| Newhaven
Fort Newsletter - July 2004 (25kb, newsjul04.pdf)
It will reopen daily
from 1 March until 31 October - 10.30am till 6.00pm - and include weekends
in November 10.30am - 4.pm (last admission 1 hour before closing).
In addition to experiencing
the sights and sounds of Britain at war, visitors to this award-winning
coastal fortress will also see a fascinating new exhibition telling the
fort's story through original photographs.
Future events will
include an evening of outdoor theatre in August, with Oddsocks Productions
original production of 'The Legend of Robin Hood & Little John'. Tickets
and further details will be available nearer the time.
The fort will be running
its popular Easter Quiz, the Horsham Historics Rally in May, Model &
Hobbies shows during July and August and the exciting Battle of Britain
flypast in September. There will also be a special commemoration of the
60th Anniversary of D-Day - more details nearer the time.
Newhaven
Fort Prepares for
D-Day
On
the 6th June 1944, Britain and her allies launched the greatest
invasion of all time against the might of Hitler’s fortress
Europe. At 9:30am, the B.B.C. gave the world the news it had been
waiting for. The brief message from the Supreme Headquarters Allied
Expeditionary Force read,
“Under
the command of General Eisenhower, allied naval forces supported
by strong air forces, began landing allied armies on the northern
coast of France.”
D-Day
had finally arrived
156,000
troops with supporting armour were landed on five beaches between
Le Havre and Cherbourg. The operation was supported by 1213 warships,
4123 landing craft, 1600 other ships, 11500 aircraft and 3500 gliders.
Sussex
and the South Coast was the springboard for the planned invasion
of Normandy. In the weeks leading up to D-Day, thousands of troops
poured into East and West Sussex to stay in sealed camps ready for
the big push into France. Jeeps, trucks, tanks and armoured cars
lined the lanes of the county and stack of rifles were piled up,
ready to be grabbed by soldiers.
For
Sussex people, who were fighting the war on the home front, it was
a time they will never forget. The beaches were a mass of tangled
barbed wire to foil Hitler’s would be invaders. Piers had
their middle section taken away for the same reason. Young boys
and men too old to join the Army patrolled the Downs as part of
the Home Guard forces in the look out for German paratroopers.
In
Newhaven, the port was full of all types of landing craft, motor
torpedo boats and other ships. Further up the river there were more
concealed under camouflage covers and waiting for embarkation to
Normandy.
The
story of D-Day has been told in countless books and films and during
2004 it will be repeated so that new generations will learn of the
heroic events and personal sacrifices which changed the history
of the world.
Sunday
June 6th 2004 is the 60th anniversary of D-Day and Newhaven Fort
will be commemorating the occasion by hosting a Service of Thanksgiving
and Remembrance, followed by an afternoon programme of events. Due
to the service, the Fort will open slightly later than usual at
12 noon.
Operation
Overlord – Service of Remembrance and Commemorative Event
The 60th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings
Newhaven Fort – 6th June 2004
Programme
| 11.00 |
Official
Service of Remembrance in the presence of Her Majesty’s
Lord Lieutenant for East Sussex (approx 45 minutes) |
| 11.45 |
March off
by Standard Bearers |
| 12.30 |
Fort opens
to the General Public |
| 13.00 –
16.00 |
Arena displays
featuring the Horsham Band RBL, the Sussex and Surrey Yeomanry
Band, Sea Cadets, Sussex Army Cadet force and the Air Training
Corps throughout afternoon.
Also the Royal Observer Corps Reunion & Display
The Sussex & Surrey Yeomanry Reunion
Models/Paintings/Artefacts display and sale
Living History Display
Vintage Military Vehicles Display
HMS Forward display |
| 16.15 |
Spectators
to take seats for the Sunset Ceremony |
| 16.30 |
Sunset
Ceremony
Bands
Evening Hymn
Lowering of flag and taking salute |
| 18.00 |
Fort Closes |
All timings approximate except the 11.00 Service of Remembrance
and 16.30 Sunset Ceremony. |
New
displays for 2004
Visitors to
Newhaven Fort will be able to see some important changes to the displays.
There have been many detail changes throughout the fort but the most important
ones have been to the Home Front and Life In The Fort displays.
In the Home Front, the vitally important war work of Women has been recognised
with a large display dedicated to Women at War. Centred on the Women’s
Land Army, there are artefacts, figures and information relating to all
aspects of this often neglected subject. The wartime kitchen has been
considerably improved and moved to replace the old NAAFI display. Anyone
who remembers the war will certainly not forget the shortages and rationing,
a subject that has been given special attention in a brand new display.
Amongst many other changes here, the Home Guard has also been given special
attention.
Life in the old fort was grim, but this does not mean the displays have
to be! A new purpose-built display has been set up with a colourful array
of uniforms, medals, firepower and personal artefacts-, many of which
are on display for the first time.
Plans for further improvements to the “Sussex Land, Sea and Air”
and “The Fort and Newhaven” are in hand for later in the year.
Worthing
and District Amateur Radio Club
Within the Fort
there are a number of displays set up by local organisations, newest of
which is that of the Worthing and District Amateur Radio Club (WADARC).
The WADARC has a fascinating working display of radio equipment, including
wartime SOE “Spy” radios located in a formerly disused magazine
beneath a gun emplacement. This display will be opened officially to the
public on April 25th and will thereafter be open on special open days.
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Newhaven
Fort is twinned with the
MUSEE
DES ABRIS
Tel:
00 33 3 22 75 16 17
http://www.somme-1916.org
Set
in the heart of the Battles of the Somme (1914-18), within a tunnel which
saw active service as an air raid shelter in 1939, the museum recreated
the daily life of soldiers in the trenches on the Western Front. The museum
is situated in the centre of the town of Albert, approximately 90 minutes
drive from Calais or two hours from Dieppe.
MUSEE
DES ABRIS OPENING TIMES
Open
1st March to 15th December
9.30am - Midday and 2pm - 6pm
(During July and August 9.30am - 6pm)
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Car
Parks