Part 5: The Lancing Squad – Precision on the Front Line

Special Acknowledgement: Once again we are greatly indebted to John Maple for his kindness in sharing these rare images from his family archive. Without his generosity and his keen eye for detail, this vital chapter of the Lancing Carriage Works story might have remained hidden. Thank you, John.

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The Lancing Belle: The Industrial Arterial

While Frank Lucas was ferrying workers across the canal at Portslade, a much larger transport operation was moving the masses. The Lancing Belle was the dedicated workmen's train that ran specifically to serve the Carriage Works.

• The Route: It collected staff from Brighton, Hove, and Portslade, steaming along the coast to the dedicated 'halt' at the Lancing workshops.
• The Purpose: At its peak, it carried hundreds of skilled labourers, including many of the 105,000 women who had joined the railway effort by 1943.
• The Defence: Because this train carried the lifeblood of the works, the entire route had to be heavily defended by the Bofors gun positions.

Did you ever ride the 'Belle'? Many of our readers might remember the sights and sounds of the workmen’s train. If you have memories of the journey or stories of the 'Gassies' who made the trip, please share them in the comments!

The Locomotive: LB&SCR A1/A1X "Terrier" Class

The "Lancing Belle" name is often associated with the Stroudley A1 Class tank engines. These were 0-6-0T locomotives designed by William Stroudley, famous for their high acceleration and "barking" exhaust. At Lancing, specific Terriers were used as shunters to move heavy carriage bodies.

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Part 5: The Lancing Squad – Precision on the Front Line

The "Watch on the Cliffs" was kept by the men who built the Southern Railway.

As the war reached its height in 1941, the Lancing Carriage Works became a fortress. Among the workmen who traded their tools for Bofors guns was Frederick James Maple, a Driller from the Frame Shop. These photographs capture the "Lancing Squad" of the 18th Sussex (Home Guard) Battalion—men who spent their days in the machine shops and their nights on the heights of Ovingdean Gap.

Photo 1: The Lancing Squad. Fred Maple stands on the far left of the back row (marked with the yellow arrow).

Photo 2: The 'Watch on the Cliffs.' Looking through the sea fret toward Roedean School. Notice the Loader high on the platform ready to feed the four-shell clips.

John Maple clarifies: "While the Lancing crew trained at Ovingdean, their primary mission was the four-corner defence of the Works. There were four Bofors guns in total—two on the ground and two on towers."

Photo 3: Engineering on the Front Line. 'Layers' in their seats, controlling elevation and traverse with the same steady hands used back at the 'Sheds.'

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A Lancing Gunner’s Glossary

• The Bofors 40mm: The "Ferrari" of AA guns; could fire 120 explosive shells a minute.
• The Layer: Seated gunners controlling elevation and traverse via hand-wheels.
• The Loader: Stood on the platform physically dropping 4-shell clips into the breech.
• Stiffkey Sight: The circular metal "spiderweb" used to "lead" a target.

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The Layout of the "Steel Ring"

Location in Works	Likely Armament	Protecting...
Power House Roof	Lewis Guns / Bren	The factory's "Heart" (Power).
North Sidings	Bofors 40mm	The Railway approach from Worthing.
South Gate/Frame Shop	Light AA	The main workforce entrance.
The Traverser	Bofors 40mm	The long corridor between the Sheds.

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How Factory Noise Helped the Gunners

Inside the perimeter, theRelentless industrial roar provided "Acoustic Camouflage." The pounding of heavy drop-hammers in Fred Maple’s Frame Shop created a wall of white noise that could momentarily mask the "thump-thump-thump" of a Bofors from a German pilot.

The "Hand-Signal" Discipline: Because it was impossible to hear orders, the crews used arm signals like railway signalmen:

• Arms extended: "Traverse"
• One arm raised: "Increase Elevation"
• Slash across throat: "Cease Fire"

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Community Mystery: Who was C. Smith?

Reader Graham Hill has a saw vice stamped with the name C. Smith, who worked with his grandfather, Len "Toby" Cloke. Smith was likely a Body Maker or Carpenter who shared Firewatch shifts. Was your relative a Charles, Cyril, or Clifford Smith? We’d love to reunite this tool with his family!

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Series Links: Lancing Village Memories

Part 1: The Guardians of the Works: Firemen & Veterans

Part 1b: Images from the Philip Fry Collection

Part 2: The Silent Partners: Women & Youth (1941–1945)

Part 2b: The Secret of the "Hush, Hush" shop

Part 3: Mr Warr and the Lancing Railway Fire Brigade

Part 4: The Bofors Crew: From Shop Floor to Front Line

Part 4b: The Shingle Skeletons - A Prequel to the Front Line

Part 5: The Lancing Squad – Precision on the Front Line (You are Here)

Part 6: Bomb Alley - The day the FW-190s came to Lancing

Part 7: The Invisible Colony

Part 8: The Final Reveal – The Skeletons in the Garden

Part 9: From the 'Running Man' to the 'Rocket Dance'

Part 10: The Pegasus Bridge Hero: Denis Edwards

Part 4: The Lancing Bofors Crew: From the Shop Floor to the Front Line

Special Acknowledgement: We are greatly indebted to John Maple for his kindness in sharing these rare images from his family archive. Without his generosity and his keen eye for detail, this vital chapter of the Lancing Carriage Works story might have remained hidden. Thank you, John.

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The Lancing Bofors Crew: From the Shop Floor to the Front Line

A Special Gallery featuring the newly discovered John Maple Collection.

We often think of the Home Guard as 'Dad’s Army,' but these scans of the Lancing Carriage Works crew tell a different story. Here, we see the men of the 'Sheds' operating a Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun with the precision of the master craftsmen they were. From 'Dixy' Dean on the ammunition feed to the squad assembled outside the workshop doors, these images capture the moment Lancing's industrial heart became a fortress.

Photo 1: The Lancing Squad (IMG_4097)
The full strength of the Lancing Carriage Works Bofors Crew, 18th Sussex Home Guard. Note the 'SX' designation on the battle dress shoulders, marking them as Sussex defenders.

Photo 2: Preparing for Action (IMG_4094)
A view of the Bofors 40mm gun being prepared. The man seated on the left is the 'Layer' (responsible for elevation and traverse). Behind them are the sawtooth-roofed 'Sheds.'

Photo 3: The Loaders (IMG_4095)
Precision under pressure. Here we see 'Dixy' Dean and his colleague manually feeding four-round clips into the auto-loader. A trained crew could fire 120 rounds per minute.

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Technical Profile: The Bofors 40mm L/60 Anti-Aircraft Gun

The "Lancing Shield"

Feature	Specification
Origin	Designed by Bofors (Sweden); British-built versions used at Lancing.
Role	Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) defense against low-flying Luftwaffe raiders.
Ammunition	2lb (0.9kg) High-Explosive (HE) shells.
Rate of Fire	120 rounds per minute (approx. 2 rounds per second).
Effective Range	Up to 1,500 yards (vertical) and 3,000 yards (horizontal).
Crew Requirement	Typically 4–6 men (Loader, Layer, Trainer, and Spotters).

The transition from craftsman to gunner had to be seamless. In the event of a 'Red' warning, these men had exactly three minutes to move from their benches to the gun platform. The 'SX' on their shoulders wasn't just a badge; it was a promise that the Works would defend itself.

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Historian’s Note: The Bofors was famously "loud and violent." For the men of the Carriage Works, who were used to riveting hammers, the roar of the Bofors would have been a natural—if deafening—extension of their lives.

"To the people of Lancing, it was known as the 'Pom-Pom.' It was a heavy, rhythmic thumping that you felt in your chest more than you heard in your ears."

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The Lancing Carriage Works: The Wartime A to Z

A — Airframe Components (The Horsa Glider)

Lancing was a vital "Satellite" factory. The craftsmen here used their expertise in timber carriage-building to produce massive wooden sub-assemblies.

• The Floor Sections: Lancing specialised in reinforced wooden floors for Jeeps and Anti-Tank guns.
• The Tail Units: Produced as separate components, finished in Lancing before final assembly.

B — Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Guns

Lancing was the primary hospital for these guns. Work involved stripping the Hydraulic Recoil system and calibrating the Auto-Loader.

D — Doping (The "Pear Drop" Shop)

Shop 4 was a sensory assault. Linen fabric was stretched over frames and "Doped" with lacquer. The smell was notoriously sweet (like pear drops) and highly flammable.

P — Pontoons (The Bailey Bridge)

The works produced hundreds of Bailey Bridge Pontoons—watertight wooden "boxes" designed to support the weight of a Churchill tank crossing a river.

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The Master List: Production Summary

Project	Material	Skill-Set Required	Final Destination
Horsa Glider	Spruce & Plywood	Precision Joinery & Doping	D-Day Air Assaults
Bofors Gun	Steel & Hydraulics	Heavy Fitting & Calibration	Anti-Aircraft Defence
Bailey Bridge	Timber & Steel	Waterproofing & Carpentry	River crossings in Europe

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Coming Soon: The Watch on the Cliffs

In our next chapter, follow the crew to the heights of Ovingdean. Newly discovered photos show the men manning positions on the cliffs overlooking the English Channel.

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Series Links: Lancing Village Memories

• Part 1: The Guardians of the Works
• Part 1b: The Philip Fry Collection
• Part 2: The Silent Partners
• Part 2b: The Secret of the "Hush Hush" Shop
• Part 3: Mr Warr & the Fire Brigade
• Part 4: The Bofors Crew (You are here)
• Part 4b: The Shingle Skeletons
• Part 5: The Lancing Squad – Precision on the Front Line
• Part 6.The day the FW-190s Came to Lancing
• Part 7. The Invisible Colony
• Part 8 : The Final Reveal – The Skeletons in the Garden
• Part 9: From the 'Running Man' to the 'Rocket Dance'
• Part 10: Denis Edwards

A compilation of Lancing Village memories

 

Lancing Memories: The "Lost" Tapes & Stories Rediscovered

Compilation 1

The Village Ecosystem

• Focus: How Lancing functioned after the war—the market gardens, the railway works, and the "Ducks" on the beach.

Compilation 2

Life Through George Forrest’s Eyes

• Focus: A personal, biographical look at village life, featuring George’s "quite a lot to say" on everything from smoking to school days.

Compilation 3

Gossip, Mischief, and Hidden Scars

• Focus: The legendary local characters like "Lord Lancing," the "autopilot" coal horses, and the touching hidden histories of our teachers.
  

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• George Forrest: Our "leading man" for this series. Whether he was jumping over gates onto giant snakes or experimenting with "gutter tobacco," George’s memories are the heartbeat of these new recordings.
• Sid Lisher & His Horses: The ultimate Lancing "autopilot." Sid could catch a nap on his coal cart while his horses perfectly navigated the Sompting Road, even knowing exactly where to turn into the stables.
• The Mysterious "Lord Lancing": A man who brought a touch of the West End to West Sussex. Dressed in a boater hat and striped blazer, he was a village fixture that everyone remembered.
• The Teachers (Miss Humphrey & Miss Lappham): Behind the strict classrooms of North Lancing and Irene Avenue were deeply human stories—from secret crayon drawings of rabbits to the quiet, lifelong shadows of the Great War.

It has been a bit of a labour of love lately at the Lancing Memories project. After discovering that 55 of our precious audio and blog files were accidentally "Restricted," I’ve spent the last few hours unlocking the vault. Every single file is now set to "Anyone with the link," making our village history more accessible than ever.

But I didn't want to just reopen the doors; I wanted to bring the stories to life in a new way.

A New Way to Experience Our Past

Using the latest technology, I’ve created a series of "Community Deep Dives." These aren't just readings—they are vibrant, roundtable discussions that piece together memories from across our entire collection.

What you’ll hear in this new collection:

• The Schoolyard & The Classroom: Tales of the strict (but deeply human) teachers at North Lancing and Irene Avenue, from the much-feared Mr Russell to the rabbit-drawing Miss Humphrey.

• Wartime Lancing: The "mushrooms of dust" from the 1941 air raids, the "Ducks" (DUKWs) on the beach, and the secret signals of the Home Guard.

• The Characters of the Village: Meet the legendary George Forrest—a man who always had "quite a lot to say"—and the "autopilot" coal horses of S. Lisher that knew the route better than the driver.

• Mischief & Mayhem: From the "Great Tobacco Experiment" (which ended in a lot of coughing!) to the boys dodging chores to watch the steam trains at the footbridge.

Why It Matters

These memories capture the transition of Lancing from rural farmland to the bustling community we know today. It’s a nostalgic look at the Luxor Cinema, the Railway Works, and the local shops that defined our lives.

Whether you remember the smell of the coal carts or you're a new neighbour curious about our "Centre," these stories are for you.

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"Did you know Sid Lisher’s horses could navigate the Sompting Road while the driver was fast asleep? You can still see the 'dip' in the curb today where they turned for home. Listen to the latest 'Deep Dive' to hear George Forrest tell the full story!"

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A Final Note on the Lancing Memories Project

This collection represents more than just a series of recordings; it is a digital preservation of the "chaotic humanity" that defined our village from the 1930s through the 1960s. By bringing these 53 sources together, we have uncovered a unique "social ecosystem" where every memory—from the market gardens to the railway works—is interconnected.

Through these "Deep Dives," we have rediscovered:

• The Resilience of a Generation: How the quiet shadows of the Great War shaped our teachers, and how the village mobilised everything from saucepans to pennies to support the effort in the second.

• The Spirit of Childhood: The freedom of the chalk pits and the Widewater, balanced against the strict discipline of the classroom.

• The Local Legends: The "autopilot" coal horses of Sompting Road, the eccentric "Lord Lancing," and the endless mischief of George Forrest and his friends.

While the landscape of Lancing has evolved from rural farmland to the bustling centre we know today, the spirit of the people remains captured here. We hope these conversations offer you a nostalgic window into a bygone era and remind us all that the most valuable history is often found in the smallest, "meaty" details of our neighbours' lives.

Thank you for listening and keeping these memories alive.

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Troubleshooting Tip: If you are listening on a mobile phone and the audio doesn't play immediately, try opening the link in Google Chrome. If it still feels 'restricted,' simply long-press the link and select 'Open in New Tab' to join the conversation!

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Help us preserve the past If you enjoyed listening to these vibrant personal memoirs, please leave a star rating below. Your feedback helps us understand which historical anecdotes from the 1930s to the 1960s resonate most with the village today. It is a simple, quiet way to honour the legacy of contributors like George Forrest and others who shared their stories to keep the spirit of Lancing alive.

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The "Identify a Detail" Invitation: "If you recognised a specific face in a story or remember a shop name we might have missed, please leave a comment. Your 'meaty' details help us keep the Centre of these memories accurate for the next generation."

The "Family Connection" Prompt: "Was your father or grandfather one of the Railway Works or Market Garden workers? A simple 'My Dad worked there' is a wonderful way to honour their legacy."

The "George Forrest" Tribute: "George had 'quite a lot to say' to keep our history alive; we’d love to hear your own small 'cheeky' memory of Lancing life too."

32a Alan Marshall replies to David Nicholls

 

Alan Marshall said...

Hello from Lancing to Alan Marshall in Tasmania. Thank you for sharing these wonderful memories. I have formatted your text with subheadings and corrected some punctuation to make it easier to read.

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School Days

David, thanks for all those wonderful memories you have brought back to me. I am somewhat younger than yourself (I was born in 1941), but I do remember the old schoolroom, and Mrs Thomas used to teach there. The name Miss Allman, I think she became Mrs Horne. At that age, I had no idea of people getting married and changing their name!

Michael Ayling was in my class at school. I attended there from about 1946 to 1952. The "new" dining room and kitchen were built at the top northern side of the playground, close to the bicycle shed. I will always remember the horrible smell of grease and food waste oozing out of the waste pipe from the kitchen, and that horrible minced meat, hard potatoes, and spinach! It was an awful taste for a 7 or 8-year-old.

Wartime Memories

The Morrison Shelter we had (in Grafton Gardens) was built underneath Mum and Dad's bed. We were taken there to sleep for the night whenever the air-raid sirens sounded. Several went off at the same time, giving a discordant, painful wail, all beating against each other and setting the tensions. We as kids did not know the significance of the tension, but on looking back, our parents had a hard time of it, didn't they?
I was born in a little wooden shack up the top end of Upper Boundstone Lane, just below the fence of the cemetery. A bungalow is built there now, in the corner where there's a bend in the road.
Back to the war years, and I was only almost 4 when it ended, but my main memory is of very quiet nights, very dark because of no street lamps. If any vehicle drove past in the night, it was always very slowly. And if a bomber flew over, it was spine-chilling and would keep me awake! Apparently, the Heinkels were twin-engined and not well synchronised. Even now, the sound of a piston-engined aircraft in the night brings back all those memories.

The Marshall Nursery

My Dad and his Dad (Percy Marshall) and Denis, his brother, had the nursery where Boundstone School is now. Boundstone Lane then really was a "lane"—a rough road with lots of puddles to splash in (and frozen over in the winter of 1947). The structure of that road, when upgraded, would have been very strong. Lots of flint, old bricks, etc., went in as foundations, and the top tarmac was compacted with a steamroller. I watched all that work with great interest.

Playing in Lancing

The Brooks, at the western end of Tower Road, was a favourite playground for us, where we would catch minnows, sticklebacks, and tadpoles. When the bridge over the railway at Western Road was being built, I watched them putting in the piles with a huge, noisy vertical ram. They raised the ram up to the top of the crane's jib, then let it fall at great speed onto the piling, which was gradually driven down into the subsoil.
Well, there are so many little things that come back once I get started. I hope these few lines do the same for others who read this.

Greetings from Down Under.

55. Mary Lethby neè Gascoyne remembers her days in Lancing

Mary Lethby nee Gascoyne

Hear the story

Early School Days at South Lancing

I was born in Lancing and attended South Lancing Junior School, where the Headmistress was Miss Cates. I didn't dislike school, but the only thing that bothered me was my eyesight. My desk was always in the front and then I couldn't always see the small writing on the blackboard.

Wartime Memories and Family Fundraising

I do remember some very cold winters with the school milk popping out of the bottles, so that we tried to thaw them out on the school hot pipes. In that freezing weather, we all wore homemade clothes, which luckily our mother could always manage. She was very good at knitting and sewing, so that in 1944 my sisters: Averill, Frieda and Veronica Gascoyne, our cousin Peter Voice and his friend Derek Denyer went out to sell tea cosies, bed socks, kettle holders and anything Mother had made to raise the princely sum of £21 for the Red Cross. Anything over went to the hospital. A newspaper cutting of 1944 has a photograph of the six children and reports that they sold dolls, toys, iron-holders, flannels, lucky dips, brooches, powder-puffs, shoe-polishers, bath salts and other articles in their third sale. The unsold toys were sent to the Hospital, and they received a letter of thanks from Sister Foster of Ward 1. Peter and the Gascoynes have an aunt, uncle and two cousins who interned in China.

Post-War Entertainment and Secondary School

After the war, my sisters and I would go to the Regal Cinema along Penhill Road for Saturday matinee. Then I went to Irene School, which was nice and near home.

Early Working Life - The Wool Shop

After leaving school, I worked in a lovely wool shop in Chapel Road, Worthing, called Evelyn's. At this time, in the '50s, there were another three wool shops in the town.

Railway Works and Cycling Culture

On my way home each day to Lancing Station, I would call in to buy my Dad the Evening Argus. No way could he leave his bike to shop when the Railway Works emptied. There were hundreds of bikes along North Road. You wouldn't dare cross the road.

Singer Sewing Machine Company

Then I worked for Singer Sewing m/c Co. in Worthing, and again there were three other m/c shops. Now there is only one left. How times have changed.

Marriage at St Paulinus

By the '60s, I was married to Derek in the Cokeham R.C. Church of St Paulinus, with Father Quinlan officiating. Even this church is now gone.

Working for Walter Bros

For a short time, I worked for Walter Bros, who were a well-known Worthing family, who had been trading for over 100 years. All the family were most friendly and approachable, not stuck up at all. Mr Leslie Walter was a well-known councillor and alderman, and when I asked him if he would have liked to have been mayor, he laughed his head off - "not likely", he said.

Mary Lou Fabric Centre

As time went by, they sold the business and my husband and I purchased the lease to the Lancing branch, calling it 'Mary Lou Fabric Centre'. I spent nearly 30 happy years there and never forgot a customer's advice: "always smile".

Musical Evenings with Dr King

My mother and father lived in Lancing, so it was very convenient to meet up when Dr King had his symphony concerts with a small group of passionate musicians. It was a perfect musical evening and we all loved it.

North Road Neighbours and Local Shops

Next door to us in North Road was a Co-op shoe shop, soon taken over by Mr and Mrs Lyons. We all got on famously, dressing up for the late-night shopping. In those days, Lancing had three shoe shops.

There was Mrs Mitchell, a florist, on the next block who had been in business when I was a child. Mrs Mitchel always remembered your name.

Also, we had a fruit and veg shop owned by Mr Boulter, who became so busy he opened three shops, and always called out at the end of the day, with his bargain prices.

Commuting and Friendships

I used to travel on the train home with one of the girls who worked at Woolworths. What a shame when that closed. I still see Olive in Worthing occasionally and recall when we walked home to Worthing in the snow when the trains had failed.

Reflections on Lancing

Lancing has treated me very well, and I consider myself so very lucky to have been born and bred here.

51. Mike Reynolds sends this great memory of happy times

51. Mike Reynolds

A Glimpse into a Lancing Childhood

In these times of coronavirus lockdowns, I found myself with time to browse the internet and found your website. I thought I would send you some of my memories of a Lancing childhood


My name is Michael (Mike) Reynolds, and I was born in Lancing in June 1937. My parents, Eric and Dorothy Reynolds,(I think a year or so before I was born), bought a new bungalow at 14 The Drive, South Lancing, and it was here that I lived with my family for the whole of my childhood. The family consisted of Mum and Dad, my Dad’s father, Frank Reynolds (Pop), and my brother Geoff, four years older than me.

The Family Business and Wartime Lancing

Before the war, Dad and Pop had set up in business with a bicycle shop in South Street (number 111 I think),- W.F. and E.F.Reynolds- but when WWII started, Dad was called up into the RAF, and my earliest memories of the shop have Pop in the workshop at the back mending the punctures, and Mum running the shop at the front. The other shops I can recall nearby were the World Stores, a grocery where the front of the counter was lined with glass-topped biscuit boxes, Surfleets Chemist on the corner of Penhill Road, Colbourns Haberdashers, Potter Bailies Grocers, Isteads Hardware shop, and on the other side of South Street was the Co-op, where the money was sent on overhead wires from the counter to the cashier.

School Days and Steam Trains

I walked each day to South Lancing Primary School, just over the Southern Railway line. I suppose I would have started there in 1943, but I can’t remember the names of my teachers. I remember that afternoon school finished at about the same time that the “Steyning Flier”, one of the last steam trains to run through Lancing, would come puffing through. We boys would run quickly up and onto the footbridge over the railway line and wait for the Flier to pass underneath, shrouding us in a cloud of smoke and steam – we also tried to spit down the funnel!

Playtime and Wartime Memories

As others of your correspondents have told, the war years made the beach a no-go zone, but with very little traffic on the roads, The Drive and Chester Avenue were our playgrounds. The horse-drawn cart of Mr Souter, the milkman, Lisher’s coal cart, or the rag and bone man’s cart were about all the traffic there was!


I don’t have any clear memories of the air raid on April 25, 1941, in which two houses in The Drive were bombed, but the bombed sites became makeshift (and not very safe) playgrounds.

Exploring Beyond Childhood

When I got a bit older, I had my own bicycle, and I was able to range further. First, the Cubs, and then the 1st South Lancing Troop of the Boy Scouts kept me out of (most) mischief, and at age 11 in 1948, I started at Worthing High School for Boys in Broadwater.


If any of the above jogs other memories, I can be contacted by email at reymor@bigpond.com

43. Jo Christmas, born during air raid at Saxon Villas

Jo Christmas

Jo writes about the Canadian troops preparing for D-Day

Hear Jo's story

Birth During Wartime

I was just going through our file of important documents and found my birth certificate. It gives the address where I was born as 1 Saxon Villas, Lancing, on 10th February 1943. I have been on Google Maps, and that address isn't listed any more, so I presume it no longer exists.

Obviously, I have no personal memory of the time in Lancing as just before I was born, an attachment of Canadian troops moved into the area and, in fact, took over the house where my mother was staying. All the surrounding area was evacuated, I gather, as the whole area around that part of Lancing was full of army lorries and vehicles, loaded with ammunition, etc., as they were preparing for a possible invasion by the enemy.

As I was due at any time, they allowed my mother to occupy the upstairs bedroom whilst the troops took over the rest of the house. In the meantime, the local midwife was detached to try and find someone or someplace to take her in as the army wanted me rehoused as soon as possible. The young Canadian soldiers took turns to sit with my mother (she was confined to bed at this time with a severe case of toxaemia) and would talk to her about many things, including their families back home.

A Narrow Escape

One morning, one of the soldiers told my mother that all the lorries outside were loaded with munitions, and it only needed one bomb to land in the vicinity and the whole area would blow up. A short time later, the air raid sirens started, and aircraft began flying overhead. At the time, my mother was lying in bed on her own and only managed to clamber out and crawl under the bed whilst she could hear the bombs dropping not far away. Apparently, all the troops had fled into the air raid shelter somewhere close by and in the rush, no one thought of my mother upstairs. Mother was not even physically able to get downstairs, and shortly after the bombs started, she went into labour.

The midwife, in the meantime, was scouring the town for someone or someplace to take Mum in, but had to duck into the nearest air raid shelter to take cover as soon as the air raid siren started. However, she realised that this air raid would undoubtedly bring on mother's labour, and it wasn't until the all clear was sounded much later that she was able to continue her bike ride to mother's house.

As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she told Mother she could hear me wailing upstairs, and on arriving at the bedroom, she found me bawling my eyes out under the bed, blue with the cold, and Mother passed out! She was so upset that Mother had been all alone and had me under the bed with no one around to help her, but at least I was alive and kicking (or wailing!)

An Evacuee's Story

As the midwife had been unable to find anyone to take Mother in, she was told by the army that she had to leave the house as they could no longer be responsible for her. With nowhere to go, she was preparing to put me into an orphanage when an old neighbour was in touch and arranged for me to be cared for as an evacuee by a friend of hers in Seaford, and mother then found a place to stay in a nurses' hostel in London. I remained in Seaford for the duration of the war.

The funny thing about that was that at the time, many children were being evacuated out of Seaford because of the many bombings by the V1s flying directly over the Sussex Downs and often unloading their bombs on the area. As our house was directly at the foot of Beachy Head, many bombs dropped nearby, and I gather I spent a great deal of time sheltering with them in the cupboard under the stairs!

A Search for the Past

Obviously, all this was told to me second-hand by my mother as I was too young to remember any of it. Having just found the Lancing address where I was born on my birth certificate, I have been trying to find it on Google Maps, but there is no mention of 1 Saxon Villas Close in Lancing, so I presume it no longer exists. Would really love to know if anyone in Lancing remembers where Saxon Villas used to be, as I would love to find out exactly where I was born.

Anyway, thought you might be interested to hear of wartime experiences in Lancing during WW11.

Regards, Josephine Christmas (nee Smith)

Editor Note: After a little bit of luck and research, we found Saxon Villas

41. The Brooks by George Forrest

GeorgeForrest

Hear George's Memories

Tower Road Memories

When the war ended, my father returned from his army service, and a short while later, we moved back into Tower Road, a bit further up the road this time. This changed my area of play, new friends and neighbours, new places to explore and things to learn. 

The Brooks and Cokeham Lane

The area we knew as "The Brooks" was close at hand, a way into the countryside. The brooks started at the end of Tower Road, where Carnforth Road now begins, no more buildings, just fields. The boundary to the open fields was Cokeham Lane, and this had a long line of large elm trees, sadly now gone. Cokeham Lane at the bottom end was no more than a track which ended with a solid white gate at the railway line.

 

On the south side of the railway line on what has become a much larger industrial estate were a couple of businesses, I can recall Solarbo, Lancing Packers and I believe Manhattan kitchens, I believe the correct name was Robinsons, A number of people from Tower Road worked there and rather than take the long way round, illegally crossed the line by climbing over the gate. I know a number of people with a criminal record, having been caught trespassing by the British Transport Police, were taken to court.

Fields and Streams

The Brooks consisted mainly of fields, some of which were planted, but mostly because of the streams crossing them, not suitable for crops. I believe there were two streams, one I know would have been the Teville Stream, not sure about the other. It was a new world to me, and I spent a lot of time there just meandering, catching sticklebacks and frogs in the streams, and watching nature. Many happy days and memories.

The Snake Encounter

One such memory I recall was on a bright, warm summer's day, three or four of us were just wandering, doing nothing in particular, walking down beside a hedge and came to a gate, originally a five-barred gate, a little dilapidated, but still substantial enough. Anyway, me being me, showing off decided that I would try to vault the gate. I was fitter then and managed it.

Over the gate and in mid-air, I looked down at my landing spot, the grass flattened by other people using the gate had become the ideal spot for a huge snake to do a bit of sunbathing... It was the largest snake I had ever seen outside of a zoo. 

A while ago, a newspaper cartoonist named Styx drew characters running in midair. That was me. 

Gravity being what it is, though, I managed to land astride the snake and was immediately making haste to get away. The poor snake was probably just as startled. I ran. The other lads caught me up but were still laughing. I was told later that it was undoubtedly a female grass snake and probably pregnant. I was not waiting to find out; it was a big snake that was enough.

Most definitely a case of look before you leap. It didn't deter me from going down to the brooks, and I spent many more happy days there. Hope you can laugh at this as I now can.

37. George Forrest continues...danger of living under a thatched roof

Hear George's story All of George's messages in one 

37._George Forrest

Early Family Life

Shortly after I was born, our little family moved to Lancing, into a house in Myrtle Crescent, I am sure it was next to the Prior family, and Roy, who you have interviewed, was one of them. My sister was born at this address in 1938. I can't give you dates, but shortly after we moved to an address at the station end of Tower Road.

War Efforts and Relocation

When war broke out, my father was not enlisted into the army; he was a bricklayer and was wanted in the Midlands and North Midlands to do bomb repair work in places like Coventry, Nuneaton, Warrington and others.

 My mother, who was concerned about being on her own with two small children, decided to move in with her parents in one of the two semi-detached thatched cottages opposite "The Farmers", roughly where "The Pantry" is now.  

Fire Risks and Precautions 

Being thatched, the roof was highly combustible; just the thought of an incendiary bomb was worrying.

 During the early part of the war, when the German bombing was at its height, my grandfather would do his fire picket job, i.e. standing at the door, just watching...   I can recall him standing just outside with a lighted pipe turned upside down in case the German pilots should see the glow. We had a large blanket draped over the inside of the door, 1) to stop any light escaping when Grandad popped in to get warm, and 2) to stop any draughts.

Mother's Concerns and Moonlit Nights

My mother's main concern was on moonlit nights, the light would be reflected off the very shiny glazed roof tiles of "The Farmers"  hotel. They were much shinier then, and let the enemy pilots know where we were.

Anti-Aircraft Defences and Air Raids

During that time, there was an anti-aircraft gun on the south side of what would become the road bridge at the bottom end of Grinstead Lane. When there was a raid on it could get quite noisy. 

Memories of German Doodlebugs

Another thing I remember at this time was the German doodlebugs. They made a very distinctive sound. We didn't get too many this way, although I think one did drop on the farm just north of  Lancing College. Whilst in school, if one was heard, the whole class, the teacher included, would be silent except for little soft whispers of "Keep going, Keep going, Keep going".

32, David Nicholls ~ wartime Lancing

David Nicholls

Summary

This text is an excerpt from a personal website, written by David Nicholls. He describes his childhood growing up in Lancing, England, during World War II, recounting memories of school life, air raids, and the presence of military personnel in his town. He also remembers daily life and common places in the area, including the 

local cinema, his paper route, and a nearby manor house. The excerpt reveals the impact of the war on his everyday experiences as a young boy.

Hear David's  story 

AI-Generated Overview Podcast

I found this website by chance, and it certainly triggered off some
Memories of Lancing for me.

Memories of Lancing.

Early Days in North Lancing

I grew up in North Lancing.  In 1939, my Dad bought a small bungalow at
Lewes Road off Fircroft Avenue. I remember the cost of our home (just
five hundred pounds). Then, Fircroft Avenue was an unmade road lined
with almond trees which shed their blossoms like confetti. The Downs
up to Lancing Clump were a playground to us, kids. (It was always
called Lancing Clump locally, although the proper name was Lancing
Ring).
As the war progressed, the fields above North Lancing became an Army
battle school. Trenches were dug around the Clump, and defensive
positions were manned by the soldiers during the time of an invasion was
expected.  Bren gun carriers towing field guns were everywhere, and
soldiers camped in the fields above Derek Road.  Fascinating for small
boys!  Though forbidden by our parents, we boys scoured the fields for
any bit of military hardware left behind.

Military Presence in Lancing

Many of the houses on Ring Road were occupied by the military.
Canadian soldiers who used to march down Mill Road in their Scottish
Canadian kilts led by a bagpiper.  The chalk pit at the top of Mill
Road was used as a gunnery range.  The crackle of small arms fire
alerted us boys, and although we couldn’t go there while the troops
were firing, we would scrabble in the chalk for spent bullets and brass
cartridge cases at the end of the day.

School Memories

I went to school at the local primary school.  It was in an old
Victorian building at the bottom of Mill Road, opposite the Corner
House as the pub was named then.  Classes were held in one big room
divided up by screens.  Not the best learning environment, as the noise
of the other classes made it difficult to hear what the teacher was
saying.

Then one day, all pupils were assembled in the playground and marched
up to the newly completed School.  I think the year was 1940. What a
palace. Big classrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, wide corridors
and a big hall for assembly and PT.  We had only been in our new
school for a few days when a gang of workmen arrived and sprayed the
windows with a plastic stuff that smelled like pear drops. This was to
prevent the glass from shattering and flying in all directions if a bomb
landed nearby.  Other windows were plastered with crisscross sticky
tape for the same reason.  We soon settled down in our new school.
Miss Humphreys was Headmistress,  Miss Tait was second in command, and
I remember my class teachers were Miss Dawson and Miss Allman.  (I
don’t know if I have spelt the names correctly - but it is a long
time ago).

Air Raid Experiences

It was the time of the air raids.  When the siren sounded, we all left
our classes and were led to the brick-built air raid shelters on the
south side of the school grounds.  As we trooped down to the shelters,
we sometimes heard the far-off rattle of machine gun fire and saw the
condensation trails made by the aircraft high in the sky.  We didn’t
know it then, but history was being made above us as young men fought
in their Spitfires to defend our country. In the semi-darkness of the
shelters teacher would attempt to carry on the interrupted lesson.  I
remember that Horlicks tablets were handed out too, and some teachers
would try and get a sing-along going.  When the single note of the All
Clear sounded, we returned to our classrooms to resume lessons.

Over half a century later, I visited my old school in my work as a
Press Photographer to photograph a child who has won an award. I
mentioned to the head teacher that I had been one of the first pupils
in the school. I was then invited to have a tour.  I saw again my old
classroom, but how small it all seemed after all the years.  Gone were
the serried rows of little desks, and in their place were individual
tables scattered about the classroom.  The air raid shelters were long
since demolished, and no one remembered them

.

Discipline and Memories

I had a coffee in the staff room, which in my day was Miss Humphrey’s
study. More memories.  In this room, I was caned for misbehaviour by
Miss Humphreys using a long whippy cane on the palms of my hands.
There were three china ducks on the opposite wall, and I kept my eyes
on these to try and not to cry at the pain of that punishment. My crime
was to be seen running irreverently across the churchyard, jumping
over the graves during some juvenile game.

Friends and Local Families

A few names from my school days.  There was a family of Ripleys and
Johnstons in Fircroft Avenue. My own best friend, Kenny Baker, lived on
the corner of Lewis Road and Fircroft.  Further up Lewes Road lived
the Ayling family, and opposite us was the Wellbeloved family.  I
wonder where they are now?

At the bottom of Lynchmere Road was the Post Office run by Mr Martin, 
and next door was the Fircroft News Agency, where later I had a paper
round to earn my pocket money. My round took in Firle Road, Derek Road, 
as well as Rossiter, Lynchmere and Fairview.

Local Places and Activities

The main road A27 ran along past here and on past the church and the
Corner House to the junction with Boundstone Lane and onto Shoreham.
Now there is a bypass, and where the roundabout is now stood a small
general store called the Stormy Petrel. (/Anyone remember it?)

The Regal cinema in Penhill Road was my Saturday morning treat, and the
programme was all for children.  Cowboys and Indians, Cartoons and
Tarzan films were greatly enjoyed.  Later, I used to go to the Luxor
when I could afford it.

I often walked to Lancing Manor, past the manor house and up to the
lane leading to Hoe Court. Lancing College was then occupied by the
Royal Navy and called HMS King Alfred.  From here, I would continue to
the Sussex Pad and watch the Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lysanders
landing and taking off from Shoreham Airport.

The Reality of War

One night, the war became very real and serious to us.  The siren had
sounded, and there were lots of low-flying aircraft overhead. Our
family took shelter in our Morrison Shelter, a steel cage supplied to
householders and intended to protect them if the house was destroyed.
That night, the anti-aircraft guns were firing, and suddenly, there were
thunderous explosions coming nearer. Bombs were falling on Lancing, and
we were terrified as the detonations came closer.  In the morning, we
found that one bomb had hit a house on First Avenue and another had
partly destroyed a house on Grand Avenue.  The sight of these homes
with the outer walls gone and the interior exposed made me realise
that the war was deadly serious.  Another bomb had fallen on the
ground above Firle Road, making a deep crater in the chalk.

Towards the end of the war, the military presence increased.  Fairview
Road and many other side roads had tanks parked nose to tail.  Then
one day, they were all gone.  D-Day had started the long-awaited
Invasion of Europe.

Reflections

It all seems so long ago now.  Boundstone School had not been built, 
and there were acres of glasshouses growing tomatoes to the south of
the A27 road. There were more glasshouses and nurseries to the west
of North Lancing. The area of bungalows there was called locally
Mickey Mouse town to the annoyance of the residents.
There are then a few of my recollections of Lancing in the years 1939
to 1945.  I had a happy childhood, and although I no longer live in
Lancing, I have many happy childhood memories from that time. David

28. Vera Bartram recalls..

Vera Bartram

A Nostalgic Reflection

A friend lent me a copy of your Lancing Village Memories, which I found very interesting.

 

Hear Vera's story in her own words 

Early Life in Lancing

My family moved here from London in 1931 when my father opened a barber shop on Brighton Road by Chandler's Corner called "Bob's". I have lived in Lancing ever since, except for the period when I was working at Bletchley during the War.

 

School Days

 
I went first to a little private school called Viking House School run by Mrs Old in Kings Road, but when my sister started school a couple of years later, we went to South Lancing Primary, which in those days was the only primary school in Lancing. Seniors went to North Lancing in what is now the St.James the Less church hall, where the hall was divided into two classrooms by screens. I remember the school in Irene Avenue being built, and that is where I went at 11 years old. Many years later, when I had two sons, they went to the new North Lancing primary at the bottom of Mill Road, and Miss Humphrey was still headmistress and Miss Tait still there. Miss Humphrey retired while my sons were there.

 

Wartime Memories 

We lived at my father's shop until 1940 when we moved to a flat along the Widewater.
From there, we often saw dogfights during the War as German planes came across the Channel, making their way inland, and the Spitfires fought them off. I remember seeing a German have to bail out, and his parachute didn't open.

 

Lancing's Cinemas and Shops 

I also remember first a little cinema being built in Penhill Road called the Regal and later the Odeon, and also the Luxor being built. As my father displayed posters advertising the programmes, we got free tickets every week, so saw a lot of films!
There were not a lot of shops built North of the railway until after the war, and although Lancing is still officially a Village, it is much bigger now.

 

Familiar Faces and Businesses 

 
I remember so many of the businesses mentioned by your correspondents. I went to school with Vera Gardner and Kathleen Scardifield, whose parents' shop was mentioned. I also remember the Melhuish's store, and I think one of that family was in my class at school, but I can't remember the name. We, too, had Dr Alexander until he retired and then Dr Collier.

 

Connections and Friendships 

I remember Derek Gorham, who has written because at one time we lived four doors away from his parents, and I was friendly with his mother, and Derek was at school with my son Peter.

 

A Heartfelt Conclusion 

What a lot of memories this has brought back - very enjoyable reading, thank you.

From: Mrs Vera Bartram (nee Murray)

23.Ted White & South Lancing School

Ted White

Ted has kindly sent a picture of his family for an article about Penstone House and also enclosed the picture below... He writes:-

My Time at South Lancing School (1941–1947)

I went to South Lancing School next to the Main Post Office from 1941 to 1947 and I have attached a photo of the teachers who were there in about 1946/7. I think that the one with the flowers in her lapel was the headmistress, Miss Kates, and in the middle was Miss Alexander. On the right is Mrs Curd of an old Lancing family. Who were the others?

Life During Wartime

 I really enjoyed my days at the school, except of course that these were the years with frequent visits to the Air Raid Shelters. 

Classmates

Names such as Jackie Jasper, Daphne Chamberlain, Brian Vincent, Mike Smith ... were some of our classmates.

courtesy Ted White