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1896 Dec 24. Born Middlesex
1901 census at 10, St Marys Road, Willesden
1911 census at 10 St Marys Road Willesden N W
He attended Burlton House School, Castle Hill, Reading. Shortly after 1911, the family moved to "Rothbury", a larger and more imposing house, at 287 Bath Road, Hounslow.
1914 Sep 7 Enlisted in Seaforth Highlanders
1915 Apr 30. Posted to France
Deall served as a Private in France with 5th Seaforths (part of 152nd Brigade, 51st Division, see http://51hd.co.uk/history/world_war_one ) until 7th March, 1916 . He would have fought at Festubert in May, and Givenchy in June, 1915. On 30th September, he was taken out of the line and sent to 1st/2nd Highland Field Ambulance at Vallencourt, where he was admitted suffering from influenza. A fortnight later he was transferred to the Highland Casualty Clearing Station at Lillers, suffering from Pyrexia (medical jargon for a high temperature!). On the 10th October, he was admitted to No 11 Stationary Hospital at Rouen. On 30th he was admitted to the Highland Division Base Depot at Etaples; he rejoined his unit on 13th November, 1915.
1916 Mar 7. Returns to UK
In March, 1916, Deall was once again hospitalised, again suffering from influenza. He was admitted to 1st/2nd Highland Field Ambulance on 4th of the month, and to the Highland Casualty Clearing Station on the same day - now recorded as suffering from Phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis). Two days later he was admitted to No 8 Stationary Hospital at Wimereux. Two days after that he was evacuated to England. By August, still an inmate at the Military Hospital, Winchester, he was facing a Medical Board. The Medical Report drawn up on 13th August states that he was suffering from chronic bronchitis, that this disability was constitutional, and that it was aggravated (but not caused) by active service.
1916 Sep 4. Discharged on medical grounds. Bronchitis. "permanently unfit"
1917 Aug 25. Somehow, Deall had managed to join the Officer Cadet Battalion at Cambridge,
1917 Nov 18. The undermentioned cadets to be temp. 2nd Lts. - Suffolk Regt, Eric Noel Deall
1919 Sep 13. Married in Brentford to Dulcie H M Evans
1919 Dec 13. He relinquished his commission as Temporary Lieutenant in the 1st Reserve Garrison Battalion Suffolk Regiment, whilst retaining the rank of Lieutenant
1920 Jul 31. 8th Bn., Middlesex Rcgi,.—Lt. E. N. Deall, late Garr. Bn., Suffolk Regt., to be Lt.
1920 Nov 1. Joins ADRIC with service no 937. Posted to H Coy. Section Leader
1921 Feb 8 Posted to O Coy. Promoted Platoon Commander
His officer's service record notes that he received the Certificate for Gallantry awarded in Ireland on 15th May, 1921
1922 Jan 16. Discharged on demobilisation of ADRIC by which time O Company was at Mountjoy Gaol
1924 Jan 9. 8th Bn. Middx. R.—Lt. Eric Noel Deall, late this unit, to be Lt.
1925 Mar 4. Summoned for causing an obstruction with his car. Fined 10/-
1928 Apr Promoted to Captain in the 7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
1936 Dec Promoted Major in the 7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
1936 Dec. Transferred to the 42nd (Foresters) A.A. Battalion.
After three periods of being called out on Military Service between September 1938 and August, 1939, he was embodied on 3rd September, 1939. He was sent to the Infantry Training School at Weybourne for a fortnight’s course between 19th November and 2nd December, 1939
1940 Feb 6. Awarded the Efficiency Decoration
1940 Mar 26 . .He was Gazetted Major, Foresters, and posted to 9th Battalion.
1940 Apr 20. He was posted to 2/5th Battalion, and he embarked for France with this Battalion as part of the BEF four days later
1940 May 26. He was captured by the Germans, reportedly near Oignies, Belgium, where the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters (as part of 139 Brigade of 46th Division) had been attempting to defend the town. He was held in Oflag VII-C Laufen (1940-41) alongside such luminaries as Captain Pat Reid (later Escape Officer, Colditz); Oflag VI-B Warburg (1941 - September, 1942), site of the famous "Warburg Wire Job" escape, alongside Wing Commander Douglas Bader and other notable escapers; and Oflag IX-A/H Spangenberg bei Kassell (September 1942 - August 1944), along with a future Chancellor of the Exchequer (P/Off. Anthony Barber) and the future father of the Duchess of Cornwall (Major Bruce Shand) as well as numerous famous escapers. Almost immediately after his arrival at this camp, the Germans instigated reprisals against the POWs, and withdrew knives, forks, mugs and razors: the prisoners immediately started a "Beard Sweep". At the end of seven weeks, beards were judged on a variety of criteria, and a Captain "Paddy" Heffernan was adjudged the winner. With the assistance of the medical officer Deall faked Bronchitis by continuous excessive smoking prior to medical examination by a board of a Swiss and German doctors. He managed to fool them completely and was repatriated as a hopeless case in August, 1944 on the Drottningholm. He landed back in England in September, 1944, and was posted to 2 Infantry Depot (Ex Germany) with effect from the 16th of that month. On 25th November, he was posted to 7th Infantry Holding Battalion. He was medically examined on 1st December, at Millbank, and certified Category (C).
1943 Still a POW
1944 Aug Repatriated
1945 Mar 1. he was ordered to report for duty as Welfare Officer, attached 14th Durham Light Infantry, and he was attached to No 92 Camp, Piper’s Wood, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with effect from the 17th of that month
1945 Mar. Helps repariate POWs in Middle East
1945 Jun 28, He was released from embodied service . In the post-war world, Eric Deall became a Sales Representative, as his father had been before him. He lived at 109, Digby Avenue in Mapperley, Nottingham
1948 Jun 28. Granted decree nisi for his wife's desertion.
1948 Jul/Sep. He remarried, to Dr. Christina Kerr, a Nottingham GP. and they were known for spending every summer touring the Morayshire and Nairn area by car.
1951 Mar 16 Awarded three clasps to Efficiency Decoration as Major in the Foresters (retired)
1948 Jul/Sep married in Nottingham to Christina F Kerr
1975 May 17. Died at Basford , Notts