A story from the "Scarborough Mercury" entitled "SCHOOLGIRLS' EXPERIENCE AT SCARBOROUGH - BELGIAN GIRL WHO KNEW"
Mr. John Place, M.I. Mech.E., of Beckenham, Kent, sends a morning paper cutting from the "Beckenham Journal" of Saturday, relating his children's experiences at the Westland's School, Scarborough, during the bombardment. It was, he says, due to the pre-arranged plans of long standing made by Miss Wood, the head mistress, that the rescue was so well carried out. The report says:
While at breakfast, they heard a rumble which at first attracted little notice; this was soon followed by a noise which was put down by the pupils as thunder, but one little Belgian girl who had gone through the horrors before, cried out in a most decided tone "No, cannon," and this was soon patent to all, for a shell hit the upper part of the house, breaking all the windows, splitting the walls, and shattering desks, blackboards, pianos, and other furniture.
The school house is provided with concrete covered cellars, into which the pupils were taken in an orderly manner, where they prepared for an exodus when it was safe to go. As soon as the firing became less intense, the roll was called, both in and out of the house, and a march to Seamer, the first station outside the town, was undertaken, where they entrained for York whence they were soon on the road to London, which was reached without further incident.
