Born on the 20th September 1917, the birth being
registered during the December quarter 1917 in the
Kings Norton R.D. - ref: 6d/19, the son of Harry
B. & Lena E. Deakin (nee Hotchkiss).

1939 National Registration. - 26 Graham Road,
Birmingham, Warwickshire.   Harry B. Deakin -
Married - born: 21st june 1895 - occ: Builder's
Labourer.   Lena E. Deakin - Married - born: 21st
October 1893 - occ: Housewife Duties Unpaid.  
William R. Deakin - Single - born: 20th September
1917 - occ: Parcel's Porter LMS Railway.

One of 12 Royal Engineers from 1 Engineer, Supply
Base Depot killed when a H.E. bomb landed on the
Royal Artillery Officers Mess on Hyde Road,
Ardwick where they were billeted.  Eleven of them
were killed outright, but the 12th survived, only
to be killed when he went back into the building
to search for his buddies when the remains of the
building collapsed onto him.  His body was not
recovered until the following day.

In total only nine bodies were recovered, but the
remains of three of them were never found and, in
consequence they have no known graves - their
deaths were not registered until September 1941.

Death registered during the March quarter 1941 in
the Manchester R.D. - ref: 8d/560, aged: 23.

Screen Wall - Panel 2.

CWGC - Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Deakin, of South
Yardley, Birmingham.

Due to the military losses, the war-time Censors
did a fine job with this incident and it was
'hushed up' at the time.  So fine a job did the
authorities do, that until recently the local
studies libraries had no knowledge of the
incident, not even the Royal Engineers Museum at
Chatham knew anything about it.   Their names were
as follows:-

Benjamin Harry BROUGHTON
Eric John Berkley CLAYTON
Leslie DANES
William Reginald DEAKIN
George Wilfred HIMBURY
James Bird HODGSON
Charles C. HOLMAN
William Hugh MILLER
Isaiah MOSS
Henry William Abram ROBERTS
Jack Edward SHELDRAKE
Dennis Henry Wilfred THAYER