Sutton Veny - The Second World War

The Second World War saw the rebuilding of camps in Sutton Veny area though not on the scale of the First War. There were two camps built. The first was on the Deverill Road between The Beeches and Long Ivor Farm. A substantial number of buildings and huts remain today, and it is now known as the Longbridge Deverill Trading Estate. The second camp was built in Best Lane in Sutton Veny where a few nissen huts are still present.

During the first part of the war Sutton Veny was used to house evacuees from the cities. Food rationing started and was extremely restrictive - 12 oz of sugar, 8 oz of butter, 12 oz of tea and about 12 oz of fat a month per person ! (Many would have a problem living on that today !)

A contingent of the Home Guard was formed in the village and an observation post was set up in Dymocks Lane which had a good view of the fields between the village and the Deverill Camp. As far as is known Sutton Veny and its military camps were not the target of any bombing raids though occasionally bombs fell in the fields around Sutton Veny when German aircraft jettisoned bombs during their raids on Bath and Bristol.

In late 1943, the 83rd Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion United States Army moved into Deverill Camp which was soon to be part of General Patton's Third Army. Sutton Veny House was used as a major Army headquarters. The 492nd Armoured Field Artillery Battalion were also barracked in Sutton Veny. The Americans stayed until they left for France and the D Day landings in mid 1944. All that is currently known about the Best Lane Camp was that it housed No 443 Company Royal Engineers.