So the kids were sent to Australia...

Provision has been made to compensate these unfortunate children of the 50'60's (my generation). Also The PM., on behalf of ALL the past British governments that implimented the policy of transferring selected young orphaned (not strictly), British children to colonate past empire countries, apologised unresevedly. (See Prime Ministers Question Time , re-runs 24 feb 2012)

A very good reason for watching PM Question time every Wednesday at noon, hear it as it is, not the drivil the press put out. make up your own mind not have others do it for you.

This post was opened by Ron yesturday and has quickly fallen to the bottom of the list. It is an important post so I've brought it back to the top so that menbers may see it.

WE AS ORDINARY EVERYDAY ENGLISH MEN AND WOMEN IN THE STREET ARE NOT PROUD OF THIS ISSUE THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS OF THE DAY BETWEEN THE 1920's and 1960's. WE WERENT MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWINGLY SUPPORTED IT.

The present Government and opposition parties have now apologised for the treatment of these innocent ex-pats, and are now doing all they can to compensate for their mistakes. we all will do our best to help these now elderly survivers.

For those out there unaware of the issue I will breifly try to explain what happened-

Between the 1920's and 1960's (prior to the 'liberal' attitudes of today) 

for variuos reasons (some illigitamate, orphaned or abandoned children in England) were entered into institutions and raised and educated by the state at the states expence. Some of these 'institutions' had contact with other commonwealth countries and missioaries abroad. It was thought that some of these children would benefit and have a better chance in life if they were sent overseas (Britain was in a depression in the 30's and with war on the horizon it probly seemed at the time the right thing to do. another train of thought was that the 'new' countries would benefit from an influx of such children.).

However, many of these children still had parents and family alive and living here at the time. The organisers of the institutions and missionaries accepting our children in other lands, witheld information from them and us. The reality was, once overseas these children were treat as slaves by individual families and organisations and many suffered emotionally and sexualy. They had no contact with relatives back home and relatives had no idea they were abroad.

These children are now elderly and with the help of some very dedicated people their plight has been brought to the attention of the public. Those wishing to, now have access to government funding and compensation.

It is a sad storey that our children (And their relations) were put through this ordeal. film footage is available and shows them happyly being transported to their new life in a warm climate, but its their treatment abroad which was shocking. we as a nation knew little of this.

I personally find it difficult to understand that when they reached adult age they did not raise the issue back home, thus preventing it to continue for so long.

Good wishes to all who were involved but thanks to the 'Freedom of information act that (be it ever so late) now allows controlled access to government and personal documentation

Oh, that's sad, Michael.  It reminds me of the Dickens novels, where all the orphans from London were sent to farms in Yorkshire to be little slaves. 

The US has the same shameful history, especially in Arizona, when, also in the 50s and 60s, the "great white fathers" removed Navajo and Hopi children from their parents on the reservations and placed them in Indian schools, where they were "americanized" and forbidden to speak their language or practice their culture.  

Ooooh, Michael....as Ron says, "Wait for it......"