Sway to the timeless cowbell and kazoo sound of Decca and the Dectones!
The benefits of controversy, for generating publicity, are well-known and can be illustrated here by the fact that Nancy (1904-1973), the oldest of the five sisters, carved a decent life in Paris by writing novels based on her odd family
Not all the others were equally famous. Pam (1907-1994), the second, lived a quiet life in the Irish countryside but claimed she was famous in the poultry world for bringing an unusual chicken breed to The Isles. And Debo (1920-2014), the youngest, became Duchess of Devonshire, spending her days converting her husband's Chatsworth estate into a commercial success
The middle sisters, Diana (1910-2003) and Bobo (1914-1948), produced most of the controversy. Bobo adored fascists from a young age, perhaps somewhat encouraged by her Muv and Farv -- who had given her the middle name Valkyrie after conceiving her in Swastika, Ontario, a goldmining town where Farv had hoped to strike it rich. Diana married the Guiness heir but eventually found Moseley, head of the British Union of Fascists, more attractive. Upon attending the 1933 Nuremberg rally with Diana, Bobo became smitten by Hitler, learned German, and used her conception story and middle name to become close to him. Diana married Moseley at Goebbel's Berlin home in 1936 and never expressed any remorse. Bobo attempted suicide in Germany when the war broke out, was sent home by Hitler, and died a few years later. Their brother Tom (1909-1945) refused to fight against Germany but was happy to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific and died in Burma during the war
The next-to-youngest sister Decca (1910-2003) married her second cousin -- who had fought in the International Brigade against Franco -- and emigrated to the US. Her husband too died in the war. Decca completely cut ties with Diana: when, some years later, Diana offered housing to Decca's son on his travels, Decca declined, saying she did not want him to become a lampshade. She was active in the civil rights movement as a Communist Party member. When subpoenaed, she refused to testify to the California State Committee on Un-American Activities and similarly (two years later) to the House Un-American Activities Committee. She left the party in 1958. She is perhaps best remembered for her funeral industry exposé, The America Way of Death
