War 4/8

Mar 14, 20227 min read

Canadian view of the hospital takeover

Here is the inside account of Cuckfield Hospital after it was taken over by the Canadian army in 1942. Gordon Muggeridge memories were...

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Feb 28, 20223 min read

1928: The 'War' in Cuckfield ends ...

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 21 September 1928 END OF MIMIC WAR. Clever Tactics in Final Battle. CUCKFIELD, Thursday Sussex is no...

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Feb 26, 20222 min read

1860-1911: Workhouse to Warrior (3 of 3)

In the final part of three instalments we read about what Richard Chatfield did after he left the army and how how he retired to Ansty....

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Feb 25, 20226 min read

1837: Workhouse to Warrior (2 of 3)

In the first instalment we learned how a young Richard Chatfield worked at the Talbot Inn as an ostler. Now we read how he joined the...

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Feb 24, 20223 min read

c1830: Workhouse to Warrior (1 of 3)

Old Sergeant's Memories In a quiet Sussex village a gallant old hero is spending the remainder of his days in such peace as rheumatism...

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Feb 8, 20223 min read

1913: A bogus parson and officer

Astounding details were given at Whitehill (Hants) of the career of P. Seymour Kelly, 21, who was charged with obtaining food and lodging...

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Jan 30, 20222 min read

1915: Cuckfield and Haywards Heath soldiers witness Zeppelin Raid in Norfolk

West Sussex Gazette - Thursday 28 January 1915 CUCKFIELD. The 6th (Cyclist) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment is stationed along the...

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Jan 18, 20222 min read

1915: A few lines from the front

Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 26 November 1915 SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCES.- Through the kindness Mrs. Bourne, Beeching's Farm, we are...

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Jan 15, 20222 min read

1945: Cuckfield Urban Bombing but no fatalities

In the Cuckfield Urban District, which comprises Haywards Heath, Cuckfield and Lindfield, 13 high explosive bombs and three groups of...

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Dec 23, 20213 min read

1915: Christmas Eve in the trenches

Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 24 December 1915 HOW THE CUCKFIELD BOYS ARE GETTING ON —Writing to Mr. Hayden of Haywards Heath,...

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Dec 19, 20211 min read

1864: Soldier in a fix after a 'lost' evening

Sussex Advertiser - Wednesday 30 March 1864 A soldier in a fix. Cuckfield Court —A discharged private of the 43rd Light Infantry,...

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Dec 10, 20211 min read

1954: The V1 in hindsight

The codeword signified an attack by pilotless aircraft. Th« vanguard of the long-expactad robot armada had been sighted. That first V1...

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Dec 8, 20212 min read

1938: Air Raid Precautions

by Mr OF Brown ARP Organiser for Cuckfield RDC Unless we are prepared to make some sacrifice to defend this freedom which we so enjoy...

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Dec 6, 20212 min read

1944: Word War ll the final tally

The quality of reproduction of the map in this Sussex Agricultural Express article is not that great but it gives some sense of where...

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Dec 4, 20211 min read

1915: Aircraft risks and Queen's Hall

The Urban Council has decided to insure the Queen's Hall, now in use as a Red Cross Hospital, against aircraft risks, and also their...

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Nov 17, 20211 min read

1998: Olive Caplin recalls the P.O. Rifles in Cuckfield

In 1998 ninety year old Downlands Care Home resident Olive Beatrice Caplan gave a short interview for Cuckfield Museum and recalled her...

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Oct 28, 20212 min read

1909: Crimean War hero laid to rest in Cuckfield in accordance with his wishes

Mid Sussex Times - Tuesday 21 December 1909 DEATH OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN. We regret to record the death of Ex-Sergt. William Godsmark, the...

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Oct 22, 20211 min read

1915: "It is now nearly a fortnight since I took off my boots" - shocking front line hardships....

Sussex Agricultural Express - Friday 10 September 1915 FLIES ILL-MANNERED CREATURES Writing to Mrs C.H.Waugh from the Dardanelles, a...

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Oct 13, 20215 min read

Headmaster's son survives Custer's last stand

A senior non-commissioned officer, Frank Lloyd, was one of 53 men left behind to man the Fort 'Abraham Lincoln' at the time of the Battle...

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Sep 28, 20212 min read

1900: "Surprised to be alive!" Captain Sergison writes about front line experiences in the Boer War

Sussex Agricultural Express - Saturday 06 January 1900 CAPTAIN SERGISON AT THE FRONT Letters have been received from Captain Sergison, of...

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Cuckfield Connections

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