The Lost Children - Gordon Brown to apologise.

[10ClarionSt]

My father was part of this scheme, but luckily for him, he was given a choice; go to Canada or Australia, or join the Merchant Navy. This was the day after his 14th birthday in 1935 when he was in care in Royton, Oldham. He was one of the lucky ones. It's dispicable what the authorities did to these children in the past. As young as my dad was, he said he knew that if he went to Canada or Aus, he would never get back to England. I certainly welcome the apology but once again Gordon Brown is left holding the baby, so to speak.

[123everton]

I think it's a good thing for him to do, noone in their right mind would him accountable.
Is this the scheme where kids in home were sent to the colonies and ended in the late 50s early 60s?

[Sqad]

I agree that he should apologise although not personally involved, but speaking for the Nation as a whole.

[tamborine]

Orphans were sent to orphanages in Australia for the perceived better lifestyle and Britain was colonising Australia.

Britain's home resources were stretched after the war, with re-building etc and funds tight to maintain orphans. Many of the orphans were from affairs and where the mother is left 'holding the baby' couldn't afford to maintain the child.

Apologies un-necessary as the best was being done for the orphans of that period.

[Kathyan]

I think it's wrong for the Government of today to apologise for anything that happened a long time ago. They are just words and would only mean something if they were spoken b the people responsible.

[123everton]

One of the lads I work with his mother died and he was placed in a home as it was felt his father was unable to look after him, he was told he was going to be sent to Australia and only happened to mention it to his teacher she (thankfully) told him to tell his father. He did this, and his father had to go and get married to prevent him going.
Another colleague was orphaned within the space of a few months, his elder brother was sent away to Australia whereas he was adopted, they never saw or heard from each other again for over 40 years.
It still affects people, it still hurts them, an apology can't hurt.

[tamborine]

Wot is abuse....the cane in boarding school, kiddie fiddling - I've had that and have managed to weather it. In those days people didn't know of the pervy things we hear about today.

Look at any war film clips, see how thin people were - that's due to physical work, that left little energy for pervy stuff.

[Mr Veritas]

In the early 1950's some people (at least) realised what was/had been going wrong with this scheme.
An orgaanisation was set up to reunite these children with their parents.I was involved with this.
Many of these children (during WW2 at least) were told (after arriving in Canada and Australia) that their parents were dead.Many of the children were likewise told that their parents had died in during bombing.
Who administered the scheme during WW2?
Barnado's.they are the one who should also be apologising.
They sent children to Canada and Australia for their own "upper class" reasons,namely to remove them from (what they saw as)their degrading working class backgrounds.
Many of these children ended up as farm slave labour,or eventually in orphan instituions (if they didn't settle down).
This scheme is a disgusting black mark in the history of the UK's attitude to children.
An apology from the PM will be nice,but Barado's will not be apologising,and they are the worst culprits!
The organisation that I worked for,to repatriate such children was closed down,due to a combination of threats from Barado's and the Government of the time,and to the fact that we could get no information to enable us to help these "orphans",who in fact HAD parents alive who were not aware their children were living.
It came too late (in most cases) for any of these children to find their parents(most were dead).
It is disturbing to think that a supposed civilised society could do such a thing.
Please don't tell me it was done with the best of intentions,that argument only leads down the slippery slope to eugenics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

[Mr Veritas]

PS:~
Tamborine,
It wasn't just AFTER the war (it was during)
and these children were NOT orphans!
They were basically EXPORTED because they were working class,and perceived therefore as not wanted.

[Mr Veritas]

Sorry,that should read:~
Many of these parents (during WW2 at least) were told (after the children arrivied in Canada and Australia) that their children had died Many of the children were likewise told that their parents had died in during bombing.

[Mr Veritas]

http://www.independen...-apology-1821252.html

[naomi24]

I actually agree with Birdie, and with Kathyan. What satisfaction is to be derived from receiving an apology from people who had no hand in the matter? How can they possibly apologise for the mistakes or crimes of their predecessors? A formal apology does, however, open the way up for compensation claims, and perhaps these people would feel justified in claiming compensation, but an acknowledgement of the suffering imposed, rather than an apology, would be more appropriate. An actual apology in circumstances such as these is meaningless.

[jon1968]

Hopefully it’ll at least prompt someone to show ‘The leaving of Liverpool’ again, quality drama, been waiting for that to come round again for ages.

[naomi24]

^^ I agree. I don't really understand the compensation culture in cases like this. Money can't turn back time or change what happened, but it's often a good excuse to demand an 'apology'.

[naomi24]

Good point, Zeuhl.