Bill Deedes was born on 1 June 1913 in Saltwood Castle, Hythe, Kent, England, UK. He was married to Evelyn Hilary Branfoot. He died on 17 August 2007 in Kent, England, UK.
He frequently used mixed metaphors when speaking, such as "We've got to nail our matchbox to the mast". These were dubbed "Billisms" by his fellow journalists.