This sudden and forced evacuation upset nearly all inhabitants.
But the government had left the residents with no other alternative but to comply.
The church in Imber.
Photo credit:Ed Webster/Flickr
But there was hope.
The villagers were promised they would be able to return to their homes when the war was over.
At that time the village had 150 residents.
But the government had other plans.
Imber was never returned to its people.
There was no anger at the time.
Abandoned tanks scattered across the Salisbury Plain near Imber.
Photo credit:Scott Wylie/Flickr
An abandoned house in Imber.
Photo credit:ndl642m/Flickr
Some of the newer structures at Imber military training area.
Photo credit:Michael Day/Flickr
A fate similar to Imber awaited the villagers of Tyneham, in South Dorset.
The eviction notice that Tynehams residents received.
We shall return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly."
After the war, Tyneham residents demanded the village be returned to them.
Many of the village buildings have fallen into disrepair or have been damaged by shelling.
Photo credit:Dan Meineck/Flickr
Photo credit:Alistair/Flickr
Tyneham St Mary’s Church.
Photo credit:Liz & Johnny Wesley Barker/Flickr
A abandoned tank near Tyneham.
Photo credit:Damien Everett/Flickr
Imber and Tyneham are not the only casualties of the war.
They too were provided false promises of return.
Many lost their livelihoods.
Few houses had running water or electricity.
The land was poor farming land, and the residents were already struggling to make a living.
The six villages now longer exist.
Locations of some of the significant buildings of the former villages are now marked with plaques.
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