Former Warden Bill Deakin remembered in Le Castellet

In November 2025, Jean-Louis Paquette (a resident of Le Castellet, a small village in the Var region of southeastern France) contacted the Warden of St Antony’s College with a touching message. Paquette and his wife live in the house that was occupied by the College’s former Warden, Sir Bill Deakin, from 1968 until his death in 2005 (along with his wife, Livia):

‘The memories they left among those who had the privilege of knowing them—memories that emphasise their exceptional kindness, great learning, and a certain distinctly British eccentricity—led me to undertake some research into Sir Deakin’s life. While his role here as Sir Winston Churchill’s literary secretary is well known, his service as an officer of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War is much less so, no doubt owing to Sir Deakin’s own discretion on the subject, in accordance with the principle that “those who do much speak little, while those who do little speak much.’

Following some research into Sir Deakin’s history, Paquette composed a plaque to honour his treasured memory in the community of Le Castellet and his remarkable career, and arranged a ceremony to honour his grave with the Légion d’honneur (to which Deakin was appointed as a Chevalier in 1953).

This ceremony was held on Friday 5 June 2026. Present at Le Castellet cemetery were a delegation from the town council and members of the Légion d’honneur association, who laid a wreath and affixed a plaque noting that Sir Deakin was a member of that order.

A commemorative plaque honouring Sir Deakin was then unveiled at the entrance to the house, which is now the home of Jean-Louis Paquette and his wife. Following a short speech, they raised their glasses in his memory.