The Evacuation of Gibraltar, was the involuntary evacuation of the Gibraltarian population during World War Two. The first evacuees left Gibraltar in 1940, and the last contingent were not repatriated until 1952.[1]
The refugees were originally sent to the French protectorate of Morocco. However, in July 1940, they became unwelcome there as a result of the defeat of the French and subsequent British attack on the French Fleet off the coast of French Algeria. The British attack on the fleet at Mers-el-Kébir killed 1297 French soldiers and greatly damaged relations between Britain and France. In retaliation, the French expelled the Gibraltarian evacuees at gunpoint. They returned to Gibraltar, but were not allowed to disembark their ships, as the Governor of Gibraltar xxx did not want them to return permenantly.
Around 1500 were evacuated to Jamaica, where they were housed in a camp in Mona, near Kingston. They were joined at the camp by jewish refugees from Europe. The Gibraltar Camp went on to become the main campus of the University of the West Indies. The section of the UWI Mona campus that housed the camp is now known as Gibraltar Camp Way.[2]
Memorials edit
A memorial to the evacuation has been constructed at the roundabout connecting the North Mole and Europort Avenue.[3]
The evacuation is also remembered in the Oral Tradition of Gibraltar - particularly through the song Llévame Donde Nací ("Return me to my birthplace")
A memorial to those who died while evacuated to Gibraltar was constructed on the UWI Mona campus in 2006. It consists of a slab of Gibraltar limestone, engraved with the names of those who died and a description of the evacuation and the Gibraltar Camp.[4]
References edit
External links edit
Category:History of Gibraltar Category:Politics of World War II Category:Evacuations Category:Gibraltar