Denis Arthur Savin was born at his parent's home on 31st January 1933 at 11, Ashcombe Park, Neasden, NW London1.
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| Denis 5 months old |
He was described as a rather scrawny baby and always crying. When he was 18 months old he was rushed to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London with a temperature of 103 Fahrenheit. Denis was diagnosed as having "Pink Disease" (Infantile Acrodynia) which was symptomatic of his above descriptions, and so called because it causes bright pink hands and feet. He was admitted to the hospital's Alexandra Ward on 12th October 19342. Denis was under the care of a houseman (junior doctor) called Dr Alan Moncrieff2, who later as one of Britain's leading paediatricians, and was ennobled as Sir Alan Moncrieff. The senior physician (consultant) was Doctor Edward Cockayne. The standard textbook at the time largely written by the hospital's own staff and edited by Moncrieff himself describes the disease's treatment as follows. Careful and frequent feeding to combat the anorexia. To prevent scratching light splints applied to the limbs, calamine lotion to cover the skin and the child clothed in cotton or silk with drugs given for the itching and sleeplessness. Denis had stated that Milk of Magnesia was said to be the suspected cause of the disease but a decade later mercury was identified as the culprit which was used in teething powder etc. at the time. He was discharged as cured on 4th November2 without any apparent major long terms effects, which there could well have been, although his mother maintained it gave him a weak chest.
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| Denis 2 yrs and 5 mnths |
Due to poor eyesight, like his brother, Denis's first year of school in 1938 was at St John's Wood School for the Blind at Swiss Cottage, N.W. London. He is said to have hated it because most of the children had intellectual difficulties, which
resulted in behaviour problems. With the Second World War expected this school moved to Dorton House near Aylesbury but instead Denis was evacuated to Kettering with his brother Roy. For the story of their first day as evacuees click here
Upon returning to London in 1940 Denis attended the normal local primary school near his home which was Braintcroft School in Warren Road3. The stay here however was very short as heavy German bombing of London started in September which was known as "The Blitz". So for a second time Denis was evacuated, this time to Swindon in Wiltshire, with his mother. They stayed with Fred Wiggins, who was Denis's great uncle, at 10 Cobden Road. He had been recently widowed as his wife Laura died in March leaving him on his own, so having evacuees, who were related, must have been of mutual benefit. Fred was retired and Denis particularly remembers this tale which he often told:
Fred's job at the GWR railway workshops was as a foreman of the multi-ton steam hammer which was used to press out the sheets of the metal for the locomotive boilers. When visitors came around the plant he would get one of them to put his pocket watch on the platen and would bring down the hammer on it. So deft was his control of the giant machine that he could stall it just above the watch and so not damage it at all.
On 28th October 1940 Denis started Even Swindon School along with 8 other evacuees who also began during the same term and had mostly come from London3. This swelled his class size to 44 children and at the end of the school year he was ranked as the 6th best pupil. On the 22nd August 1941 he left the school to return to the capital once more3.
Back in London Denis was home schooled for about a year by his brother Roy. Then he attended Braintcroft School again but due to a lack of teachers then went to Wyckham School where his classroom was destroyed by a bomb overnight.
1. The majority of information was supplied by Denis himself by e-mails between November 2011 and December 2012, except as indicated below.
2. Admissions Register 1934, held at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust archives.
3. Admission Register, Even Swindon School, mixed dept 1934-1958, held at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.
Fred's job at the GWR railway workshops was as a foreman of the multi-ton steam hammer which was used to press out the sheets of the metal for the locomotive boilers. When visitors came around the plant he would get one of them to put his pocket watch on the platen and would bring down the hammer on it. So deft was his control of the giant machine that he could stall it just above the watch and so not damage it at all.
On 28th October 1940 Denis started Even Swindon School along with 8 other evacuees who also began during the same term and had mostly come from London3. This swelled his class size to 44 children and at the end of the school year he was ranked as the 6th best pupil. On the 22nd August 1941 he left the school to return to the capital once more3.
Back in London Denis was home schooled for about a year by his brother Roy. Then he attended Braintcroft School again but due to a lack of teachers then went to Wyckham School where his classroom was destroyed by a bomb overnight.
1. The majority of information was supplied by Denis himself by e-mails between November 2011 and December 2012, except as indicated below.
2. Admissions Register 1934, held at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust archives.
3. Admission Register, Even Swindon School, mixed dept 1934-1958, held at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre.
