SMHS: Latest News
The latest news from Sussex Miitary History Society:
SMHS Meeting - A Soldier's Story
Posted: Friday 20 January 2012
In January we were joined by Penny Kocher, daughter of John Archibald Hislop who served as an Officer in the Indian Army 1933-1947. Penny has edited her Father’s memoir and we were treated to a presentation of photos, audio clips and sketch maps detailing Hislop’s postings to the Khyber Pass, the border with Afghanistan and his time in Burma during WW2.
Penny described how she didn’t listen much to her Father when he was alive and she was younger, however by writing his memoir he has left a legacy that she has been able to research, verify and now share with military enthusiasts including ourselves.
Penny’s talk is a timely reminder of the importance of keeping records, both written and pictorial which is vital to preserve military history not just for our own enjoyment but also for generations to come.
SMHS Meeting - Rescue Work at Warningcamp Auxiliary Unit Hideout
Posted: Monday 02 January 2012
Secrets surrounding the Home Guard Aux Units continue to be revealed despite the many years since their stand down in November 1944.
Sometimes these secrets can become opportunity, as was the case when the location of the Warningcamp Patrol hideout had been discovered and permission to excavate the collapsed structure was granted by the land owner.
SMHS members Stewart Angell, Pete Hibbs and Nick Woollard presented their findings from the summer SMHS excavation of the Warningcamp site, which took over 600 man hours of digging by hand!
They highlighted the methods used throughout the excavation, the trials and tribulations encountered, and how fulfilling it was to actually achieve the dig’s objective after all that hard work.
Pete finished the presentation with an amazing 3D SketchUp model of how the hideout and emergency exit tunnel would have looked following its construction.
Look out for the full excavation report being produced for publication in 2012.
SMHS Meeting - Shout at the Devil
Posted: Monday 05 December 2011
We welcomed Kevin Patience who gave a detailed account of the German cruiser Konigsberg, a new class of 3,000 ton cruiser built in 1907 that following the outbreak of WWI led a charmed life.
Kevin’s engrossing presentation included a working model of the Konigsberg; even smoking funnels!
The Konigsberg story prompted C.S Forrester to write ‘The African Queen’ which was later rewritten into the famous 1951 Kathryn Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart film we all know so well.
Remembrance Day
Posted: Thursday 17 November 2011
SMHS members attended a very special Remembrance Day community event at the Redoubt Fortress, Eastbourne to mark the iconic date 11-11-11-11.
Local schools gathered to perform drama scenes inspired by personal accounts of war and past conflict. Paper poppies were scattered across the parade ground, adding to the atmosphere. A bugler played either side of the poignant two minutes silence at 11.00am. All donations from the event were given to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
SMHS Joins the Nosecone Club
Posted: Wednesday 16 November 2011
When Mike King, long time SMHS member and University of Sussex tutor, suggested we should join the Nosecone Club, he certainly got us all wondering what it was all about!
By making a donation we secured a prime position to stick our SMHS logo on the front nosecone of a single seat racing car, with the money going to Help for Heroes charity.
The car was built by the University of Sussex Formula Student Project, an International event organized by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Formula Student provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate their skills, enthusiasm, ingenuity and commitment to engineering excellence, and for industry to foster close links with academia.
The event comprises of seven marked categories; Cost, Presentation, Design, Acceleration (quickest time over a 75 metre dash), Skidpan, Endurance (25 x 775 metres) and Fuel Efficiency.
The team along with their car came 34th out of 120 entries; not bad going considering the Sussex team had no professional car manufacturer sponsorship, unlike the Italian teams supported by Ferrari and German teams supported by Mercedes.
Johnson Beharry VC has been a Patron of the University of Sussex Formula Student Project for the past four years and can be seen here unveiling the Sussex car for the first time.
SMHS Meeting – Spitfire in the Sands
Posted: Wednesday 19 October 2011
Andy Saunders made a welcome return to present his account of how Supermarine Spitfire P9374 was recovered from its 1940 crash site on a Calais beach and subsequently brought back to life, taking to the air again in September 2011.
Unfortunately constraints applied by Andy’s publisher, due to a delay in publishing his book relating to this fascinating story, meant that he could only cover the basics.
Despite this set back Andy covered three other flying incidents much to the appreciation of the well attended audience.
Andy has agreed to return in 2012 when he can tell our members the full story of Spitfire in the Sands.
SMHS Meeting – The Tyhurst Album
Posted: Wednesday 21 September 2011
After all the years Maggie, Terry and Ed have been SMHS members they have never collectively presented to the other members until now!
It was never going to be easy choosing what to include out of the many photos collected over the years from their site visits.
Members were taken through WWI sites in France, Belgium and England continuing onto WWII German sites finishing with V1, V2 and V3 sites in France. We look forward to seeing more from the Tyhurst Album in the future…
SMHS Meeting – Members Artifacts Evening
Posted: Wednesday 17 August 2011
This annual event always proves to be a source of intrigue and learning with a variety of artifacts being brought to the table. Items included military radios, a selection of gas masks, helmets, books and photographs. All prompted plenty of discussion along with anecdotal memories from members.
SMHS Meeting – MI9 Escape & Evasion
Posted: Wednesday 20 July 2011
Our speaker, John Burton, started by covered the background of both Hague Conventions of 1899 & 1907 and the Geneva Convention of 1929 which set the conditions for prisoners of war.
MI9 was set up in 1939 assuming the development role of training soldiers in the art of escape and evasion along with providing escape aids. Various lines of escape were established across Europe including the O’Leary Line, Comet Line and the Shelburne route, all helping hundreds of POW to safety.
Armed Forces Day, Seaford
Posted: Saturday 25 June 2011
Despite the blustery wind along with ever threatening rain clouds Seaford’s Armed Forces Day still managed to attract a good gathering.
For the third year running Martello Fields witnessed this National event that honours current and former service men and service women alike.
Just before midday a parade started from the nearby Martello Tower making its way along the seafront then leading down onto Martello Fields.
Ex-serviceman and long time SMHS member Richard Shenton, joined the parade as Standard Bearer for the Seaford Branch of the Royal Naval Association, no mean feat in the coastal wind considering the standard is eight feet long!
The SMHS stand attracted a lot of attention, especially regarding our many activities and membership.
Thanks go to SMHS members Stewart A, Richard S, James B and our newest member Vanessa B for their assistance on the day.
SMHS Meeting – Effects of Modern War TV Reporting
Posted: Wednesday 15 June 2011
Dave Dimer gave his first presentation to fellow SMHS members about how modern warfare is reported across the world through television. Using a combination of video clips and commentary, members were taken back to the Falklands, Gulf and Iraq conflicts, remembered by many from when the footage was originally screened as events happened. The internet became the final point of discussion, highlighting how quickly information is getting out to the masses without any censorship being applied or specific reporting stance.
Operation Sussex – Newhaven Fort
Posted: Saturday 28 May 2011
Over 70 people enjoyed a full programme of speakers along with a guided tour of Newhaven Fort during ‘Operation Sussex’, the first study day organized by SMHS.
Following this successful event SMHS were able to hand over a donation of £400 to Macmillan Nurses.
SMHS Meeting – Custer’s Last Stand
Posted: Wednesday 18 May 2011
Returning speaker Norman Franks took SMHS members through the Battle of Little Bighorn. Whilst there are many accounts of this famous battle from the Great Sioux War of 1876, members were given a detailed overview from all sides. The film industry has, over the years, played a major role in perhaps clouding what really happened in an effort to ensure an everlasting American legacy.
In 1991 Little Bighorn Battlefield became a national monument that respects all who perished during the battle.
Kings Standing Site Visit
Posted: Thursday 12 May 2011
SMHS members enjoyed a return visit to Kings Standing in Crowborough, the former wartime propaganda radio establishment, now a training facility owned by Sussex Police. A warmer and brighter evening compared to last year the group enjoyed a more comprehensive tour of the site which included an access/ventilation tunnel rarely seen.
A donation of £40 was made towards the Sussex Police Conservation Fund towards the upkeep of the grounds within the sites perimeter fence.
Thanks to SMHS member Jim W for organizing this event for everyone.
Help for Heroes Sponsored Walk
Posted: Sunday 01 May 2011
Mayday saw over 100 people walk between the Martello towers of Seaford and Eastbourne to raise money towards ‘Help for Heroes’ charity.
SMHS were represented by Stewart A, who managed to raise £200 towards the total of over £5,000 raised by the event organizers, Seaford Martello Rotary Club. Thanks to all the people who sponsored on this occasion.
SMHS Meeting - The 1942 Channel Dash
Posted: Monday 18 April 2011
The annual SMHS AGM went very smoothly with all officers re-elected for another year.
Following on from the AGM Simon Bellamy gave his first presentation to fellow SMHS members about the ‘Channel Dash’ made by three powerful German warships in February 1942. Simon’s detailed account highlighted how a catalogue of errors allowed the ships to remain undetected for 12 hours during their passage from Brest in Brittany to the safety of German bases.
SMHS Meeting - Forgotten Heroes of Lewes
Posted: Friday 18 March 2011
Following unforeseen circumstances preventing our scheduled speaker from delivering her talk, Geoff Bridger stepped in at the last minute. Geoff took fellow SMHS members on a walk through the memorials dedicated to local war heroes from both world wars around Lewes. Originally created as a guided walk Geoff adapted this into an informative presentation, giving him many opportunities to recount additional stories relating to the First World War.
Members were shown the recent findings from our site survey of the proposed SMHS excavation in West Sussex. Various military related objects were discovered by our metal detectorist ranging from small caliber bullets + cartridges to a uniform trouser button.
SMHS Meeting - The Maverick Airman
Posted: Wednesday 16 February 2011
Eastbourne College archivist, Michael Partridge, presented the story of Frederick Frank Reilly ‘Jack’ Minchin. Minchin was a distinguished World War One pilot who studied at Eastbourne College and went on to learn how to fly at the Eastbourne Aerodrome. His life was full of adventure and incidents; crashes included! He was killed in 1927 whilst attempting to pilot the first plane across the Atlantic from East to West.
SMHS Meeting - Underground/Overground
Posted: Wednesday 19 January 2011
SMHS member Jim Whittington gave fellow members a great start to the year with a presentation covering all aspects of his findings over the years. Drawing on his extensive collection of photographs and information gained from his travels, Jim took everyone to Sussex sites and beyond.