Waalwyk a tribute to Harry and Dolly Deering

Reginald WilliamTheobald (Reggie) was born on the 22^nd January 1928, in Bethnal Green, East London. He was the third of four children born to Mary and Walter Theobald and had two older brothers and a younger sister, Dorothy (Dolly).

The family lived in a cottage beside the canal in Cambridge Heath, Hackney, London. As was common in those days, money was tight but they were considerably better off than some. They had carpets on the floor and bedding, which many of the children's friends didn't have.

With few cars on the roads, the children could play happily outside with their friends for hours.

On the 23 ^rd May 1933, when Reggie was just 5 years old, he left the house to play with Dolly, aged 3, while his two older brothers were at school. Dolly remembered that he'd told his mum he was going to catch a fish for dinner although there is no evidence to support this. A photo in his inquest papers show that some railings had been pulled apart and it was assumed that Reggie had gone through to retrieve a ball.

At about 3pm Reggie fell into the canal and drowned. Some workmen nearby jumped into the water to try to save him but it was too late.

Dolly remembered the ambulances and a big hook that was being used to try to find Reggie's body. She remembered visiting Reggie's grave and that her mum kept a photo of Reggie in a kitchen drawer. When Dolly became ill, doctors told her mum that she was 'fretting' for Reggie. To her knowledge, her parents didn't visit Reggie's grave again and the little photo of Reggie 'disappeared'. There is no known existing photo of him.

Those memories haunted Dolly for over 70 years until her death in 2007. She couldn't bear to be near open water... she couldn't fly because of the thought of the water beneath her... she couldn't bear to be surrounded by water which made bathing difficult... she wasn't able to take her children swimming because she panicked when they went under the water...

Reggie had been buried in a common grave in Manor Park cemetery, without a headstone or record that he was there. In 2005 Dolly had her parent's grave cleaned and Reggie's name was added.

Dolly was so insistent that all children should learn to swim so they could be safe and enjoy water, not living in fear, as she did.

Following Dolly's death in November 2007, her daughter has donated the The Reggie Theobald Shield to Rainham Lifesaving Club (now closed), in memory of Reggie and of his family whose lives were changed by his tragic death.