THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — these Findon Chronicles created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR YEARS IN FINDON — 1941/1942

Copyright Valerie Martin 2000.

Originally published in the Findon News, May 2001.

For six long years between 1939 and 1945, Findon was in upheaval and the countryside was left with an indelible catalogue of scars. 

If you live in Findon and have driven passed the airfield at nearby Shoreham, you will doubtless have noticed the dome situated out in the north east corner of the airfield, (map reference TQ 198058).   Have you ever wondered what its function is?   If so, I will reveal all.

The windsock points out the Dome at Shoreham Airiport in 2010.     Photograph by Doug Attrell of Goring.

Henry Stephen was an inventor and in the autumn of 1939 he devised one of his ideas.   That of using films to train anti-aircraft gunners — as they sat and watched a newsreel in cinema conditions.  Research followed and by 1941 it was agreed to build trial domes with a radius of up to 20 ft. to house the invention.  One of these was on the nearby Shoreham airfield.

Aircraft images were projected onto the projection surface in the dome by using fluorescent light, flooding the whole area with blue light — thus giving the effect of a clear blue sky on a summer's day as a backcloth.

Gunners undergoing training were given imitation guns supplied with a small projector which shone a spot of light at the exact point where the operators were firing.   This gave the instructor some idea of the estimation of trainees' accuracy.

As the gunners pulled the trigger, a soundtrack played the noise of a firing shot — with a duration of approximately five seconds — being the time it took to empty the cartridge of ammunition.

Now you know why the dome situated out on Shoreham airfield just over the Downs from Findon was known as a Dome Trainer.

17th APRIL 1941 From about 9.50 p.m. it is said that many enemy aircraft passed over Findon.  

Soon after 2 a.m. everyone was awakened by several bombs exploding as they were dropped around the village.   Little damage was incurred and there were no casualties. 

On 10th MAY 1941 Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, parachuted into Scotland in an effort to negotiate a peace settlement, but was arrested and imprisoned for the remainder of the war.  The 10th May 1941 also went down in history as the worst night of the London Blitz when 550 German bombers drop 100,000 incendiaries. More than 1,400 people are killed.

In 1941, a Dornier bomber was shot down by an RAF fighter and it landed in the sea off nearby Worthing.

The 12TH JULY 1941 was a hot sleepless night for many in the village.  There had been a drought for four weeks.   The night ended with the thud of bombs being dropped on Goring at daybreak.    At 8.45 a.m. the first heavy rain for four weeks began and lasted for four hours.

The meadows and Findon downland were scored with massive trenches dug against the prospect of an enemy tank invasion.

On another occasion, Ian Short, still living in Findon and a young schoolboy during those troubled war years, recalls hearing the sound of aircraft when out on the Findon Downs. He saw three distinctive high winged Westland Lysanders flying low in formation over the hillside. From his high vantage point it seemed that he was looking down on the ponderous aircraft.  The two crewmen in each of the machines were having a marvellous view of the Findon Downs. 

The year  brought with it the invasion of Russia by Germany. The defence of the Sussex coast was largely in the hands of the 1st Canadian Army by the autumn.

It was in 1941 that the 44th Battalion of the RLoyal Tank Regiment (stationed in nearby Worthing) was ordered overseas and fought through the Western Desert, Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Germany.

The well-known Findon racehorse trainer Robert Gore of the Downs Stables, died in 1941. Harry Davison and the French ex-jockey, Bobby Bates, carried on training from then on at the Stable Lane yard. The latter was once described as the ugliest jockey who every rode a race but as no photograph of him has come to light, I cannot comment.  He was later unfortunately killed in a race in France when he returned to the saddle.

The death was also announced in 1941 of 58-year old Oliver "Darkie" Thomas two days after his 58th birthday.  I still do not know why he was nicknamed "Darkie", perhaps someone one day will be able to enlighten me.  He had been the first headmaster at the Findon School and a long serving one —  for thirty years and had only retired due to ill-heath.  He had been in the position since 1911 when Elizabeth Bull retired.  During the time he lived in Findon, Mr. Thomas had taken a leading part in village life.   He was a member of the Parish Council, a churchwarden and an active member of the British Legion.  He left a wife but no children.  During the war his wife kept a sword hanging behind the kitchen door — this she said was to run through the first enemy invader to try and enter her property.  This particular bit of the Oliver Thomas story was told to me in the autumn of 2002 by Bob Blackwell the retired Findon butcher.

The Manor of Findon was owned by the Hartridge family during the wartime, and in 1941 the "F" Section Royal Signals attached to the Regimental headquarters of the 146 Field Regiment RA was billeted in the mansion in the old servants' quarters. The orderly room for the men was in the main south facing sitting room of Findon Place and their colonel established himself in the ballroom. His officers and staff were stationed in the remainder of the house. The flint walled kitchen garden of the manor housed the motor transport fleet.

The colonel soon discovered that he required the servants' quarters for other purposes, so the "F" Section Royal Signals was transferred to the old Nepcote Lodge racing stable complex in Steep Lane. At this time the land to the east of Nepcote Lodge was not built upon, except for a large indoor riding school. This building was now found to be ideally suited for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for servicing all the vehicles of the 38th Welsh Division of which the regiment was a part.

It was at the tail end of 1941 that the Japanese attacked the American base at Pearl Harbour, and in December 1941 America and Britain finally declared war on Japan.

I can hardly believe it now but back in 1942 the whole stretch of the top of the Findon Downs was requisitioned by the War Department and out of bounds to the public. It was a battle training area used in preparation for D-Day. During the fearsome mock battles, machine guns were positioned on the north face of Cissbury Ring. The tremendous clatter from the guns filled the air as they were fired in a continuous stream across the downland. Simultaneously, a creeping barrage of 4-inch phosphorus and 2-inch high explosive mortar bombs were put up. The exercise included the troops utilising bren-gun carriers fitted with monstrous flame-throwers. Unbelievably, amongst this mayhem the soldiers were deployed.

Following the army's manoeuvres on Cissbury, the Findon children would search the hillside for any spent cartridge cases left behind. By the time they went home for tea their pockets were bulging. Tony Hammond, a village boy at the time, recalled collecting some rather nasty high explosives, such as gun cotton and powerful gelignite, together with detonators and fuses. He said that a highly prized item was a 2-inch flare mortar — the flare being extracted together with the parachute. He recalled that the flare made a simply wonderful display when ignited and the parachute became a major "swap" item afterwards.

Findon boys had a passion for souvenirs and built up huge collections of bomb tails and bits of crashed German aircraft and shrapnel.  It is unbelievable now but several gangs of Findon boys had small arsenals deposited around the countryside unknown to their parents — some would have put the local Home Guard stores to shame. This highly dangerous game came to a sudden halt when one of Tony's friends, Richard Carey, suffered severe facial burns when setting light to the contents of a thunderflash. Richard survived his ordeal and went on to become a successful jockey until another injury cut short his riding career.

The villagers of Findon continued to live their lives as normally as they could during the conflict. Many families bred rabbits during the war, not as pets, but to augment their meagre wartime dinner table.

Poaching in the area was rife. Villagers risked legal proceedings to provide the welcome addition to their plates and make a few pennies on the side from the sale of rabbit skins in spite of the threat of prosecution.

Fruit was, however, plentiful in the summer months and most Findon gardens had at least one tree or bush giving a good yield.  Young scallywags went to extreme measures to go scrumping and Tony recalled that scrumping was the order of the day. He remembered one such expedition when a large tree was targeted with the idea of gathering pears. When sharing out the booty later the lads discovered they had a very large quantity of tart, yellowish pear-shaped fruit on their hands — quinces. Their mothers came to the rescue in turning it into some fine preserve. How they came by the sugar for making jam is another question.

At the end of FEBRUARY 1942 many of our British bombers were heard droning overhead on a paratroop raid on Bruneval in occupied France. It was a most successful exercise between the Royal Air Force, Army and Navy and later Findon villagers heard that they had returned with prisoners and much important information.   

In 1942, incendiary bombs were a big threat.   I do not know if the following was true or not but it has been said that every Worthing inhabitant was requested to place a bucket (with not less than four gallons of water) just inside or outside their front door.   This was for use with a stirrup pump if the need should arise.    Did this wartime order apply to the villagers of Findon.... I guess it must have?

In APRIL 1942 there was much talk amongst the Canadian soldiers that they had heard that German paratroops were massing in large numbers on the coast of France.

Wind and rain battered Findon on the night of 8th APRIL 1942 and on the following morning  an enemy bomber circled menacingly overhead. There was much machine-gun fire and then all was suddenly quiet.    It later became evident that the nearby gas works in Worthing had been bombed and there was considerable damage to property, including to the nearby hospital.   My grandfather was in charge of the gas holders in a Kentish village.... it was a dangerous job during wartime as the Germans had the installations mapped for bombing.

There were two air-raid warnings on 5TH MAY 1942 and ominous gunfire.  The night resounded with loud whistling, vibrations and the crump of bombing.  Rumour was rife at the time that the Isle of Wight (visible from Cissbury Ring) had been the target.  

There were two air-raid warnings on 5TH MAY 1942 and ominous gunfire.  The night resounded with loud whistling, vibrations and the crump of bombs.  Rumour was rife that

In April 2002 I received a few wartime memories from 89 year-old G. Austin Prime now living in Findon Valley —

On the 18th JULY 1942, the Messerschmitt Me 262 made its first test flight.

On 21ST JULY 1942 a Shoreham based Walrus of 277 Squadron crashed and sank in the sea south of Findon.   It went down two miles from Worthing pier but Sergeants     Fletcher, Marsden and Weston escaped unhurt.

On 10TH AUGUST 1942 two enemy hit-and-run aircraft appeared in the sky. They were using new phosphorus bombs that could burn flesh badly.

In AUGUST 1942 the order came for all iron railings and gates to be removed for the war effort, such as those to be found at Muntham Court — which is a story of its own.

OCTOBER 1942.... everyone in Findon was dreading the fourth winter of the war.   The past two had been formidable.   Now there was the additional distress of having shortage of fuel and for the children an infinitesimal allowance of sweets because of rationing.

On 20TH NOVEMBER 1942 there were aircraft continuously passing over Findon at height.   Mostly large two-engined bombers.   There was also another aircraft of unknown specification..... this towed a trailing white billowing target .... it was assumed for our fighters to practise shooting at (if they didn't get enough practise shooting the Germans down!).   

It was said on 4th DECEMBER 1942 that the sandbag fortifications blocking most of the pavement at the junction of Montague Street with Montague Place in nearby Worthing, had begun to decay and had been removed.   This had also happened elsewhere in the town.   It appeared that the fear of an invasion of Worthing by the Germans was over.

On the night of 11TH DECEMBER 1942 at 4 a.m. a mine (or maybe a bomb) was heard to explode at about 4 a.m. on nearby Worthing beach during a gale.  The war year 1942 came to an end.

Thank goodness the Channel Tunnel had not been built, for sure we would have been overrun.

On the 18th DECEMBER 1942, at 4.30 p.m. there was a violent explosion heard to come from due south of Findon.....in nearby Worthing.   It was our own military destroying a German mine found floating in the sea near the pier.

A COUPLE OF GOOD WARTIME TALES from Peter Trounce...."One of my memories of wartime (living in Chiswick) was a real peasoup fog and a bus was trying to get back to its garage and had stopped in the middle of an intersection and couldn't see where the other side was. The conductor gave me his torch and I walked it across the street shining it at the driver, and they went on their way.

I was living in a hostel and one of the folk there was totally blind.    In a pea-soup fog, he walked me down the street at normal pace, because as he explained to me, he could literally hear the echoes of the trees and curbs.  Peter".

Continue if you would like to read about the Preparing for D-Day in Findon

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — was launched by Valerie Martin in January 1999 and will grow to be a historical record of life in Findon, West Sussex, U.K.