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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Journey into the unknown - Part 02.

by wneled (William Ledbury)

Contributed by听
wneled (William Ledbury)
People in story:听
William Ledbury.
Location of story:听
U.K., Algeria, Tunisia and Central Europe.
Background to story:听
Army
Article ID:听
A4323241
Contributed on:听
01 July 2005

The 142 Field Regiment, R.A. was formed of the previously mentioned Royal Devon Yeomanry Artillery.

Our second move was to Brickwall House at Northiam, north of Hastings, where on 15th September, 1940, we witnessed a grandstand view of the Battle of Britain, which lasted from 10 July to 31 October, 1940: it was one of the decisive battles of history and was divided into 5 distinctive phases - (1) 10 July-7 August, the preliminary phase; (2) 8-23 August, attack on coastal targets; (3)24 August-6 September, attack on Fighter Command airfields; (4) 7-30 September, daylight attack on London, mainly by heavy bombers; and (5) 1-31 October, mainly by fighter-bombers.

The 6p.m. news that evening stated that a total of 185 enemy aircraft had been shot down, but later on these figures were considered to have been much less, some of our spitfire pilots possibly having claimed to have shot down the same enemy aircraft in some instances.

However, there appeared to be 'planes coming down in all directions and it was truly horrific to have seen our pilots baling out of their spitfires and being fired upon by the German messerschmidts, encircling them as they were descending.

One of our pilots having been brought into our unit whilst dying, requested that his parachute should be well cared for, because it had already saved his life several times.

We were instructed to keep a strict look-out for possible enemy parachutists landing by day or night and the message 'to the whites of the eyes - if you do not get them, they will get you' was continually drummed into us, so much so, that one could even imagine them dropping in the woods at night, every time a squirrel caused twigs to fall fom the trees, especially when on guard alone at night, at the gates of the house. Later on, a second guard was added.

At this point, the 142 Field Regiment, R.A. was to become the 4th Defence Regiment R.A., consisting of Defence Batteries to be deployed for coastal protection in the event of invasion, covering Eastbourne to Dungeness (Lydd.)

I myself was fortunate to have been stationed in the best of that stretch and was or some time stationed at St John's School at Bexhill-on Sea, East Sussex.

In direct comparison with the latter very pleasant spot, we then moved into a place which was known as the 'Crumbles', which could not have been more aptly named. It was situated at Langney on the eastern edge of Eastbourne: desolate farmhouse-type
buildings with adequate air-conditioning in the walls!

At breakfast next morning, our cook, speaking in a somewhat spooky voice, informed us that 'behind this stove on which I have just cooked your pancakes, was found the clothing of Emily Beilby Kaye and her bones were found under the floorboards in that room over there' Those boards could clearly be seen through the open door.

I immediately vacated that 'kitchen' and vowed never to eat anything again, however long we were destined to remain there. Fortunately, just two days later, we vacated that dreadful place.

The 'Crumbles' turned out to have been the scene of one of Sir Bernard Spilsbury's famous murder cases. Emily Beilby Kaye having been murdered by Patrick Herbert Mahon in August,1924. This was such a gory event that Sir Bernard rated it to have been one of the worst he had ever witnessed. It certainly is most nauseating even to read the account of it, the book 'Bernard Spilsbury - His Life and Cases, by Douglas G. Browne and E.V Tullett' confirms this.

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