In the Spring of 1916 the War Office looked into the possibility of using a ‘stealth’ airship specially adapted for covert night operations, reconnaissance and dropping men behind enemy lines. From March 1916 two young pilots, using SS13 at the Polegate Royal Naval Airship Station, Willingdon, carried out experiments with night flying. They were 20 year old Sub Lt. William Chambers and 19 year old RNAS midshipman Victor Goddard who went on to become Air Marshall Sir (Robert) Victor Goddard KCB, CBE, MA, RAF. a senior commander RAF in WW2

The Black Ship at Polegate Air Station – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodges

While these trials were being carried out at Willingdon, the fuselage of SS40 was being painted matte black at the RNAS Kingsnorth and together with a specially made black envelope it was delivered to the RNAS Polegate. Here in one of the hangers, in secrecy, the black mystery ship was built. The crew carried out modifications fitting a silencer to the engine and building a hand operated air blower to pump air into the ballonettes for keeping the balloon inflated whilst the ship drifted with engines cut. Special hoods were constructed to shield its landing lights. Only the few members of crew were allowed in the hanger and they named it ‘The Black Ship’.

One dark drizzly night at the end of June 1916 Staff Officers from the War Office, headed by a General, travelled to Willingdon to witness a night time demonstration. Billy Chambers piloted the ship for this first flight with Victor Goddard acting as navigator although both men were officially the joint pilots of this special vessel. It set off on the breezy moonless night circling around Eastbourne and the surrounding villages, returning after 40 minutes. This first flight was not without it’s problems as the rudder jammed and only by making a series of long loops, opening the throttle fully and immediately throttling back did they eventually arrive back at Polegate missing the landing party who had to dash after the ship to secure it.

The Black Ship fusilage – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodges

None of this was realised by the observers, as she was indeed invisible and virtually silent. They were favourably impressed and so the ship was accepted for her secret mission with BEF in France. A few nights later, despite a protracted journey due to a broken oil pipe, Black Ship landed at Boubers-sur-Canche near Arras the home of Naval Airship Detachment No 4. Goddard and Chambers carried out test flights over enemy lines from 7 July for over a month coinciding with the start of the Battle of the Somme. On 13 August Lt C Robbins parachuted successfully into allied lines from 1,500 feet together with several baskets of homing pigeons.

The Black Ship returned to Kingsnorth to have a large gusset fitted the length of the envelope increasing the gas capacity to 8,300 cubic feet, enabling her to fly at higher altitudes. On returning to France night time missions were carried out behind enemy lines flying at 8,000 feet. The Black Ship operated covertly in France for the duration of the Battle of the Somme, twenty-one year old Sub Lt. Billy Chambers being mentioned in dispatches in General Haig‘s report on the Battle. No agents were ever dropped behind enemy lines and by 1917 our aeroplane pilots had gained mastery of the night time skies so superseding the airship for land warfare. It was a mystery that the Germans never shot her down although she was punctured a few times by our own riflemen who had taken pot shots at her thinking she was a Zeppelin. Our Army nicknamed her ‘Bertha the black Blimp’. The SS40 Black Ship, fitted with a standard silver envelope, left Kingsnorth in March 1917 to carry out service in the Mediterranean until finally being taken out of service at Mudros in October 1918.

This story was submitted by Rosalind Hodge, Archivist, Willingdon Parish Church

The post The Black Ship SS40 appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

Airship sheds A & B 1916 – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

If you were living in Willingdon 100 years ago you would have witnessed great activity as Royal Naval personnel started arriving at the partially constructed Royal Naval Airship Station (RNAS). It covered 142 acres of somewhat marshy meadowland stretching, from the Triangle at Lower Willingdon, towards the windmill and had been part of the Ratton Estate belonging to Lord Willingdon until it was auctioned in September 1913. George Morrish bought 14 acres to set up a chicken farm to supply his shop in London with eggs. However, in 1914 the land was requisitioned and the station entrance, motor transport garage and main accommodation buildings were built on what had been his land. The site was thought perfect; flat and sheltered by the Downs and conveniently close to the coast.

Enemy U-Boat activity increased considerably at the beginning of 1915, particularly threatening our shipping in the English Channel. In February of that year Germany had declared all waters off Great Britain and Northern Ireland to be a war zone and would destroy any British shipping found in these waters. Airships were the ideal craft to patrol the Channel so, in March 1915 an SS (Submarine Scout) class semi-rigid airship was hastily designed at RNAS Kingsnorth and put into service in less than 3 weeks. The gondola control car was a BE 2c aircraft, minus wings, rudder and with a few modifications was suspended by wire stays below the hydrogen filled gasbag. It held two crew, a wireless operator observer in front with the pilot seated aft. Two bombs were suspended in frames under the envelope above the gondola and a Lewis gun was mounted beside the pilot’s seat.

Gas Plant and storage tubes 1916 – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

So it was that the country’s second airship station, part of the Dover Command, was built at Willingdon with the entrance at the Triangle, the present day junction with Coppice Avenue. It was named Polegate as it was the practice to name bases after the nearest Railway Station, although the entire area was within the parish of Willingdon. Building work commenced in early 1915 and on 6 July that year it was commissioned with one SS airship which made its first flight that day and was soon joined by others. These airships patrolled our waters daily, between Dungerness and Portland Bill, searching for U boats and mines which they could destroy with their bombs. They also accompanied military convoys and hospital ships, which brought casualties home from the front and would radio Morse code to warn these vessels of any imminent danger.

During the early part of 1915 the station was described as a mass of slimy water logged clay, with no roads or paths. The few officers were accommodated in the thatched cottage at Wannock, other ranks were billeted mostly in houses at Wannock and Willingdon until the accommodation huts were constructed. This situation lasted until the summer of 1916 but by the autumn of that year two colossal airship sheds, a large motor transport workshop, and buildings to accommodate and run the base had been constructed. A hydrogen gas making plant was built on what is now the entrance to Willingdon Community School Broad Road, with explosives; bombs and ammunition, stored in an area that is now the top corner of Broad Road School playing fields. Concrete mooring blocks were constructed where St Wilfrid’s church was later built. These remained until the 1950s and were a great attraction for the local children to climb on. Others still remain to this day at the foot of the downs in Donkey Hollow with huge metal rings in the centre. By 1917 the main roads of the base were constructed, later to become what are now Coppice Avenue and Broad Road. Parade grounds, quarterdecks, sports pitches were finished and Mr Gregg, owner of Wannock Fruit and Tea Gardens helped lay out attractive flowerbeds.

Pilot and Wireless observer flying SSZ6 – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

My grandmother said all the activity in what was the quiet rural village of Willingdon, population approximately 860, caused great interest among the villagers. Although classed ‘small’, these airships were huge vessels 143 feet 5 inches long and 43 feet 5 inches in height. It must have been an amazing sight to watch them low in the sky leaving and returning on daily patrols to an area from the Triangle between the main A22 road and Wannock Lane. The Renault air-cooled engines of the SS class were constantly overheating and cutting out, The crew became expert at climbing out on the undercarriage, repairing and re-starting the engines with the 9 foot diameter propeller whilst clinging onto struts with their knees some 3,000 feet above the Channel. In 1916 the SS class ships were superseded by the improved SSZ (Zero) Class, six being sent to Willingdon by 1917. These had water-cooled Rolls Royce Hawk engines plus a specially designed car, which held three crew. The pilot sat amidships with the engineer aft and the wireless operator who acted as observer, gunner and bomber in the fore.

In January 1916 151 men were stationed here; increasing to 226 in January 1917 and by 1918, 302 personnel were housed at the station. They formed an orchestra, brass band, concert party, football, cricket, rugby, tennis and tug-of-war teams. The first sports day was held on what is now the land of Willingdon Primary School in July 1917, a Military Band visiting from Eastbourne and over 2,000 guests including most of the inhabitants of Willingdon. A cinema theatre in their own YMCA hut gave twice-weekly shows with programmes changing each time. By the end of 1917 the base was producing its own monthly magazine, ‘The Ripping Panel’ selling for 3d. In early 1918, 54 young women of the WRNS arrived as clerks, cooks, drivers and fabric workers and were billeted in ‘Shortlands’ Church Street, now called ‘Hastoun House’, a 15 minute walk from the men’s quarters at the base.

SSZ6 fully rigged 1917 – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

A number of records were set at the Polegate Airship Station; the highest altitude, 10,000 feet, and the longest flight of 620 miles taking 17 hours in July 1916. The first parachute descent from an airship was over Willingdon on 5 August 1916 when Sir Bryan Leighton dropped from 900 feet witnessed by many locals. In the spring of 1916 the War Office attended a demonstration here of the stealth vessel, ‘Black Ship’ SS40. Mr Asquith the Prime Minister visited the station in December 1916. All this activity had quite an effect on the small parish of Willingdon. Several local girls married men from the base at Willingdon Church with often an airship floating overhead and comrades of the groom dropping a lucky boot and cheering the happy couple.

After the Armistice, the station was disbanded on 6 February 1920 and handed to the Disposal Board in June. Buildings, stores and equipment were auction 3-5 August 1920. The Polegate airships, which transferred to Portsmouth Command 23 July 1917, played a major roll in the war being one of the most effective counter measures against enemy submarines. The airships from Polegate flew more hours than any other allied airship station both in 1917 and 1918; a total of 8,140 hours in the last year of the war in the defence of our waters.

This story was submitted by Rosalind Hodge, Archivist, Willingdon Parish Church

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The Polegate Royal Naval Airship Station at Lower Willingdon was disbanded on 6 February 1920 and handed to the Disposal Board the following June. An auction of the remaining buildings, stores and equipment took place between 3-5 of August that year. A number of buildings were bought and remained in position to be re used for various purposes. Whilst most were removed, some were to have another lease of life locally.

The large motor transport garage workshop was sold to George Morrish, whose land had been requisitioned in 1914 for part of the airship station. He used this very sizeable building for housing chickens for egg production until the mid 1930s, when he sold the surrounding land for housing development. Major Bird of the Eastbourne Aviation Company then purchased the building and it became ‘Birds Engineering’, a specialist Pneumatic Engineering firm. During WW2 the air raid siren was housed here. In the 1960s the corrugated iron front was replaced by one of brick, the original corrugated iron roof, sides and rear remained. In 1995 the firm closed and the eighty-year-old building was eventually demolished and a number of small bungalows built on the site and named Scanlan Close.

At the rear of the motor transport workshop were several smaller buildings some wooden, others corrugated iron. One such wooden building became the Willingdon Public Library. This same building was also used for ARP training, weekly dances and a baby clinic during WW2. Another similar building was utilised as the Willingdon Rifle Club. In June 1963 a modern library was built beside Birds Engineering Works but the old Library hut survived until 1995 used by the works.

Behind the old wooden Library stood one of the corrugated iron buildings converted into a bungalow for ex-servicemen. The Phillips family lived here from approx 1952- 1956.

One of the wooden buildings at the airship station entrance, was also bought by George Morrish who converted it to a bungalow for his family and lived there for a few years until building a family home ‘St George’s’ in Wannock Lane. He continued to rent out this bungalow until the Coppice estate was built around 1935 when it was demolished.

Two buildings were moved to the Wannock Area. One was purchased by James Gregg owner of the Wannock Fruit and Tea Gardens and erected in the centre of the charabanc park. It was used until 1970 as the bungalow for the car park attendant and his family, surrounded by attractive flowerbeds.

One of largest buildings was transported to Wannock Glen on the Jevington Road where it was supported on pillars and spanned the millstream, which flowed from Filching through Wannock powering the two water mills. This became the Wannock Glen Tea and Dance Hall. Verandas were built around the sides overhanging the stream, which was partially dammed for use with rowing boats. Inside live music was provided by a piano or quartet. This was a very popular destination for charabanc outings from Eastbourne and the surrounding area. For the evening dances the Pavilion was lit by Chinese lanterns as were the little rowing boats and lanterns on the verandas reflected in the water below making an enchanting setting on warm summer evenings. This venture only survived into the 1930s.

Just one building is known to survive in 2015 still in use in the garden of ‘St George’s’ Wannock Lane the former Morrish home, where it was moved in the 1920s. It was the Paymaster’s Office, which originally stood beside the old motor transport workshop. For many years it was used as an apple store but now 100 years on it is just a garden shed but a garden shed with rather a unique history.

This story was submitted by Rosalind Hodge, Archivist, Willingdon Parish Church

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Transports loading and drifters WW1 Newhaven – Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

Before the outbreak of the First World War, Newhaven was a key point in travel between Britain and Europe. Billed as being the fastest way to reach France, Newhaven was the departure port for the railway and steamship link from London to Dieppe. Passengers could ride the train down from London before boarding one of the twice daily steamships that would cross the channel in just under three hours. As a result, it was a key port for tourism and travel.

However, events on the continent before 1914 had led the British government to implement new policy and reforms that, in time, would drastically impact the port at Newhaven. After witnessing the swift defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, Britain attempted to modernise its own armed forces in case of conflict in Europe. A result of this was the approval of new laws granting the government power to requisition civilian shipping and ports to sustain any war effort.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, the Regulation of the Forces Act, 1871 allowed the government to quickly take control of Newhaven Port and it was subsequently closed to the public; all passenger services to France were suspended indefinitely.

Supplying the Army

Because of its position on the East Sussex coast, a position that had made it so useful for tourism, Newhaven was ideally placed to deliver supplies across the channel. However, in the early months of the war, the requirements of the military and the desires of private shipping companies often collided.

During 1914 and the early part of 1915, Britain was operating under a system often referred to as ‘Business as usual.’ Whilst the country may have been at war, the government was keen for the conflict not to have too great an effect on the day to day running of the nation on the home front. The hope was that the war would be swiftly won without overly disrupting trade and commerce.

Transports loading in Newhaven during WW1 – Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

The requisitioning of the port at Newhaven was at odds with this plan as it completely closed the area to all commercial shipping. Many private shipping companies were keen for military supplies to be moved from Newhaven to either Liverpool or Plymouth in order to reopen the East Sussex port to them. The Divisional Naval Transport Office (DNTO) stationed at Newhaven blankly refused this request. Instead of ‘Business as usual,’ the requisitioning of the port at Newhaven provided an early insight into what would be known as ‘Total War‘ where the government would be empowered to utilise any public or private industry to support the war effort for the duration of the conflict.

Following the decision to take control of Newhaven’s harbour, steamships were also requisitioned for the transportation of supplies across the channel. These supplies included ammunition, clothing, food, and horses. The return journeys from France would often include hospital ships returning wounded men to Britain.

By October 1915, 45 transport vessels were engaged in the cross-channel supply effort. Around 6,000 tons of supplies were being delivered to France by these ships every day and this number would rise considerably as the war progressed. In order to maintain the regularity of shipping, additional workers were sought to load ships at the quayside. Newly employed Chinese Labourers were used at Newhaven Harbour after 1917. Similarly, by February 1918, 100 women were employed to work the docks. Within a month this number had risen to over 400.

Defending the docks

Because of the nature of the ammunition supplies passing through Newhaven, the dock was under the control of the military. Newhaven Fort was garrisoned throughout the conflict to provide an armed overwatch of the port and surrounding coastline.

Transports loading in Newhaven during WW1 – Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

The military were particularly concerned at the possibility of either espionage or civil unrest in the town which would jeopardise the delivery of supplies. In 1916, the renowned pacifist and peace activist Bertrand Russell was repeatedly denied access to what was termed the ‘Newhaven Special Military Area’ in order to attend the Court Martial of a Private R.C. Allen. Eventually, special provision was made and Russell was granted a special permit that would allow him to travel from the train station, to the tribunal room, and back again. He was not permitted to visit anywhere else within the town.

The greatest fear regarding Newhaven, however, was the effect an attack on the town might cause. Alongside the guards at Newhaven Fort, the DNTO also obtained the services of eight boy scouts who kept watch from the clifftops from 6am until 10pm every day and also acted as messengers. Patrolling above them were seaplanes from the nearby base and airships from Polegate. These were tasked with the location of any German U-Boats that might be active in the channel and also identifying and potentially intercepting any incoming German planes and bombers.

Commander P.B. Garrett from the Naval Transports Office was keen to emphasise the huge danger of an attack on the port from either the air or by torpedo:

I would like to point out that it appears extremely essential that the ammunition Transports should never, when loaded, be allowed to remain in this harbour, as in the event of an air raid and a bomb being dropped on to any of these vessels the destruction of the whole of the quays and most of the town, would be the inevitable result. In consequence I am using the vessels that can leave at almost any hour of tide and larger than those now used could not be used to advantage.

The final total and final cost

Unveiling Transport Memorial at junction of Meeching and D’Acre Roads in 1920

By the conclusion of the war there could be no doubt over the huge role Newhaven had played in supplying the army abroad. Over the preceding years 866,021 train trucks had delivered war materiel to the quayside at Newhaven. These supplies had then been delivered to France by 165 ships making a total of 8,778 voyages. Over 6 million tons of supplies including 2.6 million tons of ammunition were delivered to France during these supply trips.

However, this titanic effort was not maintained without a noticeable cost. The names of 99 people who lost their lives whilst delivering supplies to France were inscribed on the Newhaven Transport Memorial following its unveiling in 1920.

Sources

Newhaven Museum

Sussex in the First World War by Keith Grieves

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Grave of Unknown Royal Marine, HMS Ariadne Winchelsea Churchyard – Image courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The HMS Ariadne was a Diadem-Class ‘Protected Cruiser‘. These ships lacked many of the heavier armaments of naval warships at the end of the 19th century but did provide protection for some of their weaponry in the form of fortified casemates (an armoured enclosure for guns on a warship).

The Airadne was launched in 1898 but, before the outbreak of war, was converted into a training ship for stokers in 1913. However, by 1917, she had been converted into a minelayer (a warship from which explosive mines are laid) and operated out of Chatham to help defend the south cost.

However, on 26 July 1917, she was torpedoed by the German U-Boat UC-65 and sank shortly afterwards with the loss of all hands.

The body of an unidentified Royal Marine from the HMS Ariadne was later washed ashore near Winchelsea in East Sussex. The body was buried in the local cemetery and is marked by a Commonwealth War Graves Headstone.

The post HMS Ariadne appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

Honours Group Polegate RNAS – Steere seated 1st left, 2c Dodd standing 2nd left, 2c Robinson standing 4th left – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

On the morning of 20 December 1917 five airships set out early on a routine patrol of the Channel from the Polegate Royal Naval Airship Station at Willingdon. The weather was clear although very cold with snow lying on the ground.  Low cloud drifted in from the northeast around mid-day. By 3 pm the crews were recalled directly to base as thick fog had rapidly developed over the Channel and coastal area. They circled above the station attempting to find an area for landing but conditions prevented this and the pilots were forced to search safe mooring in open country. All found suitable sites and radioed for ground parties to be sent out to secure their ships until conditions allowed them to return to base. The ships were the Submarine Scout Zero (S.S.Z) class. Two ships S.S.Z7 and Z19 moored near the Beachy Head coastguard station around 8.30 pm and the three others further inland: Z6 landed just north of Hailsham whilst Z9 and Z10 landed on the Downs at Willingdon Hill Farm on the Willingdon, Jevington border. During the evening a strong wind sprang up from the east. Back at the station there was concern that if this increased to gale force,  the vessels at Beachy Head could not be held by the ground crew. The pilots were therefore instructed to return to base as soon as possible.

The night was dark with sleet and snow flurries but the wind had partially dispersed the low cloud as the two ships started homeward. Z19 was the first to leave making it safely back to base. As soon as it had disappeared into the darkness Z7 took off. The captain Flight Sub Lt. Richard Swallow, flew northwards passing the village of East Dean, flying fairly close to the ground following the valley which ran through the Downs past Jevington towards Wannock. His observer wireless operator, Victor Dodd, leant over the coaming at the front of the car shining his Aldis lamp down ahead of the ship. Peering into the blackness at the vague shapes of trees and hedges below, he hoped to make out some recognisable features.

Captain Victor A Watson RNAS

Victor Dodd described how an airship suddenly appeared in the light beam of his Aldis lamp immediately ahead. It was impossible to tell whether the other ship was in the air or on the ground, but it was obvious that a collision would occur unless evasive action was taken. Dodd shouted out a warning to Lt. Swallow who instantly applied the elevator and opened up the engine – but it was too late. They skimmed the top of the other vessel, Z10, ripping open its gasbag causing the hydrogen to rush out. Ignited by the flame from Z7s exhaust, a sheet of blazing gas leapt into the night sky and caught the stern of Lt. Swallow’s vessel. The fabric-covered fin and rudder burst into flames, the fire quickly spreading to the envelope.

Dodd shouted “well afire aft” and captain Swallow shouted back “All for yourselves boys”. Dodd recounted in a tape recording how there were two 65-lb bombs above him in racks, a box of Very lights was stacked behind his neck and he was surrounded by double-decker pans of Lewis gun ammunition, ninety-six rounds per pan. He instantly decided to take his chance and climbed out of the cockpit over the side of the car. Lowering himself down until he was hanging at arms length, he dropped into the darkness away from the roaring flames above his head not knowing how far below the ground was. At the same moment Air Mechanic Hughes, the engineer seated at the rear of the car, jumped over the side. The two men dropped close to each other, falling onto the snow-covered grass. Both received severe internal injuries as well as many broken bones.

​Without the weight of these two crew in the car Z7, burning from end to end, rose in the air to a height of 2 – 300 feet. Then, crumpling, fell, blazing into a field of gorse a short distance from the point of collision. Lt. Swallow, who stayed with his ship trying to regain control, died in the flaming wreckage.

​The ship crashed not far from where Dodd and Hughes lay, badly injured and half conscious. Two men from the ground party ran across the snowy field to the blazing wreck. Finding two crew members close to the wreckage, still alive but unable to move, Air Mechanic Robinson and Boy Mechanic Steere detached the now almost red hot bombs from the bomb racks of the burning ship. The bombs were liable to explode at any time, as they carried them a safe distance away from the crash site and their injured colleagues. At the same time, twenty year old Flying Officer Lt. Victor Albert Watson, thinking there was still a member of the crew in the blazing Z10 car, rushed without hesitation to investigate, despite there also being bombs on board liable to explode at any moment in the fierce heat. Fortunately he found no crew but as he turned away a bomb exploded badly injuring him with shrapnel

Some of the men used a five bar gate as a stretcher to carry the injured crew to the nearby farm.  They were transferred to the Military hospital at Eastbourne, a difficult journey across snow-covered fields. Dodd suffered two broken wrists, broken legs and pelvis. Hughes suffered spinal injuries and broken legs. Following many months in hospital Dodd and Hughes recovered from their injuries and resumed to service. Victor Dodd returned to Polegate and being unable to continue flying as a result of his injuries, he transferred to ground maintenance duties on the station’s wireless equipment and airships for the duration of the war. Victor Albert Watson lost his right arm but returned to Polegate and was promoted to Captain and Senior Flying Officer at the station in June 1918.

Ft Lt Richard Swallow grave Ocklynge Cemetery – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodges

The pilot of the Z7, Flight Sub Lt Richard Swallow, aged 26, was buried on Christmas Eve at Ockynge Cemetery Eastbourne, perhaps strangely not in Willingdon churchyard, the parish in which he was stationed and had died. That Christmas was a sad one for the shocked personnel of the Polegate airship station with any thoughts of the usual festivities marred by the tragic accident.

For their acts of heroism, the King presented the three men with the following honours at Buckingham Palace as announced in The London Gazette

Flight Lieutenant Victor WATSON RN, Air Mechanic Harold ROBINSON, Boy Mechanic Eric STEERE, Naval airship fires
 
The London Gazette 8 March 1918 (from Whitehall, March 6, 1918)

The KING has been pleased to award the Albert Medal to Flight Lieutenant Victor Albert Watson, R.N., and the Albert Medal in Gold to Air Mechanic, 1st Grade, Harold Victor Robinson and Boy Mechanic Eric Edward Steere, in recognition of their heroic conduct in the following circumstances:

On the occasion of an accident to one of His Majesty’s Airships, which resulted in a fire breaking out on board her, Flight Lieutenant Watson, who was the senior Officer on the spot, immediately rushed up to the car of the airship under the impression that one of the crew was still in it, although he was well aware that there were heavy bombs attached to the airship which it was impossible to remove owing to the nearness of the fire, and which were almost certain to explode at any moment on account of the heat. Having satisfied himself that there was in fact no one in the car, he turned away to render assistance elsewhere, and at that moment one of the bombs exploded, a portion of it shattering Lieutenant Watson’s right arm at the elbow. The arm had to be amputated almost immediately.
 
Air Mechanic H. V. Robinson and Boy Mechanic E. E. Steere, on the occasion of an accident to one of His Majesty’s airships which caused a fire to break out on board her, approached the burning airship without hesitation, extricated the pilot and two members of the crew, all of whom were seriously injured, and then unclipped the bombs from the burning car and carried them out of reach of the fire. As the bombs were surrounded by flames, and were so hot that they scorched the men’s hands as they carried them, they must have expected the bombs to explode.

Albert Medal – Image courtesy of Rosalind Hodge

Flight Lieutenant Watson subsequently exchanged the Albert Medal for the George Cross.

Boy-mechanic Eric Steere was a Sussex boy, born in Worthing and was just 17 years old when this disaster occurred. He had tried to join the Royal Naval Air Service aged 16 following the death of his elder brother in the Royal Navy in 1915. He was so determined that he joined on his 17th birthday. Sent to Polegate he soon became proficient and made many flights from that base. After the war he worked on the enormous R38 ridged airship designed during the last months of the war by the Royal Navy. On 23 August 1921 whilst on a final test flight over the Humber at Hull, it broke it’s back, split in half exploding. Of the 49 British and Americans on board 44 were killed including Eric Steere who was then aged 21.

There is reason to believe that following the disaster, Hetty Swallow, widow of Richard, was presented with a memorial clock made from the propeller of the Z7 airship. She owned the clock for the rest of her life and kept it in her home in Gravesend, Kent. Following her death, the clock was passed onto her close friends the Hammond family, and it remains in their possession.

Victor Dodd OBE continued in aircraft communications for his entire career and on his retirement in 1964 was Deputy Director of the Air Ministry. He stayed in contact with his friend and colleague Hughes.

With thanks to the grandson of Victor Dodd for a recording made in 1968 of his memories of the Airship Station and this incident.

This story was submitted by Rosalind Hodge, Archivist, Willingdon Parish Church and then later updated on 5 August 2015 following additional information. This story was also updated on 28 March 2017, following information kindly provided by John Hammond.

The post Airship Disaster on the Downs appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

The nature of the fighting during the First World War meant that many men would need to be evacuated from the front in France and receive medical attention. Convalescent camps began to appear along the East Sussex coast shortly after the outbreak of war. However, getting the soldiers from the battlefield to hospitals across the sea was not easy.

The Royal Navy began to requisition ships from across the Empire almost as soon as war had been declared and use them for a variety of duties.

President Wilson on Brighton IV. Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

HMHS Brighton IV

Originally built for the passengers of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and South Western Railway, the SS Brighton IV was the fourth vessel to bear the name ‘Brighton’ and was a steamship based at Newhaven on the Newhaven – Dieppe ferry route.

The ship had attracted some notoriety in 1910 when it collided with the German five-masted ship Preussen. The Preussen was badly damaged in the initial collision and, when being brought back to port by a tug, was caught in a November storm that broke both anchor chains and led to the ship sinking. The Master of the SS Brighton was found culpable for the collision and eventually committed suicide in a London pub.

At the outbreak of the First World War the SS Brighton (IV) was initially converted into a troopship.  In September 1914, she was commended for her work in repatriating British subjects stranded at Antwerp and Captain James Ellis, the new Master of the SS Brighton (IV), was thanked by His Majesty’s Government “for his prompt and ready help at a time when it was urgently needed”.

Lloyd George on Brighton IV. Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

On 29^th November 1914,  the SS Brighton (IV) carried King George V from Newhaven to Dieppe  for his first visit to troops at the Front.  As a souvenir of the occasion Captain Ellis was presented with a gold tie pin from the King. The SS Brighton (IV) was later commissioned as a Hospital ship and was re-christened His Majesty’s Hospital Ship (HMHS) before being fitted out for 140 patients.  As a hospital ship she made 973 voyages and carried 122,636 sick and wounded men.

Brighton served continually during the First World War and achieved further distinction by carrying the American President Woodrow Wilson to Dover from France in 1918 and returning the Prime Minister Lloyd George to the country after he had signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that officially brought the war to an end.

On 15th July 1919, the SS Brighton (IV) returned to service on the Newhaven – Dieppe passenger line.

SS Sunbeam

The ‘Sunbeam’ as Hospital Ship, July 30th 1915 © IWM (Art.IWM ART 4410)

The private yacht Sunbeam was owned by Thomas Brassey. Brassey had been Governor of Victoria, Australia until 1900 and in 1908 was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He had held the mayoralty of Bexhill since 1907 though this was largely an honourary position.

Brassey was a keen sailor and, in 1915, he volunteered the services of the Sunbeam  as a hospital ship. He took it upon himself to sail the vessel to the Dardanelles to support the ongoing campaign at Gallipoli.

The Sunbeam arrived at Mudros (a small Greek port on the island of Lemnos) in July 1915 as the British army began preparations for further landings at the Suvla Bay. Whilst Sunbeam was manifestly unsuited to most forms of military or hospital duties, Brassey did receive positive press for his spirit and willingness to join the invasion.

Dangerous seas

Victory Bonds Will Help Stop This – Kultur Vs. Humanity © IWM (Art.IWM PST 12375)

Whilst not involved directly in the fighting, hospital ships were frequently exposed to danger. German U-Boats often patrolled along busy waterways between Britain and France and a number of hospital ships were attacked during the course of the war.

The HMHS Donegal and the HMHS Lanfranc were both attacked and sunk by torpedoes on 17 April 1917 inbetween Dover and Le Havre to a joint loss of over 80 lives.

One of the most notorious attacks on a hospital ship came in June 1918 when the HMHS Llandovery Castle was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Ireland. 234 doctors, nurses, and patients died with only 24 people being rescued from the water.

The sinking of the Llandovery Castle provided the allies with a powerful moral and propaganda weapon, as shown by the poster on the right, for the remaining duration of the war.

Sources

The images and content regarding the SS Brighton IV is courtesy of Newhaven Museum

The post SS Brighton IV and Hospital Ships appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

Propaganda image of Brighton Clock Tower if it were attacked by Zeppelins – Courtesy of Seaford Museum

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Britain began the process of sending soldiers to France. But  the fear of a German invasion of Sussex meant defenses had to be assembled and ready.

The fear of invasion by a European power was not a new phenomenon in 1914. Since 1871 (and the conclusion of the Franco-Prussian War), the British people had increasingly been reading a genre of fiction novels now collectively as ‘Invasion Literature‘. The stories of these books all followed a similar formula; Britain had grown lax whilst European nations gazed upon it with envious eyes. Huge complicated spy networks had infiltrated British society and, seemingly without warning, enemy soldiers were landing on the coast and making for London. In some versions Britain would be conquered and humbled, whilst in others they would defeat the invaders at the last moment, sometimes with the help of plucky school children who had been able to see through the schemes that adults could not.

Propaganda image of Chichester Cathedral if it were attacked by Zeppelins – Courtesy of Seaford Museum

The invading power often changed in these stories, alternating between the French, the Germans, and occasionally the Russians or Americans. However, in the run up to war in 1914 the Germans had steadily become the predominant recognised threat. Whilst the Royal navy was still Britain’s strongest source of defence, when war came and the German army invaded Belgium and then France and were heading for the Channel Ports, it became clear that defending the south coast would be crucial in ensuring the safety of the country.

Defending the Coast

Immediately following the outbreak of war in 1914, key locations around the East Sussex shore were immediately manned and defended. Newhaven Fort was occupied by soldiers of the Royal Garrison Artillery, whilst the 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment were assembled in Newhaven and began guarding the swing bridge, harbour and quays. The 2/5th Battalion (Cinque Ports), Royal Sussex Regiment were also deployed to Hastings in November 1914 to defend the ports. There were ongoing concerns that, if an invasion were to come, it would be ‘unheralded’ along stretches of the south coast. Further Territorial units were deployed along goods yards and circular tram routes between Newhaven and Hastings.

To assist in the work of guarding Newhaven Port, Boy Scouts began volunteering to serve as messengers and to assist in keeping watch, and therefore freeing up soldiers for other tasks. When it became clear that the war would not be over swiftly, it was agreed that in exchange for their services these Boy Scouts would each be paid one shilling a week. Scouts would become increasingly involved with the war on the home front as it continued, either acting as assistance to the military establishment or in hospitals and other organisations. A great number of scounting leaders would also serve in the army during the war, and many gave their lives.

The Chief Scout inspects Boy Scouts in Hastings – Hastings and St Leonard Pictorial Advertiser

In the event of invasion, plans were made that detailed the likely lines of defence and routes of evacuation away from the coast for civilians and refugees. Undefended ports, such as Rye, would be blocked and all boats in the harbour sunk. Livestock, vehicles and provisions would leave the county in the direction of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

If vehicles were not able to be moved, precise instructions were given on how to make them inoperative, either by smashing the cylinders, removing vital parts of the mechanism, or slashing the tyres. This would prevent them falling into enemy hands and being used to speed the invasion.

A ‘Most Improbable’ Invasion

Whilst preparations were made for the defence of East Sussex, as the fighting in France settled into trenches, it became clear that the actual likelihood of invasion was slim. Neither side seemed on the verge of a decisive breakthrough on the Western Front that would eliminate the other army and leave them free to move huge numbers of men. Before the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the German High Seas Fleet had been unwilling to risk fighting the Royal Navy and was therefore in no position to assist an invasion. Even after Jutland, the lack of resolution to the battle meant that the naval status quo remained.

Despite this, it was still viewed as important to remain vigilant as to the possibility of invasion and, given the proximity of East Sussex to the fighting in France, the dangers of a German attack were heavily utilised for propaganda reasons. At the beginning of the war, the German navy had shelled Scarborough and bombing raids by German Zeppelins and Gotha Bombers had caused the deaths of numerous civilians. Whilst it was not on the same scale as the Blitz of the Second World War, Britain was still under attack from the air.

Propaganda image of Brighton Town Hall if it were attacked by Zeppelins – Courtesy of Seaford Museum

East Sussex was close enough to France to regularly hear the fighting and, as a result, was also thought to be especially vulnerable to a potential air raid. Seaplanes stationed at Newhaven acted as defence for the port from both air raid and U-Boat attack. Airships launched from the Royal Navy Air Station at Polegate would also provide reconnaissance above and beyond Sussex.

The war would eventually conclude without Sussex being subjected to any form of invasion or prolonged attack from the air. However, many of the plans and approaches to the defence of East Sussex during the First World War would need to be resurrected and updated twenty years later.

Sources

Newhaven Maritime Museum

Seaford Museum

Sussex in the First World War by Keith Grieves

The post Defending Sussex’s Shores appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

By the time 1914 had become 1915, it was clear to most of the combatants on the Western Front that the war would not be won as quickly as some had hoped. With all sides still trying to exert military dominance in the trenches, both Britain and Germany had begun to look beyond the land war and out to sea for a possible solution.

The SS Sussex. Courtesy of East Sussex Libraries

Britain had been using the Royal Navy to blockade Germany since the outbreak of the war and by November 1914 had termed the seas around Germany to be a War Zone with any ships entering it doing so at their own risk. This blockade of Germany prevented most forms of trade and material, including food, from entering their ports.

U-Boat Warfare

In retaliation the Germans turned not to their surface navy but instead to their U-Boat fleet, U-Boat being the abbreviation of Unterseeboot; literally undersea boat, to prevent shipping from reaching the British Isles. They too declared the waters around their enemy to be a War Zone, although given the sheer amount of trade Britain conducted with the rest of the world, there were grave concerns within Germany that the indiscriminate sinking of foreign vessels may anger neutral parties such as the United States.

German U-Boats had already sunk several civilian and relief ships when, on 7 May 1915, the liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland. It sank in under twenty minutes and only 761 of the 1,959 people on board survived. Among the dead were 128 American civilians.

The SS Sussex after being torpedoed 25 March 1916. Courtesy of East Sussex Libraries

The sinking of the Lusitania remains a topic of high contention. At the time, Germany maintained that, as the ship carried military supplies and ammunition destined for the Western Front, it could not truly be considered a neutral target. The German embassy had also placed adverts in major American newspapers outlining the current War Zone around Britain and warning travellers of the risks in sailing.

For their part, the British and Americans viewed the sinking as little short of a war crime. The Lusitania had been flying no flag at the time of her sinking and was a recognisably large steam liner which carried no weaponry.

In order to prevent American anger from dragging them into the war, the Germans curtailed their U-Boat activities. However by 1916, the lack of breakthrough on the Western Front and the intensifying combat at Verdun meant the Germans once again instituted a policy of unrestricted U-Boat warfare against armed merchant ships. At the time, passenger ships were not permitted as targets, in an attempt to once again avoid the wrath of the United States.

The SS Sussex 

A letter of commendation to Charles Price, a local resident, for his actions following the attack on the SS Sussex. Courtesy of Newhaven Museum

This policy was unsuccessful. With Newhaven being used as the primary port for all military supply to France, cross-channel passenger services had been relocated to Dover and Folkestone. On 24 March 1916 a German U-Boat torpedoed the passenger ferry SS Sussex.

Whilst the ship did not sink, it did suffer heavy damage and lost most of the bow. Casualty estimates varied but place the number killed at around 50. Several local residents of Newhaven who were first on the scene to rescue passengers from the channel were later awarded medals and commendations for their bravery.

Under further pressure from America, the Germans gave the ‘Sussex Pledge’ which guaranteed that passenger ships would not be sunk, merchant ships would not be sunk without confirmation of weaponry onboard, and that provision would be made for the rescue of the crew of any torpedoed ship.

Whilst this pledge once again kept America out of the war, it was revoked by Germany again in 1917 in the belief that they could score a decisive victory in the North Atlantic. They failed in this goal and served only to antagonise America to the point where the United States entered the war in April 1917.

U-118

Commissioned in May 1918, U-118 was a mine-laying German submarine. The vessel is credited with the torpedoing on two British ships during it’s service. However the end of the war in November 1918, and the terms of the armistice, saw it sail to France to be placed in the hands of the victorious allies.

SM U-118 washed up on Hastings beach 1919. Courtesy of Eastbourne Libraries

In 1919, with the German Imperial Navy in the hands of Britain and France, the decision was made to commence the scrapping of numerous ships and submarines. On 15 April 1919, U-118 was being towed through the English Channel en route to the naval base at Scapa Flow. However, a storm broke the chains and the ship was cast adrift.

The residents of Hastings awoke the next moment to find a new feature on the beach directly opposite the Queens Hotel. The beached U-Boat rapidly became a tourist attraction attracting hundreds of visitors to the beach.

For the first two weeks after it was stranded, the Admiralty allowed people to pay sixpence to go onto the deck of the submarine, thereby raising £300 for the Mayor’s Welcome Home Fund for returning soldiers. Two members of the local coastguard, chief boatman William Heard and chief officer W. Moore, gave tours of the inside of the ship for important visitors.

However, by the end of April both men began complaining of severe internal pains and the tours were suspended. Initially, it was thought that the stench of rotting food was the culprit but the men’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Moore died in December 1919, and Heard followed him in February 1920. A later inquest reported that both men had developed large abscesses in their lungs and brain, suggesting that chlorine gas had leaked from the ships batteries and poisoned them.

SM U-118 washed up on Hastings beach 1919. Courtesy of Eastbourne Libraries

Eventually the ship became less of a tourist attraction and more of a nuisance that needed to be dealt with. Its proximity to the street meant it could not be detonated by explosive. Several tractors attempted to refloat it and a French naval ship tried to break it up by directing fire from its guns, but none were successful.

Between October and December 1919, the decision was made to break the ship up on the beach. The main naval gun was donated to the town of Hastings but was partially buried in 1921. It was later recovered but despite calls for it to be mounted on a plinth in the town, it too was broken down and dispersed.

Sources

East Sussex Libraries

Newhaven Museum

The post The Sussex Pledge appeared first on WW1 East Sussex.

Newhaven Seaplane Station by H R Alderson

During the First World War, Newhaven was a major supply port for the Western Front.  Government Transports (the ships that transported these supplies) carried munitions and stores between Newhaven and Boulogne.

In January 1917, the Germans declared unrestricted submarine warfare, effective from 1^st February.  It was important that the Transports were protected from submarine attack, so for two years from May 1917, a Seaplane Station operated from Newhaven.

Newhaven Seaplane Station

The Station, initially under the control of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), was situated half a mile along the beach, east of the town.  A double-fronted wooden seaplane shed (120ft x 50ft – approx. 36.6m x 15.25m) was built on the beach some 15 feet (approx. 4.6m) above normal high tide.  It stood on a concrete hard-standing, with a wooden slipway leading down to the sea.  Three old railway carriages were used as offices and a crew room.  Additional buildings included a pigeon loft.

Wing Commander E M Ackery, a Sub Lieutenant at the time, was based at Newhaven in 1918.  He remembers that during flights they carried  two pigeons in a box for sending messages back to the Station, should their radio fail.  There was a knack to releasing the pigeons to prevent them from hitting the plane, “we covered the birds wings with our hands and flung them hard downwards and forwards”. At a time of food shortages, there was a real possibility of pigeons being shot down for a free meal, so notices were posted in the local paper warning people that they would face prosecution if caught.

Building the 2nd Seaplane Shed in 1918 by H R Alderson

In 1918, the Station  was extended with the addition of another larger seaplane shed (180ft x 60ft – approx.. 54.9m x 18.3m) designed for repairing damaged aircraft. Newhaven Seaplane Station was initially home to four Short 184 floatplanes, later supplemented by a few Fairey Campania and three Fairey IIIB seaplanes.  On 1^st April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft stationed at Newhaven formed 408 and 409 flights,  which were incorporated into 242 Squadron in July 1918.

Seaplanes from Newhaven would patrol the sea between Dungeness and the Isle of Wight, avoiding Portsmouth where, it was rumoured, overzealous anti-aircraft gunners liked to get in a bit of extra practice! It was difficult to spot submarines around Beachy Head, where the chalky water made the sea cloudy. There were no night flights, but the Station aimed to keep at least one seaplane on patrol during the day, which meant early starts in the summer. A successful take-off depended a lot on the weather. The seaplanes couldn’t take off if the sea was too rough, or too calm. A calm, flat sea meant that the seaplanes couldn’t ride up onto the heels of their floats to take off.

Sometimes, if it was rough, the planes could surf along the crest of a wave, although this was tricky and a wing could be damaged if the plane slipped off.  Sub. Lt. Ackery described how “there was something tremendously exciting about scudding along the crest of a five or six-foot high wave” especially when none of the other seaplane stations managed to get a plane in the air that day.

A seaplane’s full load consisted of one 112lb and two 50lb bombs. There was a Lewis machine gun mounted on the observer’s cockpit, in case of  attack by enemy aircraft. The observer also carried a loaded revolver and a ‘Very Light Pistol‘. The pistol, invented by American Naval Officer Edward W. Very, fired coloured flares (Very lights), which could be used for signalling.   If the seaplanes came across a submerged submarine, which wasn’t in a prohibited area, their orders were  to bomb on sight.  If the submarine was on the surface, a signal was sent using the Very light pistol. The airmen would then wait for the correct reply signal, indicating the submarine was friendly.

The risks of flight

Sub Lt Ackery’s Crash by H R Alderson

Launching and landing could be dangerous, and in seaplanes loaded with bombs, accidents could prove fatal. Sub Lt. Ackery had a lucky escape when he flipped his plane, head over heels, or ‘Ack over Tock’ and deposited his observer, Martin Press, into the sea.  Ackery himself was trapped in the cockpit, but managed to escape.  The next day, on 21^st June 1918, Lt. J. F. R. Kitchin and 2^nd Lt. G. Cole were not so lucky when their seaplane crashed into the harbour wall.  Both men were killed and are buried next to each other in Newhaven cemetery.  On 16^th July, 1918, another pilot, Lt. Greenwell, was killed when he crashed into the sluices at Tide Mills.

When fully operational the Station consisted of 194 staff, including 17 women in uniform and 17 female household staff.  The men lived behind the seaplane sheds in wooden army huts, which were built on piles to avoid flooding.  The officers were accommodated at Tide Mills or billeted at Bishopstone.  The Officers’ Mess was located at Tide Mills, where the food was particularly good as they drew rations from the Canadian supply base at Seaford.  Those pilots and observers who were 18 or under received extra rations, because they were still classed as children.  In their spare time, the pilots and observers would congregate in one of the railway carriages, smoking and talking. Some evenings, groups from the Station would travel to Brighton or Eastbourne, using petrol from crashed seaplanes to fuel their journeys.

Newhaven Seaplane Station staff NHS-Ref-A306-012

Newhaven Seaplane Station was officially closed in May 1919 and the buildings were auctioned off in the 1920s.  One of the wooden sheds was relocated to the East Quay, where it was used as a bonded wine warehouse.  It was completely destroyed by fire in the 1960s.  The larger shed was used to manufacture the 50ft (15.2m) concrete piles, which replaced the rotting ones in the harbour.  You can still see one on the beach. The shed was finally relocated to Wimbledon where it was used to store railway equipment for the electrification of the line. It was granted Grade II Listing on 23^rd July 2012.

The concrete bases of the sheds are still visible on the beach and are occasionally used as a helicopter landing pad by the local coastguard.

Sources 

Concrete bases of Seaplane Sheds Newhaven Seaplane Station by Jenny Flood

If you want to find out more about Wing Commander Ackery and his time at Newhaven Seaplane Station, there is a copy of an article he wrote, in Aeroplane Monthly, at Newhaven Museum (www.newhavenhistoricalsociety.org.uk for details of opening times). The museum also has some other documents, photographs and artefacts relating to Newhaven Seaplane Station and a copy of “A Short History of a Local Seaplane Station” by Peter Fellows.

I am also grateful to Paul Drabot for the use of some of the photographs his grandfather, Henry Ross Alderson, took while he was a pilot at the Seaplane Station.  You can find more photos on his website http://climb-out.co.uk/Henryrossalderson.html

This story was written and contributed by Jenny Flood, Newhaven Museum

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