Searching for details about the Canadian base at Eastbourne

[Phil Bristow]

Thank You for your good information David.
I've found the address on the Gov't of Canada website.
I've also found an updated copy of Canucks by the Sea through the excellent Eastbourne Historical Society.
I'll let you know how things turn out.
Phil

[Lauren Child]

Funnily enough I grew up in Eastbourne. Your best bet is to contact (and visit) the Redoubt fortress military museum on the seafront. The museum covers local military history from the napoleonic era through to modern day, so they should be able to help.

It's also a fantastic museum, and napoleonic era fortress, to visit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastbourne_Redoubt

http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk

If you are in the area, Newhaven fort is a short drive and also well worth a visit.

http://www.newhavenfort.org.uk

Further away there's also Dover castle, including an underground hospital and the bunkers where the Dunkirk evacuation was planned and commanded.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/v.../things-to-do/

[Tim Bell]

Canadian HQ was at Sheffield Park... not that far away.

I have photos of the Canadians at Sheffield Park, Brighton and other places along that coast... no idea if any are Eastbourne though.

Tim

[Lauren Child]

The local paper (the Herald) has this more modern story:
http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/ne...-war-1-5821503

This indicates a date of August 11 1942 at 1am and either the newspaper may be able to look in the archives, or you may be able to find a copy of the original report in Eastbourne library.

[Richard Farrant]

The Command HQ of 2nd Canadian Division, 1st Canadian Army, was located at Hawkhurst Court, Wisborough Green, near Billingshurst in West Sussex.
When taking my military vehicles down to Portsmouth over the years, I stop for a break on the village green there. Once, one of the locals came up and told me the story, explaining why the Canadian flag was flying on the green.

[Phil Bristow]

Thank You everyone for your helpful information.
We'll be staying a day in Deal where my mother's family came from and will visit Dover Castle.
Dad was with No 9 Canadian Field Ambulance RCAMC
He was assigned to HQ Company, but I don't know if that was in Canada, Nutfield Abbey or Eastbourne.
I'll follow up on Lauren's link to the newspaper report about the Aug 11/42 raid.
Looks like we'll be spending at least a day in Eastbourne.

Still no reply from the Historical Society about the book.

[Bruce MacMillan]

Originally Posted by Phil Bristow

We'll be staying a day in Deal where my mother's family came from and will visit Dover Castle.

I live in Deal and it is a nice little town right on the English Channel. Lots of history here from the Romans (Caesar reportedly landed here) to WW2. Check out the old part of town.

I volunteer at Dover Castle so if you are interested let me know what day you might come and I can give you an informed tour.

[Phil Bristow]

Originally Posted by Lauren Child

The local paper (the Herald) has this more modern story:
http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/ne...-war-1-5821503

This indicates a date of August 11 1942 at 1am and either the newspaper may be able to look in the archives, or you may be able to find a copy of the original report in Eastbourne library.

LAUREN,
I just found the article you refer to with a paragraph giving a detailed account of the Aug 11/42 raid. It ends with "...it is amazing that casualties were so light - apart from the eight Canadian soldiers killed in a shelter."
That is indeed the raid my father was in. He wrote that 8 of 11 men died when they jammed together in the dark at the steps leading down to the shelter. He was at the back of the group and seconds before the bomb hit, he got a strange feeling and dove against a shed 10-12 feet away. He miraculously survived with only a leg wound. It's moving to read the account so many years later.