I first discovered Findon in 1941 when my small "F" Section Royal Signals was billeted in the servants' quarters of Findon Place, then in the ownership of the Hartridge family.  We were attached to the Regimental headquarters of the 146 Field Regiment RA whose orderly room was the main south facing sitting room, with Colonel Richards established in the ballroom and his officers and staff in or about the remainder of the accommodation.

The MT park was the walled kitchen garden.

The three 25 pounder gun batteries were positioned strategically in the area, with one at Angmering.

The Colonel soon found he required the servants' quarters for other purposes, so my section was cleared out and we were acccommodated in the whole of Nepcote Lodge and its stabling and outbuildings at the top of Steep Lane.  To th east of Nepcote Lodge and reaching down to Nepcote Lane the land was vacant except for a very large indoor riding school building, which had been taken over by REME for servicing all the vehicles of the 38th Welsh Division of which the regiment was a part.

In 1941 it was considered quite a possibility that the German forces might invade Britain along the South Coast, and would use the valleys through the South Downs to proceed towards London.   This emphasised the vulnerability of the main south/north roads like the A22 (Eastbourne), A23 (Brighton) and A24 (Worthing).

In this area a huge tank trap was constructed which ran down from the top of Church Hill to about the present car park of the garden centre and along southwards a little way, then up the southern slope of Cissbury.  The trap was about 20 ft. wide with irregularly placed rows of four ft. concrete cubes.  Seen from the top of Church Hill or Cissbury Ring it was a depressing sight.  Fortunately it was never required, and was removed eventually after the war.