LETTERS
Dog was pleased to hear that his pals who worked tirelessly as ‘War Dogs’ have been remembered at the World War One ceremony in London recently. Nine year old Isla Gardner (pictured above right) of Cropredy School was chosen to recite her poem ‘Jobs of War Dogs’ at the annual Animals in War Memorial event. She won the chance through a ‘Dogs Trust’ competition.
DOG
We are proud to print her poem below: Hey guys I’m a sheepdog called Mog, And I’m a comfort dog, I make the soldiers feel better, In any weather, Hi I’m a beagle called Belle I’m a scout dog, I have an amazing sense of smell, I can smell yards away, I don’t bark I just raise my hackle and stay, Woof I’m a lurcher called McCreadie, and I’m a messenger dog I’m super speedy, At delivering notes to the wounded and needy, Hello I’m a border collie called Jack, And I carry a medical kit on my back, I help injured soldiers recover from nasty injuries at war, To make them less sore.
DEDDINGTON PICTURES With regard to the photos of Deddington and the Midland Bank that featured in the October issue of the magazine. I lived in Deddington during 1930-1954 at one point living in Market Place. The only building I remember as a bank was in the house of Mr Harry Wells known as (Tickey) who owned a drapers shop just behind the town hall and lived next door. There was a plaque on the stonework by the front door. Regarding Otters restaurant, previous to this it was a junk/ antiques shop and even earlier it was a grocer’s shop called Tuckers Stores. The house you refer to as Midland bank was lived in by Mr Boon who was manager of Tuckers Stores. Regards, Don Walker
Dear Four Shires In response to your Pictures from the Past feature in the November issue of the magazine; The bridge picture with the crane is the Bodicote Flyover. The Southam Road Bridge was the old Ironstone Rail Bridge constructed in 1917 to serve the Wroxton Ironstone Works until they closed in 1967 and the track which connected with the mainline at Cropredy was then taken up. It was situated just the Banbury side of Alcan. During the last war what was then called the Northern Aluminium Company had to be camouflaged as it was important in supplying aluminium for aeroplanes. This is rather ironic as much of the equipment was of German origin fitted by German engineers! To draw German bombers away a dummy factory was built between Great Bourton and Mollington with a short length of railway track and some wagons alongside so as to replicate the real factory. The decoy factory was bombed but the real factory survived intact. Here we reproduce an extract from a piece written by Brian Cannon regarding the ‘Dummy Ally’ The entrance to the’Dummy Ally’ had pillars with finials and associated buildings to replicate the real factory. It even had a length of railway track with wagons so as to appear from air to be the real factory which had the Wroxton Ironstone branch line alongside. Men were employed on the decoy site, keeping fires going, emitting black smoke to fool the German bombers. They also made use of the buildings keeping pigs and chickens for the company directors. Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) in his ‘Germany Calling’ propaganda broadcasts on the radio said they knew where the real factory was, as they could see the White Horse on Hardwick Hill. However, the real factory never was bombed but the decoy was… Many thanks to Brian Cannon of Great Bourton for sharing this with us. FOUR SHIRES DECEMBER 2018
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22/11/2018 14:41