.....I see you already know Dennis Weston, I wonder if he remembers his mother, who was a really genuine and kind natured person, giving evidence at the Worthing Juvenile Court, on his and our behalf, when we were summoned regarding the ammunition and flares etc that we collected on the Downs during our many weekend trips.  I don't think the magistrate really took it kindly, when she told him she let Dennis dry out some thunderflashes (like large fireworks) in her oven, but I am not really certain of the result to be honest. 

As regards your description of the target system at the cricket pitch, this was correct, as I remember it well and it was designed as follows:-

I hope you can understand this plan, you were quite right about the boys riding on the target trucks, as one day David Warwick had to walk home with a sack tied round him, when he tore a large hole in the seat of his trousers, on a nail that was protruding from the floor of the truck.

We also used to visit Highden Beeches and Cobden Farm, just past the back of Muntham Court, and one Sunday afternoon, about six tanks arrived on the grass above the farm, and turned their guns towards the farm where we were passing our time, and then started firing at the buildings, I remember jumping out of the second floor windows, and we were all running away towards home as fast as we could.

Another time we used to visit the site of the flame throwers, these being diesel oil, set on fire, and fired, from the front of the tanks, at the top of Washington just above Glasely Lane, where the buildings were still there about ten years ago and I believe still exist.

This was near where the Messerschmitt BF 110 power dived into the ground, where the A24 runs now, and I have in my possession the petrol pump and dipstick from this aircraft, and after being 30 ft. in the chalk, it still smells slightly of fuel.

Another time a German plane crashed on the end of the hill, above Rogers Farm, after machine gunning the threshing set, one bullet went through the base of the traction engine chimney.

I also remember the Bren gun carriers having higher tops fitted to them, to travel in the sea, during the invasion, this being done on Nepcote Green, outside the Wattle House, where the families still lived all through the war, even though it was complete mud, as the tanks used to turn outside the house, and cut all the grass up.

Also there was a large tent camp in Cissbury Park, where the buglers used to sound reveille, every morning, and the last post every night, also the bagpipe band used to go down Steep Lane and back up through the village every day in full dress, and looked very smart.

The horse racing stables at the top of Steep Lane were used as a motor pool and also a prison (in the racehorse stalls) for those soldiers who were collected from the pubs by the MPs, usually the Red Indians versus the French Canadians who seemed to really hate one another, even to the point of disposing of any bully type sergeants or officers up on the hill when on a training scheme. I can assure you this happened several times, as an ambulance used to bring them back after they got shot, supposedly accidentally (they told us this many times as we got on well with them all, except the English, who were not so friendly towards us).

Another time, two railway carriages turned up, and were positioned in a field just past the park, all I think they were used for, was for the officers to sit and read their maps in comfort, as they had come from the royal trains and one was named Princess Margaret and the other one Princess Elizabeth, this is why I remember them so clearly.

In later years we all started work on the farms, and one day we were sitting, as usual, on a cylinder type casing, and when we scratched it, found some writing in German, so we realised it was an unexploded bomb, although there was no fin on it, as I suppose it was knocked off on impact, so we thought we would deliver it to the policeman's house, actually it fell off the tractor trailer at the Black Horse pub so we had to pick it up again (it was about 50 kilo).  When we arrived at the policeman's house, his wife was a Mrs Griffin who calmly said —

— (which I reckon was quite a shock for him) as it appears, it was still live after all, or so the disposal team said when they arrived.  I realise now, it was a bit reckless to do all these things, although at the time we didn't think about it, as Norman Long and me were always working together, and I suppose we were used to trying anything that turned up.

I can also remember a rabbit catcher named Shem Wiltshire who used to run the dances in the Village Hall, even though he only had one arm, he could still throw us out and also any Canadians who caused any trouble..... and also Mr. Langridge the harness maker who was trapped for three days before he could come home by soldiers firing mortars round him, while he was catching rabbits on the training area, (who, as there were so many, had to queue up to go down the holes), ....also a Mr. Thomas Flint the shoemaker..... Mr. Bill Wall the newsagent in the old shop in The Square.... Mr. Winton the grocer.... Mr. Skinner... and Mr. Frank Wakeham who was a big strong fellow, and used to evict the soldiers from the Gun Inn pub.

Also I think if Colonel Thynne, knew that his lovely house was demolished, and a crematorium was built in the grounds, he would turn over in his grave, as he always rode his horse, with his groom, and always spoke to everybody he met, he was a proper old gentleman, with old money, not like the new ones about at present.

His handyman was named Sid Maple and lived on the estate at North End, he also had a son, Billie, who was killed on a demolition job when working for Hall & Company as he was stone deaf, and was crushed when a wall fell on him, as he couldn't hear it coming down, which was sad really, as he had just married a Salvation Army girl, who was really good.

I see you were mentioning all the 6 ton blocks, which Hall & Company tipped in the sand pit at Washington, they also filled another old pit, under Washington roundabout on the A24 before they built the bypass, this being the other side of the road at Washington from the old lime kilns, where the sten gun ranges were above Freislands Farm. 

We were there one Sunday, and David Warwick found a phosphorous bomb, i.e. a bottle similar to a lemonade bottle, containing part water and some phosphorous which when broken caused a fire, so when he smashed it against another one, it broke and the other did not, so he picked it up, the whole one which had some liquid on it and it caught alight on his hands, so he rubbed them on his trousers and burnt them, so we rolled him on the ground, and got him out of danger, even though his hands were burnt, but it was his own fault, as old Mr. Streeter who lived in the cottages, told him what would happen.

Some time during this summer, the invasion started and I remember the gliders being towed across Findon to France and all the tanks and lorries coming off the Downs and as they came along, the tank tracks were screeching and noisy, so, when they reached Tolmare Farm dew-pond, when coming down from Muntham, they used to screw round in the pond, and although it always was full of water before this, it has never held water since, as it seems the bottom is constructed of straw or rushes and the tanks moved all this about causing it to leak forever.

After all this, the Canadians went abroad and Findon was never the same again, as there used to be a cafe along the road, opposite the old peoples' bungalows, just before the old council houses, coming up to The Oval, which was always full of troops, who would arrive in tanks and bren gun carriers and park them outside, as petrol was plentiful in the Canadian army, although rationed all over England.

After this the cafe packed up, and was pulled down, along with the old British Legion club, and the land was, at first, farmed by the Short family, and then sold for building.

After this came VE Day and a V shaped trench was dug at Chanctonbury Ring, filled with diesel oil and lit along with many others, for a beacon.  After this, VJ Day was celebrated in similar ways and so the war ended and Findon was never the same again in many ways and the silence was unbelievable, even the Sheep Fair has nearly disappeared, and was not even held last year, even though Harris' Fair has attended for about four generations and were always well thought of and made welcome, and there used to be 10,000 sheep sold there.

Well I think that is about all I can think of, so I will stop now and hope all this is of some interest to you. 

Peter V. Shayler.

P.S. I can vouch that all these events are correct.

Peter Shayler, Upper Beeding, West Sussex.

30th December 2002.

Valerie -  Shem was always known as Shem Randall, and he lived a few doors away from my Gran.

Tony.

Tony Hammond, East Preston, West Sussex.

John Linfield, Horsham, West Sussex.