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The Tibber Family at Brackley, Northamptonshire


Anthony Tibber

Anthony Tibber recalls his family war-time in Brackley

The Tibber family ( Mother Priscilla, nee Deyong ), Father ( Maurice) & three children evacuated to Goring-on-Sea, Sussex at about the outbreak of war.

They moved from there to Brackley in about 1940/41 after army officers knocked at the door and said they must move as an invasion was likely and Goring would be a landing point!

The family (together with mother's parents, Jack & Eva Deyong ) moved into a large house (The Red House ) on the High Street.

The two girls (Rosemary, now Friedman) and Jacqueline (now Toff) went to Brackley High School and the boy (Anthony) to Magdalen College School, presided over by a clergyman, the Rev. Arthur Bolton. The Tibbers had a refugee, Max Wolkowicz (aged about 12?) living with them.

There were other Jewish families in Brackley: Lazarus, Froomberg and others I cannot remember, although I believe some members of the Sklan family were there.

Hebrew lessons were arranged with someone who lived in nearby Banbury.
I remember one Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur when services were held in our home: the ark was an upturned cardboard packing case and a Sefer Torah was brought from London by David Green, a relative. The services were conducted I think mainly by David Green and some Sklans.

Jack Deyong died in about 1943 and Eva the following year and shortly after the family moved back to London.

While the family were in Brackley, Maurice Tibber at first travelled daily to London to look after his business ("mantle manufacturer") but later joined the R.A.F. and only visited on leave.

2007

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