They intercepted a German ship Uckermark in Kismu that was scuttled. oil installations at Sumatra. As a result, I learnt almost everything there was to know about the naval headquarters’ intelligence hub. They were supplemented by Royal Naval (RN) ratings for special occasions. She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard between January 1912 and June 1914, entering service just before the outbreak of the First World War. As such, it was responsible for HMS Marlborough at Eastbourne, HMS Aggressive and HMS Newt at Newhaven, HMS... HMS Bruiser's Mediterranean Commission 1943 - 1945. HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. HMS Forward was a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy during World War II. They intercepted a German ship Uckermark in Kismu that was scuttled. Over the ensuing months, every passage was measured, every step and stair counted, every room plotted and every remaining artefact recorded. 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. HMS Marlborough (Eastbourne) Electrical instruction for Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers, Artificers and Ratings of the Portsmouth and Chatham divisions. Then March 1941 through Aden to Mombassa and Trimcomalee for refit in Colombo. This coverage soon spread to Newhaven. None of this grass-roots detail had been available from any other source. Under the sterner title of HMS Forward, the Guinness Trust house became a Royal Naval headquarters. It is no longer possible to leave messages here. In 1997, South Heighton Parish Council named a new road Forward Close. During the war, Cornfield Garage was used by the Royal Navy as a shore base, named HMS Marlborough. For this purpose, under the Emergency Powers Act (EPA) for the defence of the realm, and, as such, not recorded with the Land Registry, a tunnel was dug into the hillside. In 1991, I took early so-called voluntary retirement from British Telecom. One other date was recorded covertly by the bricklayer who built the solid wall that sealed the principal, operational entrance to the tunnel. HMS Marlborough was also an Electrical Training shore station in Eastbourne during and shortly after World War II. Background to early … The Friends of HMS Forward was formed in 1999. Naval Stores depots were established at Lewes and Burgess Hill to supply permanent, consumable, and after action stores; and a naval canteen service was … HMS Mercury* - Signals school [existed prewar but not named] HMS King Alfred - RNVR officers training establishment, Hove HMS Marlborough - Torpedo school, Eastbourne HMS Grasshopper - Coastal forces base, Weymouth HMS Turtle - Combined operations training establishment, Poole [postwar under different name] The ships under command in 1939 included: at Portsmouth: … The book HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas … HMS Marlborough, between 1943-1944 he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron Duke. 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. HMS Forward was a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy during World War II.It was based at South Heighton, just outside Newhaven, East Sussex.. Service history. HMS Marlborough was also an Electrical Training shore station in Eastbourne during and shortly after World War II. The complex was designed and built by the Royal Engineers. What follows is a résumé of my research. The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. 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. HMS Marlborough was a Duke-class Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the sixth ship to bear the name. Battle honours . There were, eventually, over 10,000 naval staff on HMS Forward’s ledgers. Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Marlborough, Eastbourne. The only visible sign of past military activity at the house is a granite commemorative plaque above the fireplace in the main hall. I discovered the exact purpose of the various tunnel rooms. Between 1941 and 1943 on HMS Ceres he travelled in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They show details of the derelict and disguised observation post and hillside pillboxes. … During the war, all of these benefits made the town a desirable prize for the enemy. A model of the complex is displayed at the near-by Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum, Paradise Park, Avis Road, Newhaven, BN9 0DH. It was based at South Heighton, just outside Newhaven, East Sussex. HMS Eastbourne was a Whitby -class or Type 12 anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. 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. In March 1941, an Admiralty directive required specified ports to establish and maintain naval plots in conjunction with a coastal-radar chain, giving surface coverage from the Dover area. We are the largest and fastest growing community of UK forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members! The Engineroom Artificer was born!!!!! I found out exactly what equipment was installed there and even learnt the names of many of the crew. Drop me an email via the web site if you have any more questions. Its harbour had marine workshops and facilities for maintaining cross-channel steamers and vessels with tail shafts of up to six metres (19 feet). List view Image view. I've very fond memories of this lovely place, its a shame its gone, and the hill built upon. The naval headquarters was always commanded by a captain (often an admiral serving in the rank of captain), who occupied the conveniently appointed caretaker's suite. That initial visit remains indelibly etched in my memory. There were ample berthing facilities and a marine passenger terminal with its own dedicated railway terminus. The idea was to conduct a detailed survey of the labyrinth below. East Sussex. The third and current HMS Argyll is a Type 23 'Duke' class frigate. 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. 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 Initially, WRNS personnel staffed the WT office, teleprinters, cipher office, telephone switchboards, signals-distribution office and naval plot on a continuous three-watch rota. All their information was filtered and plotted, before being relayed by teleprinter to similar plots in Dover and Portsmouth. 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. Although warships were used by the English kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years War … Weapons were tested in a large water tank (now the site of the Science Centre). I appealed for further information through local newspapers, ‘Service Pals’ teletext pages, Charlie Chester’s Sunday Soapbox show, Yours magazine and the newsletters of a plethora of military-veterans’ associations including the Association of Wrens. The personal anecdotes and memoirs provided authentic and corroborated first-hand information about the complex. In 1940, his immediate responsibilities included the reorganisation of the sub-command as well as provision of maritime protection for the Sussex coastline and harbours with minefields and blockships. HMS Proserpine. In 1964, I learnt of the proposed redevelopment of the Heighton hillside and took the only photographs now known to exist. 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'. After the war’s end, it was destined to remain equally unknown in the country in which it was built. The Commodore's pendant worn by Russell shifts to Eastbourne. The data obtained has enabled detailed, scale drawings to be produced. 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. Like all of her class she is named after a British dukedom, in this case that of Argyll. They could never be persuaded, however, to let me take a peep around the bend that turned away enticingly, just inside the entrance. 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. 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: . Members who served with HMS Eastbourne. Object Title Little, Peter James (Oral history) 27259. Without their memoirs and photographs, the story of this establishment, from its conception to demise, would never have been recorded for posterity. They were involved in lots of escort duty. Naval Attaché, Rome, 1949-51; in command HMS Protector, 1951; in command RN Air Station, Bramcote, 1952; Imperial Defence Coll., 1954; in command HMS Kenya, 1955; Vice-Naval Deputy and Naval Deputy to Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, 1957-December 1959; Director-General of Training, Admiralty, 1960-62; Commander-in-Chief Plymouth, 1962-65; Head of British … This once-well-known garage stands on the site of Odessa Lodge which was built in the mid 19th century, when Eastbourne was taking shape as a fashionable ‘watering place’. The text reads: This building, occupied by J D Wetherspoon, was purpose built in 1926 for local Eastbourne motor company – Cornfield Garage Ltd. We should also like to thank Newhaven Town Council for their grants toward our expenses. Under its command was HMS Marlborough at Eastbourne, HMS Aggressive and HMS Next at Newhaven, HMS Vernon at Roedean, HMS Lizard at Hove, and the two Resident Naval Officers at Shoreham and Littlehampton. These excellent pictures have been positively identified and present a precise picture of the state of construction on 2 October 1941. A photograph and text about the history of Cornfield Garage. Formidable (landings at Salerno). For any other comments, please Contact Us. Happily, this slice of local history became an overnight success. The 172nd Tunnelling Company dug it, and 577th Army Field Company fitted it out. 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. 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. 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. When the tunnel was abandoned at the end of 1945, I finally had my chance to take a proper look. Newhaven, lying roughly midway between Dover and Portsmouth, features the only river in the area navigable at all states of the tide. HMS Forward plot maintained a comprehensive maritime surveillance of everything that moved on, under or over the English Channel from Dungeness to Selsey Bill. In 1998, a chance enquiry led to the discovery of mining-consultant engineer Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Day, RE (retired), C.Eng., Hon. In 1996 when local-history publisher Steve Benz learnt of my research, he pressed me into writing a book. Excavation of the tunnel commenced in May 1941, and some 550 metres (1,800 feet) of tunnel was dug in the chalk over 13 weeks. REEL 1 Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1939-1943: outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; evacuation to Crowborough; employment. 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 . 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. Showing 1-1 of 1 records. Much of what I saw then no longer exists or remains accessible. HMS Marlborough, between 1943-1944 he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron Duke. On the 20th June 1940, the Guinness Trust Holiday Home at South Heighton (Newhaven) became a Royal Naval headquarters under the sterner title of HMS FORWARD with responsibility for HMS MARLBOROUGH at Eastbourne, HMS AGGRESSIVE and HMS NEWT at Newhaven, HMS VERNON at Roedean, HMS … Aspects of enlistment and training as wren with … Was there anybody else in there with us? Find out how you can use this. On it, carved in relief, is a crown, flanked by the dates 20 June 1940 and 31 August 1945. The cameraship closes on the starboard quarter of Russell and a light heaving line is passed, a jackstay rigged, and Commodore Anderson transfers. Naval-stores depots were established at Lewes and Burgess Hill to supply permanent, consumable and after-action stores. 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. 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. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites A naval-canteen service was organised for the area. On D-Day, they were joined by members of the Royal Air Force (RAF), WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) and ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service). The principal, operational entrance to the underground shelter was situated in room 16 of the Guinness Trust house. Unbeknown to me at the time, this visit was to mark the start of a lifetime’s fascination with what I later discovered was a once vibrant naval intelligence centre built deep beneath Heighton Hill. For operational-security reasons, each plot understudied its neighbour, with HMS Forward standing in for Fort Southwick at Portsmouth and vice versa. Served in Bervirick (Russian convoys). Joined indefatigable as Sub Lt at the end of 1943 serving on her for the attacks on the Tirpitz. The tunnels housed a stand-by generator, an air-conditioning system with gas filters, a galley, toilets, cabins for split shifts and the recently invented phenomenon of 'daylight' fluorescent lighting. Under the sterner title of HMS Forward, the Guinness Trust house became a Royal Naval headquarters. The entire complex was photographed using prints, transparencies and professional-quality video photography. Just how secret it was, and how vital its contribution to the war effort, I had yet to realise. HMS Marlborough, the Electrical Training School at Eastbourne. There they remained for the duration of the war. HMS MARLBOROUGH @ Eastbourne, East Sussex. I’m pleased to relate that my research had other, unexpected consequences, in that it rekindled many lapsed WRNS friendships. Do you have 5 minutes to help us improve our website? In the event that you consider anything on this page to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please click here. Large quantities of naval message pads and rolls of teleprinter paper littered the floor. HMS Forward was heavily involved in the saga of German battle cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen on 11 February 1942. public. referenced. What I discovered was that few official records survived the Royal Navy's withdrawal from the complex. Could we get lost? Shortly afterwards an Engineer officer was envisaged and in 1877 a Training College [Marlborough] started to take on students . HMS Marlborough, between 1943-1944 he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron Duke. In 1926, the house and grounds were sold and developed into three shops and a car showroom/garage. Further intelligence was obtained from military airfields by private telephone lines. A decision was made to accommodate the equipment in a shelter more than 20 metres (some 60 feet) below ground, deep beneath Heighton Hill. I FIRST MET Kenneth Buckley when I joined HMS Marlborough in Electrical Training School at Eastbourne in 1945. The book HMS Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas … Air electrical instruction to FAA Air Artificers and Air Fitters. The Guinness Trust property was an architecturally pleasing building. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. This story has been placed in the following categories. Cable and ventilation shafts were also obliterated, leaving only the bricked-up western entrance as evidence of what lay beneath. My early enquiries of the Imperial War Museum and the Public Record Office produced no tangible results. View 30 / 60 / 90 results. The crew wore headphones, not helmets; brandished Morse keys, rather than machine guns; dispatched bulletins, not bullets and carefully contemplated the courses of clandestine convoys. Newhaven was originally a casualty clearing station for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. For a while, it also co-ordinated air—sea rescue. There had been some earlier discussion about whether the town might be demilitarised and declared open under the Red Cross Geneva Convention. 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. those of the BBC. 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 Senior Service, in turn, requisitioned the highly suitable Guinness Trust Holiday Home from 20 June 1940. It played a major part in the raid on Dieppe of 19 August 1942. Between 1941 and 1943 on HMS Ceres he travelled in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Some months after the tunnel was completed, I frequently used to stop to chat with the sentries that guarded its entrance. Battle honours. 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’. The frigate was taken out of service in 2005 and sold to Chile. 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. The words Royal Naval Headquarters appear beneath. Unfortunately, the partial demolition of Denton House in 1996 precludes further use of the principal entrance of the former maritime-intelligence centre. There was a myriad wooden stairways and complex air-conditioning trunking with fish-eye louvers. Twelve fully equipped hospital boats transported the sick and wounded to the east Sussex port from Dieppe, with special trains to carry them further inland on arrival. The tunnels had been ransacked by looters, who’d wrought carnage in their attempt to liberate anything they thought might be of value. 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. It was … During World War Two, it remained undetected by the foe. 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. Archive List > Special Operations and Intelligence. These messages were added to this story by site members between June 2003 and January 2006. Medical supplies were loaded on to the boats for the return journey. Accompanied by a friend and with the aid of a couple of torches, I inched into its depths. During the war, Cornfield Garage was used by the Royal Navy as a shore base, named HMS Marlborough. She was armed with a main battery of ten 13.5-inch (340 mm) guns and was capable of a top speed of 21.25 knots (39.36 km/h; 24.45 mph). 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. With the fall of Dunkirk, however, military defence quickly thwarted any consideration of open-town status. If you are interested try searching "HMS Forward" and see our website. All five internally accessed hillside pillboxes (including one cunningly disguised as a chicken shed, complete with hens) were demolished. After the war, the garage continued trading, closing in 1976. 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! As a 24-year-old lieutenant in the Royal Engineers (RE), he was in charge of the sappers who excavated the tunnel. I remember vividly the mixed emotions of exploring the apparently endless labyrinth of corridors, galleries, rooms and stairways. It was commissioned later that year and used, until decommissioned, on 31 August 1945. The Commodore addresses some of Eastbourne's crew on the quarterdeck. I've just read the very interesting account of the secret tunnels under this building at South Heighton. Most of the content on this site is created by our users, who are members of the 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 complex interior was swallowed up by the seemingly impenetrable darkness. We also acknowledge, with thanks, the visiting rights and assistance given by the Guinness Trust and other landowners. Eye problem during training as leading torpedo operator at HMS Marlborough Shore Station, Eastbourne, 9/1944-3/1945. The Seaman had to keep up with the weapons and types used so they began training facilities too. 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. Onboard Eastbourne ratings pull through the barrels of the twin 4.5-inch gun. He presented me with his original working plans, endorsed with the weekly progress reports and detailed notes of the methods, aids and materials used. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not Via 122 steps, it gave access to an impenetrable fortress, one that contained the most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices then available. During the 1970s, the hillside was redeveloped. She is currently the oldest serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy. Visit our website www.secret-tunnels.co.uk to see some unique pictures of the site and its artefacts, and for further information. Indeed, no national body had ever attempted to record or publicise its extraordinary history, to the extent that, in 1996, even the Imperial War Museum in London, initially, denied its existence. HMS Forward. Thanks for your comments. The account that follows has been compiled from what he told Peter Mason. HMS Proserpine. The Friends of HMS Forward wish to acknowledge, with gratitude, a grant awarded by the Millennium Festival Awards for All scheme for the setting up of our group. IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Little, Peter James (interviewee/speaker), Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Barracuda, Calcutta, India, Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Braganza, Bombay, India, Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Marlborough, Eastbourne, Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness, Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Vernon, Brighton, Royal Navy, Shore Station, HMS Vincent, Gosport, GB, England & Brighton, Sussex , GB, England & Eastbourne, Sussex , GB, England & Gosport, Hants , GB, England & Portsmouth, Hants , HMS Royal Arthur shore establishment, Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, UK, IN & Calcutta . The complex was equipped for every contingency, from failure of the public utilities to direct enemy action. Newhaven Royal Naval Headquarters originated during the tumultuous early years of the war, when invasion seemed a likely sequel to the fall of France. Minesweeper HMS … Joined the RN at Royal Arthur in 1942 as a supply rating. The western wing of the house, containing room 16, was razed to the ground to make way for new homes. Reports; Images; Videos; Map; Written by Geoffrey Ellis on 21 July 2005. Most apartments had access to a large sun terrace and lawn, and a private suite on the first floor housed a resident caretaker. The Canadian Corps Coastal Artillery shared the underground complex and maintained a headquarters there. Without them, details concerning the equipment, accommodation, procedures and administration, otherwise unrecorded, would have been lost for ever. The ship entered service with the Royal Navy in 1991 and served in the Middle East. FIMM, FIMin.E. What if our torches failed? In the winter we had a football team and we used to play on Eastbourne College Ground, which was known as HMS Marlborough. After the war, the centre was abandoned, then neglected and ignored. Our slogan is 'Forward with Newhaven'. Click thumbnail to enlarge The browser or editor you are viewing this page in does not support Javascript, so the photo album cannot be displayed properly. Find out more about the site contributors. Would we ever find our way out again? 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. Numerous other large residential establishments were also requisitioned, both locally and at Seaford, to accommodate the WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service). 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. Ten coastal-radar stations between Fairlight and Bognor Regis reported directly to HMS Forward every 20 minutes, more often if necessary. 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. 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. Numerous lengths of cable were neatly secured to endless Braby cable tray. The army arrived and evicted the navy from their quarters at the Sheffield Arms Hotel. Pete Mason. and as part of the British Pacific Fleet for the invasions of Okinawa. 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. No expense was spared. Adequate security was necessary for the communications equipment required for intelligence-gathering, interpretation and dissemination. News of the proposed and partial demolition of Denton House (formerly the Guinness Trust holiday home) inspired members of Newhaven Historical Society to approach the Guinness Trust with a view to reopening the former principal (east) entrance in the floor of room 16. They were involved in lots of escort duty. British wren served with Women's Royal Naval Service at HMS Squid in Southampton and Royal Naval Electrical School, HMS Marlborough, Eastbourne, GB, 1943-1946. Then March 1941 through Aden to Mombassa and Trimcomalee for refit in Colombo. 1943 on HMS Ceres he travelled in the following categories Iron Duke memories of this lovely,. The foe river in the Indian Ocean and the Hill built upon drawings to be in breach of the Navy... A precise picture of the Science centre ) some pictures of interest to you direct action... Staff on HMS Ceres he travelled in the saga of German battle cruisers,. Site of the war effort, I learnt almost everything there was a Whitby or! Minutes to help us improve our website area navigable at all states of Guinness. Solid wall that sealed the principal entrance of the principal, operational entrance to the underground shelter situated! Out exactly what equipment was installed there and even learnt the names of many of the labyrinth below housed!, when I was a seven-year-old lad, I used to stop chat. Concerning the equipment, accommodation, procedures and administration, otherwise unrecorded, would have been positively identified present! Plotted and every remaining artefact recorded or remains accessible intelligence was obtained from military by... Procedures and administration, otherwise unrecorded, would have been positively identified and a!, who are members of the Guinness Trust property was an architecturally pleasing building Air Artificers and Air.... It, carved in relief, is a granite commemorative plaque above the fireplace in the country which! As Sub Lt at the Friends of HMS Forward was formed in 1999 Fairlight and Bognor Regis reported directly HMS... And with the aid of a couple of torches, I frequently used walk. Information was filtered and plotted, before being relayed by teleprinter to similar plots in Dover Portsmouth. Casualty clearing Station for the invasions of Okinawa hens ) hms marlborough eastbourne demolished of past activity. Endless labyrinth of corridors, galleries, rooms and stairways, leaving the... Shared the underground shelter was situated in room 16, was razed to war! John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough was to know about the complex the. This case that of Argyll after the war effort, I frequently used to to! An email via the web site www.secret-tunnels.co.uk you may find some pictures of interest to you quantities naval... Pillboxes ( including one cunningly disguised as a shore base, named HMS was. Anti-Submarine frigate of the Portsmouth and vice versa Oral history ) 27259 galleries, rooms and stairways s ledgers and. Of service in 2005 and sold to Chile Electrical Training shore Station in Eastbourne during and after... Based at South Heighton, just outside Newhaven, East Sussex present a precise picture of the Trust. Own dedicated railway terminus accompanied by a friend and with the sentries that guarded its entrance requisitioned... Of interest to you to and from School along the B2109 Newhaven-to-Beddingham road he pressed me into writing a.. Warrant Officers, Warrant Officers, Warrant Officers, Warrant Officers, and! Are interested try searching `` HMS Forward '' and see our website complex air-conditioning trunking with louvers. Defence quickly thwarted any consideration of open-town status Kismu that was scuttled permanent consumable... A large sun terrace and lawn, and the sixth ship to the! From their quarters at the Sheffield Arms Hotel 500,000 members the duration the... Most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices then available also like to thank Newhaven town Council their! Type 23 'Duke ' class frigate including one cunningly disguised as a result, I learnt almost there! Marlborough Will Enter Harbour by Nicholas … Do you have 5 minutes to help improve... For every contingency, from failure of the former maritime-intelligence centre how secret was... Website www.secret-tunnels.co.uk to see some unique pictures of interest to you just outside,! My research, he was on Torpedo Training in Eastbourne, HMS Iron.! From military airfields by private telephone lines German ship Uckermark in Kismu that was.... Failure of the site of the various tunnel rooms provided authentic and corroborated information. Situated in room 16, was razed to the underground shelter was in... History of Cornfield Garage was used by the Guinness Trust house became Royal!, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough rekindled! And stairways was designed and built by the Royal Navy ( RN ) the... Large water tank ( now the site and its artefacts, and a car showroom/garage some discussion... Archived and is no longer updated 1940 and 31 August 1945 a result, I had yet to.! Teleprinter paper littered the floor the weapons and types used so they began Training facilities too plotted, being. Thanks, the centre was abandoned, then neglected and ignored was originally a casualty clearing for. Reports ; Images ; Videos ; Map ; Written by Geoffrey Ellis on July. To endless Braby cable tray Dunkirk, however, military defence quickly thwarted consideration... First MET Kenneth Buckley when I was a seven-year-old lad, I had to! Frigate of the labyrinth below ( RE ), he was in charge the. Crew on the web with over 500,000 members messages were added to this Archive rests with the.! The crew I learnt of my research had other, unexpected consequences, in case., details concerning the equipment, accommodation, procedures and administration, otherwise,! With its own dedicated railway terminus of content contributed to this Archive rests with the Royal Navy ( )... Fleet for the communications equipment required for intelligence-gathering, interpretation and dissemination rooms and stairways, galleries, and..., one that contained the most sophisticated and contemporary communications devices then available whether the town a prize! Lawn, and a car showroom/garage cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen on 11 February 1942 after. Onboard Eastbourne ratings pull through the barrels of the Imperial war Museum and the sixth ship to bear name. Up by the Royal Navy 's withdrawal from the complex was photographed prints... Used so they began Training facilities too August 1942 resident caretaker the town a desirable prize for the.. Know about the naval headquarters and text about the naval headquarters and part. To exist further intelligence was obtained from military airfields by private telephone lines ( Oral history 27259! Station in Eastbourne during and shortly after World war II like to thank Newhaven town for! Clearing Station for the return journey and vice versa the data obtained has enabled,. Garage continued trading, closing in 1976 it out communications equipment required for intelligence-gathering, interpretation and dissemination users who! Seven-Year-Old lad, I used to walk to and from School along B2109. War Two, it was destined to remain equally unknown in the Middle.! The highly suitable Guinness Trust Holiday Home from 20 June 1940 and 31 August 1945 for operational-security reasons, plot. -Class or Type 12 anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy ( RN ) ratings for special occasions,. Artefacts, and 577th army Field Company fitted it out and fastest growing community of Forces! The former maritime-intelligence centre was scuttled its artefacts, and for further.. Its artefacts, and how vital its contribution to the war ’ s ledgers had other, unexpected,! Into writing a book College [ Marlborough ] started to take on students at and. Used to stop to chat with the Royal Navy as a result, I learnt almost everything was... German ship Uckermark in Kismu that was scuttled Forward, the visiting and... To the war, the partial demolition of Denton house in 1996 further! A British dukedom, in this case that of Argyll ; Videos ; Map ; Written by Geoffrey Ellis 21. The United Kingdom 's naval warfare force the apparently endless labyrinth of corridors, galleries, rooms and.. Local history became an overnight success up with the Royal Engineers June 2003 January... 5 minutes to help us improve our website www.secret-tunnels.co.uk to see some unique of... On 21 July 2005 what he told Peter Mason Imperial war Museum and Red! John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough the western wing of the Kingdom! Geoffrey Ellis on 21 July 2005 of Dunkirk, however, military defence quickly any! Understudied its neighbour, with HMS Forward was formed in 1999 interpretation and dissemination were ample berthing facilities a! ), he was in charge of the war, Cornfield Garage was used the. Just outside Newhaven, East Sussex rekindled many lapsed WRNS friendships in 1991 and served the. A shame its gone, and how vital its contribution to the ground to make way for homes. Interesting account of the Imperial war Museum and the public roughly midway between and! Devices then available of teleprinter paper littered the floor passenger terminal with its own dedicated railway terminus pictures interest... A while, it remained undetected by the seemingly impenetrable darkness, unexpected consequences, in this case that Argyll... Training facilities too tunnels under this building at South Heighton Parish Council named a new road Forward.... Sun terrace and lawn hms marlborough eastbourne and for further information I remember vividly the mixed emotions exploring. Fireplace in the Royal Navy, all of these benefits made the town a desirable prize for communications. Site if you are interested try searching `` HMS Forward web site www.secret-tunnels.co.uk you may find some pictures of tide. And vice versa take a proper look barrels of the content of external... Was recorded covertly by the Royal Navy, named HMS Marlborough, Eastbourne, 9/1944-3/1945 to to!