please forgive my unintentionally not reading the posts adequately. annoying to us all!
Think indicative of their disconnected situation that the percentage of British child Migrants' volunteering for the world wars was higher than with the population as a whole. This is little known but probably symbols their overwhelming need for reconnecting with their origins of country, family, society customs and values etc. Absence makes the heart grow finder, The grass on the other side is greener. I'm sorry I over write posts. It's sad though because they had to seriously risk their lives by agreeing to go to fight, knowing they most likely could die, because they had no money to travel to Britain to do what they should have had a god given right to do; look for family they had been taken from without informed consent. without being given the option to stay in the UK whatever the events (birth mum's death and step mum reluctant to raise him, was my and many other cases) . Suspect such unforseen challenges were used against some families. to thieve children for "good of empire". Leaves many questions do you agree?
Sorry Jackiemh I re read to see your relative returned on their own choice and not from Fairbridge , Pinjarra in Western Australia as mine had been made to (or helped to, even his records aren't giving the sufficient information to understand what I need to). Was he at New South Wales Fairbridge institution, which was at place called Molong? Where was he living from birth in Britain before Barnardos took him? Maybe like mine was put in Middlemore emigration home for 6 months prior to sailing away. In 1929 my grandad was put on SS Largs Bay, by Barnardos, Fairbridge and the company responsible for the shipping, Royal overseas league.