There were two telephone exchanges, ten teleprinters, two Typex machines, a WT or wireless telegraphy office with 11 radios and a VF-line (voice-frequency) telegraph terminal for 36 channels. They could never be persuaded, however, to let me take a peep around the bend that turned away enticingly, just inside the entrance. What follows is a résumé of my research. The Canadian Corps Coastal Artillery shared the underground complex and maintained a headquarters there. The personal anecdotes and memoirs provided authentic and corroborated first-hand information about the complex. HMS Marlborough, between 1943-1944 he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron Duke. My early enquiries of the Imperial War Museum and the Public Record Office produced no tangible results. List view Image view. The book HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas … She is currently the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. This coverage soon spread to Newhaven. The funny thing is, that one of my young friends at the time spoke of secret tunnels under the building and within the hill, but I didn't take it seriously. Pete Mason. In 1991, I took early so-called voluntary retirement from British Telecom. I've just read the very interesting account of the secret tunnels under this building at South Heighton. Most apartments had access to a large sun terrace and lawn, and a private suite on the first floor housed a resident caretaker. Archive List > Special Operations and Intelligence. The cameraship closes on the starboard quarter of Russell and a light heaving line is passed, a jackstay rigged, and Commodore Anderson transfers. These excellent pictures have been positively identified and present a precise picture of the state of construction on 2 October 1941. Numerous other large residential establishments were also requisitioned, both locally and at Seaford, to accommodate the WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service). During the war, Cornfield Garage was used by the Royal Navy as a shore base, named HMS Marlborough. When the tunnel was abandoned at the end of 1945, I finally had my chance to take a proper look. Its role was crucial in the nightly naval motor-torpedo-boat (MTB) harassment raids on enemy-controlled harbours and waters, frequent SAS commando 'snoops' on the occupied French coast, the D-Day landings and, ultimately, the liberation of France. This reads 21 November 1945 and is a certain indicator that the property was still in the hands of the Ministry of Works at that time. View 30 / 60 / 90 results. In 2000, English Heritage accepted an invitation to visit the tunnels and take a look at what we’d come up with in the course our research. HMS Marlborough - Eastbourne; HMS Aggressive - Newhaven; HMS New - Newaven; HMS Vernon - Roedean; HMS Lizard - Hove; The tunnels of HMS Forward began life in March 1941 after an Admiralty direction that ordered channel ports to setup facilities to maintain naval plots and created the need to securely house equipment for plotting and communications. Content description. They also agreed that the site should be visited as part of the Monuments Protection Programme (MPP), having performed a 'vital role in the forefront of both offensive and defensive operations carried out in WWII .'. The army arrived and evicted the navy from their quarters at the Sheffield Arms Hotel. HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Visit our website www.secret-tunnels.co.uk to see some unique pictures of the site and its artefacts, and for further information. It was atop a hill with, as has been said, lovely views across the downs, no buildings on the slopes of the hill, apart from another block just a bit further down that I think was old peoples acconmodation, I can't be sure. HMS Marlborough was also an Electrical Training shore station in Eastbourne during and shortly after World War II. The book HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas … Accompanied by a friend and with the aid of a couple of torches, I inched into its depths. Minesweeper HMS … HMS Forward was a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy during World War II. They were involved in lots of escort duty. Based in a former Guinness Trust Holiday Home, Forward served as the command centre for all Royal Naval establishments in the area and was responsible for: . Between 1941 and 1943 on HMS Ceres he travelled in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. As a result, I learnt almost everything there was to know about the naval headquarters’ intelligence hub. Between 1941 and 1943 on HMS Ceres he travelled in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Via 122 steps, it gave access to an impenetrable fortress, one that contained the most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices then available. This story, written by Geoffrey Ellis, Secretary, Friends of HMS Forward, is about the abandoned and little-known tunnels of HMS Forward at Newhaven, East Sussex, which, between 1939 and 1945, was a Royal Navy headquarters. The Commodore's pendant worn by Russell shifts to Eastbourne. Over the ensuing months, every passage was measured, every step and stair counted, every room plotted and every remaining artefact recorded. Newhaven was originally a casualty clearing station for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. It was used as holiday accommodation for city-based tenants of the Guinness Trust estates and had 16 dormitory apartments with a communal dining room and sun lounge. Thanks for your comments. During the 1970s, the hillside was redeveloped. The Friends of HMS Forward was formed in 1999. It was commissioned later that year and used, until decommissioned, on 31 August 1945. Joined the RN at Royal Arthur in 1942 as a supply rating. Battle honours. The Senior Service, in turn, requisitioned the highly suitable Guinness Trust Holiday Home from 20 June 1940. In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. We also acknowledge, with thanks, the visiting rights and assistance given by the Guinness Trust and other landowners. Showing 1-1 of 1 records. Like all of her class she is named after a British dukedom, in this case that of Argyll. HMS Forward was heavily involved in the saga of German battle cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen on 11 February 1942. Could we get lost? Find out how you can use this. One other date was recorded covertly by the bricklayer who built the solid wall that sealed the principal, operational entrance to the tunnel. The complex was designed and built by the Royal Engineers. What I discovered was that few official records survived the Royal Navy's withdrawal from the complex. After reviewing the publications and touring the tunnels, they wrote a report on their conclusions, stating that the monument be classified as near complete — the equivalent of Class 2. The complex was equipped for every contingency, from failure of the public utilities to direct enemy action. HMS Proserpine. The frigate was taken out of service in 2005 and sold to Chile. There was a myriad wooden stairways and complex air-conditioning trunking with fish-eye louvers. The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Some months after the tunnel was completed, I frequently used to stop to chat with the sentries that guarded its entrance. Our objective is, and I quote, ‘to restore the former HMS Forward tunnels to a standard conforming with current legislation suitable for public access as a site of historical interest'. For operational-security reasons, each plot understudied its neighbour, with HMS Forward standing in for Fort Southwick at Portsmouth and vice versa. HMS Marlborough (Eastbourne) Electrical instruction for Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, Artificers and Ratings of the Portsmouth and Chatham divisions. With the fall of Dunkirk, however, military defence quickly thwarted any consideration of open-town status. Upon its abandonment, the labyrinth passed into the ownership of the original landowner(s), although, technically, it remained a secret place for some 30 years. For a while, it also co-ordinated air—sea rescue. Shortly afterwards an Engineer officer was envisaged and in 1877 a Training College [Marlborough] started to take on students . With some 40 years’ experience in all contemporary forms of communication, I decided to investigate what lay beneath Heighton Hill, largely to satisfy my continuing curiosity. Air electrical instruction to FAA Air Artificers and Air Fitters. This story has been placed in the following categories. Onboard Eastbourne ratings pull through the barrels of the twin 4.5-inch gun. During the war, all of these benefits made the town a desirable prize for the enemy. mp@eastbourne-college.co.uk 01323 451901 We have continued in 2014, like most schools, to research and expand our record of the role of Old Eastbournians in the Great War. Without their memoirs and photographs, the story of this establishment, from its conception to demise, would never have been recorded for posterity. © Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. oil installations at Sumatra. When I was a kid, in the mid to late 50s, our family spent every summer at this holiday home, because our aunt Rose lived in the Guinness Trust Buildings in Brixton, at the end of Sussex road, off Coldharbour lane. Ive got loads of photos taken at the time, some of the swings and paddling pool on the slopes of the hill, our family feature prominently in the photos, of course! Much of what I saw then no longer exists or remains accessible. If you care to look at the Friends of HMS Forward web site www.secret-tunnels.co.uk you may find some pictures of interest to you. They kindly consented, on condition that there was no publicity that might draw attention to their vacant property and thereby increase the likelihood of vandalism. HMS Forward. Another lucky find was a series of photographs in the Imperial War Museum of what is described as ‘an underground operation control centre under construction somewhere in the SE Command’. I remember vividly the mixed emotions of exploring the apparently endless labyrinth of corridors, galleries, rooms and stairways. I’m pleased to relate that my research had other, unexpected consequences, in that it rekindled many lapsed WRNS friendships. HMS Marlborough was also an Electrical Training shore station in Eastbourne during and shortly after World War II. There they remained for the duration of the war. No expense was spared. One day, in May 1941, the army arrived and started digging a tunnel into the bank at the side of the road by Heighton Hill, just north of Newhaven. The third and current HMS Argyll is a Type 23 'Duke' class frigate. This was a very public commemoration of the Royal Naval headquarters that very nearly disappeared not just without trace but without its existence ever having been generally acknowledged. The entire complex was photographed using prints, transparencies and professional-quality video photography. Object Title Little, Peter James (Oral history) 27259. Ships named Marlborough have earned the following battle honours: Martinique, 1762; Havana, 1762; St Vincent, 1780; The Saints, 1782; First of June, 1794; Jutland, 1916; Literature. The HMS Marlborough plaque The Archives team in front of the Great War exhibition on Devonshire Society Day 2014: Simon Wood, Michael Partridge, Pat Larkin and Bill Bowden In 1941, when I was a seven-year-old lad, I used to walk to and from school along the B2109 Newhaven-to-Beddingham road. Our slogan is 'Forward with Newhaven'. those of the BBC. For any other comments, please Contact Us. The data obtained has enabled detailed, scale drawings to be produced. The account that follows has been compiled from what he told Peter Mason. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the Was there anybody else in there with us? There were, eventually, over 10,000 naval staff on HMS Forward’s ledgers. I received a wealth of information, from carefully preserved autograph books, photograph albums and other paraphernalia, all of which had been retained by the veterans who responded to my appeals. After the war’s end, it was destined to remain equally unknown in the country in which it was built. Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Marlborough, Eastbourne. A model of the complex is displayed at the near-by Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum, Paradise Park, Avis Road, Newhaven, BN9 0DH. All their information was filtered and plotted, before being relayed by teleprinter to similar plots in Dover and Portsmouth. The 172nd Tunnelling Company dug it, and 577th Army Field Company fitted it out. Newhaven, lying roughly midway between Dover and Portsmouth, features the only river in the area navigable at all states of the tide. Unfortunately, the partial demolition of Denton House in 1996 precludes further use of the principal entrance of the former maritime-intelligence centre. The words Royal Naval Headquarters appear beneath. It is no longer possible to leave messages here. The principal, operational entrance to the underground shelter was situated in room 16 of the Guinness Trust house. The … Naval Stores depots were established at Lewes and Burgess Hill to supply permanent, consumable, and after action stores; and a naval canteen service was … This piece, whilst submitted by me, is the work of Geoff Ellis of Newhaven, who has dedicated many years in researching HMS Forward and working towards its preservation.I am mearly the messenger. Then March 1941 through Aden to Mombassa and Trimcomalee for refit in Colombo. Large quantities of naval message pads and rolls of teleprinter paper littered the floor. There were ample berthing facilities and a marine passenger terminal with its own dedicated railway terminus. East Sussex. Welcome to Forces Reunited the place where you can find information and friends from HMS Eastbourne. Served in Bervirick (Russian convoys). Reports; Images; Videos; Map; Written by Geoffrey Ellis on 21 July 2005. REEL 1 Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1939-1943: outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; evacuation to Crowborough; employment. referenced. Finally, we should like to convey our appreciation of the willing assistance of the former HMS Forward crew, WRNS, RN, ATS, WAAF, RE, and civilians. public. I found out exactly what equipment was installed there and even learnt the names of many of the crew. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not On it, carved in relief, is a crown, flanked by the dates 20 June 1940 and 31 August 1945. Adequate security was necessary for the communications equipment required for intelligence-gathering, interpretation and dissemination. Battle honours . In 1926, the house and grounds were sold and developed into three shops and a car showroom/garage. She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard between January 1912 and June 1914, entering service just before the outbreak of the First World War. … Background to early … The western wing of the house, containing room 16, was razed to the ground to make way for new homes. In 1964, I learnt of the proposed redevelopment of the Heighton hillside and took the only photographs now known to exist. Just how secret it was, and how vital its contribution to the war effort, I had yet to realise. In 1997, South Heighton Parish Council named a new road Forward Close. As a 24-year-old lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (RE), he was in charge of the sappers who excavated the tunnel. Initially, WRNS personnel staffed the WT office, teleprinters, cipher office, telephone switchboards, signals-distribution office and naval plot on a continuous three-watch rota. During World War Two, it remained undetected by the foe. As such, it was responsible for HMS Marlborough at Eastbourne, HMS Aggressive and HMS Newt at Newhaven, HMS Vernon at Roedean, HMS Lizard and HMS King Alfred at Hove and the two resident naval officers at Shoreham and Littlehampton. Newhaven Royal Naval Headquarters originated during the tumultuous early years of the war, when invasion seemed a likely sequel to the fall of France. HMS Marlborough, between 1943-1944 he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron Duke. The Seaman had to keep up with the weapons and types used so they began training facilities too. Gracie Field's former home, later known as Dorothy House, at 127, Dorothy Avenue, Peacehaven, was requisitioned to provide a special, fully staffed and fully equipped, sick quarters. Built in 1938, it stood majestically on Heighton Hill, looking down on the lush, green meadows of the Ouse Valley, with views to Newhaven Harbour, Seaford Bay and the English Channel. Video footage of milestone moments that occurred during the research and recorded interviews with ten HMS Forward veterans were combined to produce an hour-long tribute to this historic centre. HMS Marlborough Once the College had been evacuated, parts of the site were taken over briefly by the RAF but in September 1942 the Royal Navy took occupation as HMS Marlborough, which specialised in courses for personnel operating underwater weapons, torpedoes etc. On a personal level, too, I was encouraged by the ways in which I was welcomed as a friend into the homes of many of my correspondents. Joined indefatigable as Sub Lt at the end of 1943 serving on her for the attacks on the Tirpitz. HMS MARLBOROUGH @ Eastbourne, East Sussex. Find out more about the site contributors. 1943 serving on her for the return journey the book HMS Marlborough an!, flanked by the bricklayer who built the solid wall that sealed the principal of... 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