A man who believes he was abandoned by his family after being sent to Australia as a child is heartbroken to learn that his father was denied entry by the institution where he was beaten and abused.
After being abandoned by his unmarried mother, 77-year-old Dorian Thomas Reece was taken to an orphanage in Birmingham as a child and sent to Western Australia at the age of eight.
He grew up believing his family had abandoned him or died and was excited by the opportunity to live in what has been described as “a big field with lots of kids to play.”
He was one of thousands of children sent from orphanages in England to former colonies in Commonwealth countries in the mid-20th century as part of the Child Migrant programme.
Growing up in the homes of Australian boys, Dorian suffered terrible beatings, remembering being beaten by a man named Mowen.
Appearing on tonight’s episode of ITV’s Tall Tall Family, Dorian discovers that his late father is not only paying for his care, but also wants to be reunited with him and his mother.
Dorian Thomas Reece, 77, was taken to an orphanage in Birmingham as a child after his unmarried mother was forced to give up on him and he was sent to Western Australia at the age of eight (pictured).
Dorian was featured on tonight’s episode of ITV’s Tall Tall Family and learned that his late father not only paid for his care, but also wanted to reunite with both him and his mother.
According to Mirror, Dorian said in the episode: ‘They had no right to interfere in this way, but they did. As a result, people like me went to places where growing up wasn’t pleasant.”
Dorian was among the 130,000 unaccompanied minors sent from the 1920s to the 1970s to countries like Australia and Canada with the promise of a better life.
Children aged three to fourteen were brought to the colonies by England’s “orphans and vagrants” class to conquer the country as white settlers.
In fact, many found themselves in mismanaged institutions where they were poorly educated, neglected and often physically and sexually abused, and cut off from their families and all ties to their homeland.
Dorian’s father, George Thomas, was born in 1892 and died in 1981. He had fought in World War I before working as a chemical engineer and even received an OBE.
Dorian was living in Father Hudson’s Homes orphanage when he and his friends were told they were going to Australia for a new life.
He was sent to Castledare Boys’ Home, a Christian Brotherhood boarding school in Wilson, where he stayed for three years.
An examination of the home in 1948 found the bedroom floors to be stained with “urine falling from constantly saturated mattresses.”
An investigation into abuse in England and Wales in 2017 revealed that there was a type of “legal pedophile gang” in which the residents of the house were forced to suffer “sadistic” beatings and sexual abuse.
At the age of 11, Dorian was sent to Clontarf Boys’ Town in Perth, also run by the Christian Brothers, and was beaten regularly by a man named Mowen.
Dorian discovered that he had two deceased brothers and was able to find his niece Anne in Lancashire and her son Pete, who had gone to London to meet with long lost relatives.
Dorian was spotted with host Davina McCall following the reveal of Long Lost Family: Shipped to Australia, which will air on ITV this evening at 9 PM.
She remembered how some of the boys were so afraid of the man that they peed in fear, and how children who broke the rules were sent to the bedroom as punishment.
“You got in there, he’d give you some punishment, then he’d try to comfort you, grab you in his arms. I’ll leave the rest to that,” said Dorian.
‘Who are you addressing? I’m not the only one experiencing this situation. Some better, some much worse. Lives destroyed by their lives.’
As an adult, Dorian left Australia and returned to London, where he met his wife, Kay. encountered
Although Kay had no idea if she was still alive, she encouraged Dorian to find her biological mother, who they discovered was still alive and had a stall at the Whitechapel market.
He says it was “wonderful” to be reunited with his mother, and that Dorian discovered his father’s identity through his mother.
Dorian was happy to learn more about his story after he believed he was abandoned or that his parents died when he was a child.
When he met Anne and Pete, Dorian said, “I thought I could contain myself but… I was a little worried but when he hugged me I felt much more comfortable.”
Dorian’s father, George Thomas, was born in 1892 and died in 1981. He had fought in World War I before working as a chemical engineer and even received an OBE.
George divorced his wife in 1938 and met Dorian’s mother nine years later.
When his mother died, Dorian claimed freedom of information in the British nursing home where he lived as a child. He soon discovered that his father was desperate for a meeting.
She learned that George had written to the Birmingham nursing home that she wanted to take care of her son and mother, but that the house had told her “The best thing you can do for her is to forget about her”.
Dorian discovered that he had two deceased brothers and was able to locate his niece Anne and son Pete, who lived in Lancashire and went to London to meet with his long lost relatives.
When he met Anne and Pete, Dorian said: “I thought I could contain myself but… I was a little worried, but when I got that hug, I felt much more comfortable.
“You want to know where you come from and who your family is. Finding my father’s family filled a huge void. feel good. ‘
Long Lost Family: Shipped to Australia airs tonight at 21:00 on ITV
Source: Daily Mail
