WWII - The 56 heavy regiment in Arundel

Part

1

of 2 by local historian Mark Phillips

The three friends agreed that: “At first it was a very anxious time. We expected German paratroopers at any moment and made sure to carry our rifles everywhere we went, even on church parades, when we would stack them outside the church.

“Working hard in the fresh air we became very fit and we got to know the surrounding countryside. The people of Arundel were very kind to us, and we remember this place with pleasure.”

It was February 1941, when Jack Jennings, Ted Carter and Neville Jackson of 18 Battery, 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery, first arrived in Arundel along with 120 other gunners.

A German invasion seemed imminent and they set up their massive guns, WWI vintage 9.2in howitzers, near the Castle Cricket Ground at Arundel, ready to blast ‘Jerry’ out of the sea if they landed at nearby Climping or Littlehampton. Their youth and fitness overcame fear and they were fired up with anger towards Hitler.

There were many Londoners in the regiment and during the Blitz on the capital, news was coming through of loved ones who had been killed, wounded or made homeless during the relentless bombing. Their comrades in arms and local Arundel friends helped them cope with the grief.

During the 1990s, Jack, Ted and Neville returned to Arundel to visit the area where they had spent 18 months during their time in the Army. They had many happy memories of Arundel and the friends they made during those uncertain days when it was not really a question of whether Hitler would invade Britain, more of a case of when.

The headquarters for the strong 56th Battery was based in Tower House, opposite St Nicholas Parish Church. The building is now occupied by private flats and offices. The battery also had two 6in guns at North Bersted, near Bognor Regis as well as an operations and observation post in the old Napoleonic fort on the west bank of the Arun at Littlehampton. For weeks after their arrival in the town, they slept, ‘like sardines’ in St Mary’s Hall, London Road - now known as The Cathedral Centre. Later, more comfortable billets were established, some in Nissen huts in the grounds of Tower House, some in the Norfolk Estate stables while others were scattered around the town, including a few lucky ones who stayed with local families.

Money was always short - a soldier's pay was about two shillings per day, 10p in today’s money, but they were provided with accommodation and according to the trio, were well fed.

They would often attend the local cinema - this was in Queen Street where Caen Stone Court is now located - or a local dance. Part of the work included shifts on watch at nearby Littlehampton, but, “… there no chance of a quick dip in the sea before or after duty as all the beaches in the area were mined and sewn with tank traps.”

Part 2 to follow next month.

By Mark Phillips - based on a 1990s article by Alan Stanley.