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All Tanked Up ... the Canadians in Headley during World War II.
Extracts from a book compiled in 1994 by John Owen Smith from conversations and correspondence with villagers of Headley, Hampshire and Canadian veterans who were here during World War II.

Part 1
Introduction
The village of Headley in east Hampshire sits just across the River Wey from Bordon Camp. This was constructed at the turn of the century on land first purchased by the army in 1863 for use as a training area and, until the end of the 1920s, formed an integral part of Headley parish. Through the years, therefore, the village has become familiar with the presence of the military close at hand. Older residents tell of hearing the bugle calls from the Camp, and today we can hear quite distinctly the firing coming from the Woolmer ranges.
During the First World War, villagers saw troops, led by their military bands, marching through from Bordon to Ludshott Common in order to practice digging trenches. They remember a meat depot and bakery being established on the Village Green, bread being baked in open ovens for the soldiers of several local camps, and the Institute adjoining the back of the Congregational Chapel (both since demolished) being used to give soldiers a cup of tea on Sunday afternoons.
Sadly, all too few years were to pass before the village and common were again used for similar purposes.
The Village Prepares
Britain declared war on Germany on 3rd September 1939 and, as Mrs Katie Warner puts it, 鈥渋mmediately there were plans made to billet soldiers everywhere in the village.鈥� She lived in the School House at the time, and recalls that initially tents were erected on the Village Green, and a field cookhouse 鈥渓ike a huge saucepan for producing stew鈥� arrived to provide hot food for the soldiers there. Winter was soon upon them 鈥� that first year there was a lot of snow 鈥� and when eventually it began to thaw, the soldiers were 鈥減loughing around ankle deep in mud.鈥�
In fact that winter was the coldest on record since 1894, although this could not be publicised at the time, as the weather was a military secret during the war.
A number of houses, such as Belmont in the High Street, were already owned by the Army, but others in the area were quickly requisitioned. Herbert Price with 鈥楧鈥� Company of the 1/6th South Staffordshire Regiment was billeted in The Mount, through the archway at the top of Barley Mow Hill, from October 1939 until March 1940. In letters written to Pauline Grove, who lives there now, he says: 鈥淭hat winter was very cold, and I remember the trees were all turned more or less into glass. The track from The Mount was very rough, and we used to 鈥楪et fell in鈥� and march, or rather slide, down the track to the Green where the marquees were set up to serve as dining quarters. Very primitive, but looking back it was fun. Frozen tea, spuds, veg, you name it and we had it.鈥�
The tents remained on the Green for 鈥渕aybe the best part of a year鈥�, according to Katie Warner, while other more permanent accommodation was found or built. Nissen Huts were constructed in the Rectory Field, on the Village Green and elsewhere in the village, and eventually a proper brick canteen was built on the Green during 1941. At the top of Rectory Field there were also two dining halls, which were of brick, 鈥渂ut they never had roofs put on 鈥� they had huge canvas marquees put over them instead.鈥� Apparently there was a similar pair erected on Crestafield along with a NAAFI according to David Whittle, one used as a dining room and the other, he thinks, as a QM stores.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a lot of pay in 1939鈥�, says Herbert Price, 鈥渂ut what we had we were happy to spend on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Wheatsheaf. Mostly though, during the week, we used to frequent the tea room in the village for a cuppa, and sometimes a cake. My memories of Headley are very pleasant. I can see that room now, round tables, flowers in the middle, home from home. The words 鈥楬eadley Restaurant鈥� were, according to Sue Allden, painted on the side wall of Radford鈥檚 Shop, now Long Cross House, but removed as a security measure when the war began.
鈥淲e were inspected by HM the King and Queen at Bordon prior to going to France with the BEF. I wonder how many recall that, in 1940? It was a fair march from Headley.鈥�
There were other British regiments stationed in the village at this early stage in the war. Betty Roquette鈥檚 cousin by marriage, Lord George Scott who was Colonel in charge of Hussars, was billeted in Beech Hill House. Ironically her brother, Jim Richards, was also here later as part of the Canadian Provost Company guarding Erie Camp just up the hill, but the two men never knew each other.
Betty Parker remembers the South Staffordshires, Jim Clark the 9th Lancers and the 10th Hussars, and Joyce Stevens also recalls the latter, mostly conscripts she thinks, who were here for some time. Arthur Dean remembers they were parked in Headley, 鈥渇or a long time in the early part of the war 鈥� mainly up from the Wheatsheaf alongside the road 鈥� and they had the old Crusader tanks.鈥�
But eventually the British troops left, and Headley鈥檚 special relationship with the Canadians was to begin.

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