WHEN the air raid siren sounded, children at Tynewydd Primary School, Newbridge, were told to gather their gas masks and suitcase for an evacuation.

The Year 3 pupils had no idea that they were being evacuated, but the exercise was part of their classroom studies focusing on the Second World War.

Twenty-five pupils, wearing name tags, each carried a gas mask and suitcase and sang First World War songs It’s a long way to Tipperary and Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, as they walked to Newbridge railway station, where they boarded a train to Risca.

Teacher Liza Wright said parents waved them off as if they were being evacuated during the war.

The class visited Risca Library, where they met former Tynewydd teacher Sam Lewis, a former evacuee and looked at books on the subject.

“The children had no idea they would be evacuated and were reading when the siren sounded,”

said Miss Wright.

“We felt it was good for them to experience what it must have been like to be evacuated during the Blitz.”