrow, where he finds Reginald, James and Donald there too. Mr. Star arrives with Mr. Zorro and tells them that Operation Chariot has been put into effect and the French had surrendered to the Germans earlier that day. Mr. Star then tells the four engines that they have volunteered for the operation and have been assigned to Bristol and will be sent wherever necessary once they're finished. Mr. Zorro tells them the danger is real enough that the government feels the need to evacuate the major cities. Mr. Zorro wishes to the four engines good luck and to stay safe.

Edward goes back to when he first met Molly when she said that it was best to prepare for the worst. Someone in the British government had heard this piece of advice. On June 22, 1940, France had signed an armistice with Germany, submitting to an occupation. After triumphing against the French, the Nazis began positioning large numbers of aircraft dangerously close to Britain. The War Department had been anticipating this and secretly devised Operation Chariot. The railways would be used to evacuate civilian populations from the big cities to the countryside. The War Department had assigned a sizable core of engines for the job, but put out calls for volunteers in case they wouldn't be enough. Gordon, James, Reginald and Donald had been four of these volunteers.

They soon arrived at Bristol, where they met up with Duck, Wendell and William. He introduces his friends to the four engines. Gordon recognises Wendell and William from the unfortunate incident back in 1938. Donald asks them where the coaches are, and Wendell points over to the shed, with plentiful carriages needed for the evacuation. Duck explains the operations to the four engines: He, William and Wendell will shunt the coaches every time when a group of evacuees are ready and the four engines will take the trains to various locations around the Rosworth Vale. The first group is going out right now and this train is for Gordon. Throughout the next two weeks, operations were running splendidly. Gordon, Reginald, James and Donald brought their evacuation trains from Bristol to every where in the Rosworth Vale as the three Great Western tank engines prepared their trains for them.

About two weeks after the four engines were assigned to Bristol, Duck compliments them and thanks to them, as they're ahead of schedule. Gordon then questions where James is as he was supposed to take out his train twenty minutes earlier. Gordon asks Reginald to take the train for James, but Reginald declines to do so, because he wants a rest after taking back-to-back trains. Gordon and Reginald begin arguing, and Donald, having heard them from the station comes over to tell them that James has been sent to Highbridge in Somerset to help with the evacuation there. The War Department heard that they were ahead of schedule so they diverted James to assist elsewhere, much to Gordon and Reginald's chagrin.

At Highbridge, Alice apologises to James about taking time out of his duties, though James doesn't mind. He also tells her the stationmaster had called the one at Bristol and Gordon is on his way. Soon enough, Gordon angrily storms in, but changes his mood when he notices Alice. James tells Gordon that Alice's safety valve burst when she brought her train to the platform and Gordon has to take the train. Gordon apologises to James and tells him about the argument he had with Reginald that put him in a bad mood. Alice assumes it's because he is overtired as she's seen it among the engines who were assigned to evacuation duties and the travelling about with very heavy trains wears them out. Gordon agrees, and adds that since it's such an important task, he hardly thinks they can afford to dawdle. Alice also points out they won't be of use to anyone if they wear themselves out, which Gordon also agrees with and decides to apologise to Reginald once he returns to Bristol. James tells Gordon Alice's train is to go to Dolwood in the Rosworth Vale.

Gordon soon departs to Dolwood, and has only just left the station when air raid sirens suddenly blare and Nazi planes soar by. Soldiers quickly prepared the anti-air guns and shot down as many planes as they could as the Nazi planes began dropping bombs onto the town. Gordon, going at maximum speed, sees a tunnel up ahead and decides to take cover there when the last four coaches suddenly brake loose. Gordon stops in the tunnel and tries to go back outside to rescue the back half of the train, but before they could, the enemy planes drop bombs on the coaches.

157 people had been killed on that day. 84 of those were on Gordon's train. Highbridge was devastated by the air raid, and so was Gordon, who felt overwhelmed with guilt. Gordon's grief then turned into anger as he asked why the Nazis attacked Highbridge in the first place. Not only had they attacked the small port, but other ports on the coasts were attacked to see how quickly the Royal Air Force would respond. What the Nazis had done that day was a prelude to a larger campaign that was being prepared. The Battle of Britain was about to begin…

Characters[]

Trivia[]

  • This episode was originally supposed to air on July 28th.
  • The name "Operation Chariot" was actually the British amphibious attack on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in German-occupied France during the Second World War. (Which is why it’s also called the St Nazaire Raid) The operation was undertaken by the Royal Navy and British Commandos under the auspices of Combined Operations Headquarters on 28 March 1942. The name for the evacuation was actually called "Operation Pied Piper" in which the evacuees who were mostly children who leave major cities which began in the September 1939 to July 1940.
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