So many children were evacuated to Deddington that a processing system had to be devised.
The billeting officer was Helen Loveday who lived at Castle End. Children were first given a medical examination in the Forresters Hall (now part of Philip Allan Updates on the N side of the market square). Those who were identified as having impetigo or scabies were sent to stay with Mrs Roberts, who lived in Deddington House - she had been a nurse in the 1914 war - but soon she had to start a hospital at the Vicarage because the number of children requiring attention could not be accommodated in her own house.
Healthy children were interviewed and allocated to foster parents in the room on the top floor of the British Legion building.
Names of some of the children who spent time during the war in our parish follow:
Pauline SAVILL was evacuated from Beacontree in Essex at war start aged 13 with her 10 year old brother Terry and most of her school came as well. Her story of her time in the village and eventual marriage to her teenage sweet heart Peter Franklyn - who served in The Royal Tank Corps - is probably typical of many evacuees from London.
Ada SORRELL who was sister to Henry SORRELL (Royal Corps of Signals and who is named on the War Memorial), married Sergeant Arthur Bliss and her sister Dol who married Ken Tarling (served in the Royal Navy). After the war they were joined in Deddington by their mother Eva.
Doreen STEWART was at Campbell School with Pauline Savill and was evacuated to Deddington with her mother. Doreen stayed on after the war and married Ken Ashton and now lives in Kidlington.
Derrick ROBBINS was evacuated from London to Deddington soon after WWII broke out. We are extremely grateful to him for sending us his unique and fascinating 'Recollections' of Deddington during the war. These were originally published as a series in the Deddington News and on the Forum on this site. Since then he has added further material about the fire in Johnson's timber yard, the Royal Observer Corps and his life since leaving Deddington.