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THE MILITARY ON ASHDOWN FOREST 1793-1925

By Mollie Smith 2015

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Contents

Introduction Page 3 – 4

Crowborough Camp Page 5 - 15

Forest Row Camp Page 15 - 23

Maresfield Park Camp Page 24 - 30

Chapelwood Manor, Nutley Page 31 – 33

Acknowledgements Page 33 - 34

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The Military on Ashdown Forest

Introduction

From the end of the 18th. century the army has camped and trained on Ashdown Forest.

In the summer of 1793, 7000 men under the command of the Duke of Richmond made a tented camp

between Duddleswell and Nutley.

100 years later, from May 16th until the 27th. 1893 tented camps were made at Forest Row, Crowborough,

and on the forest between Nutley and Maresfield.

The troops were reviewed by the Duke of Cambridge, the Commander in Chief of

the British Army. Marquees were erected for refreshments and welfare comforts at Forest Row and Crowborough.

In 1906 about 2000 men from the 1st. Cinque Ports Rifle Corps held their annual

training camp on St. John’s Common.

Duke of Cambridge

The Sussex and Kent Volunteer Brigade camped on St. John’s Common in 1910, and also the Royal

Engineers, London.

The Royal Sussex Regiment under the

command of His Grace the Duke of

Norfolk trained on the forest from 8 July to

23 July 1911.

The London Territorial Camp was held between 29 July to 12 July 1911 with 3,500

men at St. John’s and 7,000 men at Camp Hill.

The tented camp can be seen in the background

Training pre 1914

Crowborough

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In 1912 The Royal Engineers were camped at Chelwood Gate for training.

The Royal Engineers from the Woolwich district camped close to Pippingford, Nutley from 25 May 1914

for three weeks, with 200 men and 50 horses.

The Defence of the Realm Act 1914 specified that land could be used for military training and camps

were set up on Camp Hill, St. John’s Common, King’s Standing and in Kidbrooke Park, Forest Row.

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Crowborough Army Camp 1914-1919

The 2nd London Brigade of the 1st London Division, comprising the 1/5th, 1/6th, 1/7th. and 1/8th. City of

London Rifles was the first brigade to camp at Camp Hill.

Rifleman Hubert Oldfield Brown had already been a

Territorial with the London Rifle Brigade for six

years when war was declared, and he kept a personal

diary throughout his service until he was wounded in

1916.

Hob, as he was known joined the 1/5th

. Battalion City of London Rifles T.A. Unit as No. 8699 Private H.O.Brown of “Q” (Vintry Ward) Company. He was still a

member of that company when the City of London was mobilised for war on 4 August 1914.

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Extracts from the war diaries of Rifleman Hubert Oldfield Brown

On Sunday 2 August 1914 Hob goes to Eastbourne for their peacetime camp. There are rumours of war. They put

up the tents, have dinner, and then are told to return to

London.

He remains at home waiting for his mobilisation orders.

Initial mobilisation of the battalion took place in London

over the next two weeks, with basic training during the day

and the majority of men allowed home at night.

On 20 August 1914 the battalion began the march to

Bisley Camp, arriving on 22 August 1914.

Bisley Camp

The sixteen days at Bisley were under canvas, usually ten

to twelve men to a tent, and concentrated on drill, trench digging, semaphore training, and lectures.

On 8 September 1914 the battalion marched out of Bisley towards Crowborough, a distance of 55 miles.

They spent the first night in the stables at Horsley Towers, the second night in a school at Boxhill and the

next six nights in a boy scouts hut in East Grinstead. Finally on 16 September 1914 the battalion arrived

at Camp Hill, only to find that with one weeks notice of movement half of their equipment had gone missing. Their training lasted for a further eight weeks.

On 18 September 1914 the Y.M.C.A. start a refreshment bar, a Wesleyan chaplain pays a visit, and a

night drill takes place.

The following day, Saturday 19 August 1914 began with manoeuvres in the morning, a feast of blackberries, the signing of the foreign service forms, and a concert in the Y.M.C.A. in the evening.

Tuesday 22 September 1914 began with trench digging in the morning, semaphore in the afternoon,

photographs taken, and a night march.

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Photograph taken at Crowborough on 22

September 1914. Hob is seated at the left-hand end of the front row, with hands

clasped.

The remaining weeks continued with manoeuvres, bayonet

drill, musketry exercises, semaphore exercises and marches. Much of the weather was poor with rain and mist.

Medical examinations were carried out on 28 October 1914, new uniform and rifle were drawn on the 30

October 1914, followed by clothing inspection and haircut on 31 October 1914. Hob then travelled home to Croydon in the evening, returning to camp on the evening of Sunday 1 November 1914, when back in

the camp a Parade for valise, ration bag and puttees.

An inspection by General Fry on 3

November 1914, followed by a route

march in the morning, and then bayonet

drill in the afternoon.

Wednesday 4 November 1914 the battalion left the camp at 11.00am. for Crowborough Station. They had

a send off by the Post Office Rifles and 6th

. London.

Entrain for Southampton, and board the “ Chyebassa”, leaving at 8.00pm. In Southampton Water they pass a hospital ship, and are lit from searchlights. Hob sleeps in a horse box.

The battalion War Diary lists 863 men, 29 officers and 1 medical officer leaving Crowborough.

Hob survived the war.

Henry Williamson joined the 1/5th

Battalion of the London Rifle Brigade as a Territorial soldier on 22

January 1914, enrolment No. 9689. He was a private in “ P” Company.

His training was alongside that of Hob Brown and he sailed with the battalion on 4 November 1914.

Henry Williamson was later commissioned as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion The Bedfordshire

Regiment.

He survived the war and later became an acclaimed author, of which “ Tarka the Otter” is well known.

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Rifleman Jack Widdicombe enlisted on the 7 August 1914 in the1/5th Battalion of the London Rifle

Brigade, “ E Company”. He also followed the same training and sailed for France on 4 November 1914. He was severely wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and returned to hospital in England,

being released in January 1917. He was sent to the Labour Corps at Farnborough and in December 1917

was declared unfit to return to France. In May 1918 he returned to the 5th

London Rifles as a bombing

instructor in Farnborough.

Douglas Walter Belcher, V.C. was a lance-sergeant in the 1/5th Battalion of the London Rifle Brigade. He

trained at Bisley and Crowborough and on 15 May 1915 in the Second Ypres was awarded the Victoria

Cross for bravery. He survived the war.

The 1/6th Battalion, mobilised on 4 August 1914, after training at Crowborough moved to Watford on 5

November 1914 and landed in France on the 18 March 1914, and the 1/7th Battalion, mobilised on 4

August 1914 also moved to Watford on 5 November 1914 and landed in France on the 18 March 1914. The 1/8th Battalion, the Post Office Rifles moved to Abbot’s Langley on the 6 November 1914 and landed

in France on 18 March 1915.

During the initial training period at Crowborough there were four battalions under canvas at Camp Hill. With battalion strenths of approximately 900 soldiers and 30 officers a total of approximately

4000 men were in the camp. No battalion was up to full strength in 1914.

The 3rd

London Brigade comprising the 1/9th

, 1/10th, 1/11

th, and the 1/12

th battalions arrived at

Crowborough after their initial training at Bullswater and Pirbright.

William John Sydney Simpson, M.C. joined the 1/9th Battalion , Queen Victoria’s

Rifles in 1909 as a private. On Sunday 2 August 1914 the QVR’s were en route to

their summer training camp at Lullworth Cove when a telegram was received by

their advanced party ordering them to return to London.

On 5 August 1914 Rifleman Simpson, No. 580 signed the Army form 635, for war

service.

For the first two weeks training took place in London and on 21 August 1914 the

battalion set out to march to Bullswater in the Aldershot Command District,

arriving on the 24 August 1914. On 8 September 1914 the battalion began the march to Crowborough, which took four days.

They arrived at St. John’s Camp on 12 September 1914 and were there until 30 October 1914. The camp was described as in a lovely spot, very high up, and with

plenty of fresh air. The day began at 5.30am. with training until 5.00pm. Two evenings a week marches lasting three and a half hours took place.

The 1/9th Battalion, sailed from Southampton to France on the SS Oxonian on the 4 November 1914.

Rifleman Simpson was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 8th

Middlesex Regiment in August 1915, and

finished his army career as a captain. He survived the war.

The 1/10th

Battalion, mobilised on 4 August 1914 moved to Crowborough after initial training at

Bullswater and Pirbright.

The 1/11th

Battalion, mobilised on 4 August 1914 moved to Crowborough after initial training.

In April 1915 both battalions were transferred to the East Midlands Brigade of the East Anglian Division

and moved to Norwich, and then St. Albans. They sailed from Plymouth and landed on 11 August 1915 at

Sulva Bay to fight against the Turkish Army.

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The 1/12th Battalion, ( The Rangers), mobilised on the 4 August 1914 after training at Bullswater and

Pirbright, moved to Crowborough and in October 1914 were sent to guard the railway from Waterloo to North Camp, Farnborough.

In November 1914 the 2/9th

Battalion, 2/10th

Battalion, 2/11th

Battalion and 2/12th

Battalion of the London

Regiment moved to Crowborough.

These photographs of the 2/9th

London have the new huts in the background.

Crowborough Camp YMCA

The 2/9th

Battalion moved to Ipswich in June 1915, as did the 2/10th

, 2/11th

and 2/12th

.

The 3/4th

and 3/5th

Battalions of the East Kent Regiment ( The Buffs) became reserve regiments in April

1916. They moved to Crowborough camp, ( exact date unknown).

Private 3906 Reginald Edward Datlen enlisted on 2 October 1915 in the East Kent Regiment, (The

Buffs). He was only fifteen years of age. On 12 October 1915 he was posted to B Company, 3/4th

Battalion stationed at Crowborough camp. His mother tried to claim her son and after sending a copy of

his birth certificate he was discharged on the 8 July 1916.

In August 1916 the Kent and Sussex Courier reported the death of Private E.J. King, Service number

1840, 5th

Battalion the East Kent Regiment on 31 July 1916 through drowning in the Mill Pond at

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Crowborough Camp. The battalions moved to Tunbridge Wells in September 1916, and returned to

Crowborough in November 1917.

In May 1916 the 2/6th

Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers arrived at the camp. This battalion was part of

the 66th

. (2nd

East Lancashire Division), with other battalions at the Forest Row camp. They moved to

Tunbridge Wells in October 1915 and Colchester in May 1916.

The Second Canadian Division of the Canadian Army arrived in England in the summer of 1915 and

began to train at Shornecliffe Camp, Kent. With the expansion of the Canadian Corps to four divisions

during 1915/1916 additional training space was required in England. A camp was opened in late 1915 at

Bramshott, and in 1916 camps were opened at Crowborough, Hastings, New Shoreham, Seaford and

Whitley.

A Canadian Machine Gun Training Depot was organized in Crowborough camp on 22 June 1916.

The Canadian Military School was established in the autumn of 1916, quickly followed by the Canadian

Trench Warfare School. The General Officer Commanding, Canadians, Crowborough, was Brigadier-General W.S. Hughes.

Sketch of the camp drawn by a Canadian Soldier

No. 4 Army Troops Canadian Engineers was

organized in Crowborough in October 1916.

A Canadian Machine Gun Corps Depot was organized

in Crowborough on 4 January 1917.

No. 5 Army Troops Canadian Engineers was

organized in Crowborough in April 1917.

Also on 4 January 1917 a Canadian Post Office was set up to serve the influx of troops. This ceased on 31 July 1917.

Brothers Leslie and Cecil Frost came to the Military School from Bramshott in January 1917. (Leslie Frost later served as the 16th. Premier of Canada from 1949 – 1961).

Leslie Frost 1916

In letters home to their parents they give details of their stay at

Crowborough. Leslie and Cecil began a ten week course at the Military

School for advanced infantry training in February 1917. This was followed

by a six week course for Cecil at the Machine Gun Training Depot where he

was awarded a distinguished mark, one of only four awarded to a class of

fifty.

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The Canadian Engineers Depot was also at Crowborough.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle held receptions for the officers on Sundays

in his home, Windlesham Manor.

The Crest Hotel. Beacon Road, (later The Winston, now demolished),

was a refuge for many officers.

Crest Hotel

Entertainers including Harry Lauder appeared in the

Y.M.C.A. Hut at the camp. After Harry Lauder’s son was killed he gave up his big engagements in London to go to

France to sing to the troops,

By April 1917 a new 30 yard Machine Gun Range and a Revolver Range was in use. However

complaints from civilians of bullets passing over the range caused it to be temporarily closed down for

one week.

The Ashdown Forest Conservators minutes give an account of the military digging a cable trench from

the Butts at Old Lodge across Camp Hill to a point about 200 yards North West of Crows Nest House.

This was for marking Machine Gun firing at long range across the main road to Tunbridge Wells, and

they constructed a Machine Gun emplacement at the end of the trench.

Daytime and night practice for zeppelin attacks and bomber attacks were carried out.

Advanced trench constructions were completed by the Trench Warfare School, and a gas chamber was

constructed and used for the first time in April 1917 by 205 other ranks and 14 officers of the Canadian

Command. who were due to go to France.

On May 10th

. 1917 the Duke of Connaught visited the area in the afternoon and made an inspection of the Guard of Honour and presented medals. He inspected the squads at Machine Gun Drill, visited the

instructional huts, and officers classes. A drive to the ranges for a demonstration of Indirect Fire followed.

The Canadian Military School left Crowborough for Bexhill on March 12th

. 1917 and the Canadian Trench Warfare School May 10th. 1917.

The Canadian Command demobilised from Crowborough Camp on 31July 1917.

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Extracts from the Canadian War Diaries

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Crowborough camp was now to become the home of the third battalions of many county regiments.

The 3/1st Battalion of the Cambridgeshire Regiment became a 1

st Reserve Battalion on 8 April 1916, and

then amalgamated with the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment on 23 July 1917, and moved to

Crowborough in August 1917. They moved to Hastings in August 1918.

The 3/5th

Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment, Territorial Force moved to Crowborough in August 1917,

leaving for Hastings in September 1918.

The 3/4th

Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment, Territorial Force moved to Crowborough in

August 1917 and left for St Leonards in September 1918.

The 3/5th

Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, Territorial Force moved to Crowborough in the Autumn of 1917, leaving for Hastings in August 1918.

In August 1917 the 3/4th, 3/5th, 3/6th, and 3/7th Battalions of the Essex Regiment, Territorial Force moved

to Crowborough. They moved to Hastings in August 1918.

The 3/4th

, and the 3/5th

. Battalions of The Buffs moved back to Crowborough.

Interior of hut in 1918

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The number of troops during this period would have been approximately 10,000. Private houses were

used for extra accomodation.

YMCA Hut in Crowborough

Records written in 1918 state that St John’s Wood, Crowborough was the home of the No. 1 Officer

Cadet School of the Joint Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery.

Crowborough was also home to the Army Signalling School.

The Canadian Officers’ Hospital, “ The Limes” was authorized in August 1916 and opened on 13 October

1916. It was chiefly for amputee cases. It closed in early 1919.

Forest Row Army Camp 1914-1919

In November 1914 the South West Mounted Brigade, comprising Royal Wiltshire, Hampshire Carbineers, North Somerset, Duke of Lancaster’s Own, 1st Signal Corps ASC and 1st Field Mounted

Ambulance, all yeomanry troops, moved into Forest Row.

At first they camped in bell tents in Kidbrooke

Park, to wait for the construction of a hutted

camp, near Ashdown Place.

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Sycamore Cottage, Thompsett’s Bank was used as

the headquarters and the 500 horses were in lines

by the firing range on the Ladies golf course.

In early 1915 a hutted camp had been constructed on

Church plain, around and above Ashdown Place but

parts were soon abandonned because of the mud and restricted access to heavy traffic.

The brigade from Kidbrooke Park moved into the huts.

Hampshire Yeomanry

During the next few months many complaints were made by commoners and the Conservators concerning damage.

Damage to many fir trees occurred as a result of soldiers cutting deep rings in the bark so that they could

tether their horses. Rubbish was buried in shallow trenches, resulting in pollution to the streams.

By 17th

. July 1915 all of the troops had moved to France or

elsewhere.

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In their place came the Royal Field Artillery, the 66th ( East Lancashire )

Division.

The Division formed part of the Second

Army Central Force, with the Divisional

Headquarters, three Infantry Brigades and

the Engineers at Crowborough.

Three ot the Artillery Brigades were at Forest Row and the Howitzer Brigade with the Heavy Brigade at Plaw Hatch.

By October 1915 the War Department acknowledged their

responsibility for the camp drainage and stated that when a further 500 horses arrive the drainage would be dealt with.

After the arrival of the extra horses latrines were erected in

front of Ashdown Place which had water laid on, and were connected to the sewer. Canvas latrines with pails were

close to Greenhall Clump and only 38 yards from a public footpath.

In December 1915 large quantities of clinker were

transported to the camp to make up the main roads into the

camp.

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Cherry Orchard was the hospital for the

camp, with a wooden hut in the back

garden for an annexe.

A military hospital for the area was also set up in Ashdown Park.

In January 1916 a YMCA Hut which included a entertainment hall was opened by Lt. Gen. C.L.

Woollcombe, C.B. commanding the 2nd

Army Central Force, 8.

Children from the village were invited to shows and films in the Concert Hall.

Forest Row railway sidings were enlarged to accommodate the wagons arriving with supplies of food for

the camp.

In February 1916 the 66th

Division was transferred to the Southern Army Home Defence Force, and being entrusted with the defence of part of the East Coast transferred to Colchester and the surrounding district.

In March 1916 the 1B Reserve Brigade, Royal Field Artillery consisting of the 4th

, 5th

. and 6th

batteries

moved into the camp, where they remained until 1919. Among the artillery regiments at the camp were

the 2/1st Blackburn Artillery, 2/2

nd Manchester Artillery, 2/3

rd. Bolton Artillery and the 2/4

th. Cumberland

Artillery ( Howitzer).

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Stables Farriers

Physical Training Instructors James Hepple Postcard dated 26 May 1916

In the extracts of the Digest of Services for the 6th

Reserve Battery, R.F.A., from the 1st. April 1916 the

following information arises.

The 505th. Howitzer Battery was formed at Plaw Hatch on 3rd. July 1916, comprising 1 a/B Q.M.S., 2

Sergeants, 2a/Sergeants, 2 Corporals, 3a/Corporals, 2 Bombadiers, 5a/Bombadiers, 8 Artificers, 51 Gunners and 54 Drivers, with Captain E.T.P. Goodyear in Command.He was posted on 17th. November

1917, to the Reserve Battery, R.F.A. at the Ashdown Forest Camp. Colonel Sir Jervis White Jervis Bart. was in Command of the Brigade.

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Early in 1916 ground between the rifle range and

Shepherds Bank had been dug into 8 plots measuring 2 rods by 5 rods for vegetable gardens,

two sheds 30 ft. long 20 ft. wide and 7ft. high had

been completed on August 15th

near Camp Hill

Rifle Range, and a culvert under the A22 had

been dug to link Kidbrooke Park with the camp at

Greenhall

There was an ongoing problem with commoners livestock falling into trenches and straying into camps.

Some cattle had to be killed.

By September 1917 more land had been dug up and planted with green vegetables.

In December the Military wrote to the Conservators stating that they needed 100 more acres of land for

food production. The conservators stated that no more than fifty acres could be used and three areas were

designated. The military were told that the commoners livestock had the right to roam and crops would

need protecting.

Area 1 ran from Wych Cross Corner towards Chelwood Gate, and Areas 2 and 3 from Wych Cross

towards Plaw Hatch, and between Prestridge and Hindleap Warrens, a strip on the south side of the road

to Plaw Hatch and two areas on the right hand side of the road.

When peace came returning troops were housed in the camp before demobilization.

All of the soldiers had left the camp by November 1919.

Considerable damage had been done to the golf course and the surrounding forest. In May 1920 the

conservators wrote letters to the War Department asking for compensation to cover the cost of the repair work.

The military only offered £1000 which was rejected by the conservators. The offer was increased to £1500. This was also rejected.

Eventually the claim was settled but not until1922, when a lower figure than the original two was

accepted.

For some time nothing was done about a memorial for the camp which is said had as many as 30,000

soldiers through it during the years 1914-1919. However the British Legion and Colonel Brownlow, of

Old Well Cottage, Forest Row decided that something should be done about the matter. After much

discussion it was agreed to site a stone memorial as close to the camp as possible. The stone was offered

by Mr. Douglas Freshfield of Wych Cross Place, Forest Row, the stone was prepared by Messers H. & E

Waters of Highgate Green, and the carving executed by Mr. H. Bacon of Crawley.

On Sunday April 4th

. 1926 the War Memorial of Ashdown Forest was unveiled in honour and respect for

the many thousands of troops who had encamped in the huts of the Yeomanry and the Artillery during a

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period from November 1914 to the spring of 1919, by Major-General, Lord Edward Gleichen, K.C.V.O.,

C.B.,C.M.G., D.SO. of Court-in-Holmes, Forest Row. A large assembly of people had gathered for the unveiling, including several ex servisemen, who

assembled at Greenhall, under the command of Major-General Clifford Coffin, V.C. C.B. D.SO., and

marched to the Memorial, preceeded by Forest Row Band, conducted by Mr. O.H. Taylor. A simple

service was conducted by the Rev. W.G. Newham.

Since that time Legion poppies have been placed beside the monument on every Armistice Day.

In the 1980s Mr. Nigel Woodrow of

Forest Row placed an appeal for

information regarding the Forest Row

Army Camp in the Western Front

Association magazine. Contact was

made which resulted in a visit to the

Memorial and Forest Row Cemetery by

officers and men of the Bolton Artillery.

Mr. Nigel Woodrow is with soldiers of

the Bolton Artillery

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Joseph Ratcliffe is commemorated on the Bolton Artillery Memorial.

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Records from the War Graves Commission

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Maresfield Park Army Camp 1915 - 1925 Count Alexander Munster of Derneburg in the Province of Hanover inherited Maresfield Park Estate in

1899. The estate contained approximately 3000 acres of land with farms and outbuildings.

On 10th

. May 1915 by an order of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice the estate was

seized for the crown under the Trading with the Enemy Act, 1914.

Maresfield Park Prince Munster, wife and house guests

Maresfield Park Stables 1915

The War Department decided to use the Park as an army camp.

In October 1914 the first contingent of soldiers and horses of the Canadian Army landed at Plymouth.

Salisbury Plain became one large army camp, with some troops still under canvas at Christmas.

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The first day of February 1915 saw the formation of the Canadian Cavalry Brigade from the Royal

Canadian Horse Artillery, the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona’s Horse, and the 2nd

. King Edward’s Horse( the second regiment of a unit of the British Special Reserve ).

The Cavalry Brigade concentrated near Uckfield in Sussex, under a British Commander, Colonel J.E.B.

Seely.

The 2nd. King Edward’s Horse Regiment was raised in 1914 and funded by Lt. Colonel John Norton -

Griffiths, (later Sir John), who was commissioned with the rank of Major. He had fought in the Boer War

and was a Conservative Member of Parliament.

By March 1915 Maresfield Park Army Camp was home

to the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona’s

Horse, the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and the 2nd.

King Edward’s Horse.

A tented camp was used by the soldiers in the early

months of the camp, until wooden huts were built.

In April 1915 the 2/1st Queen’s West Kent Yeomanry

moved to the camp and took over the horses of the Dragoons and Strathcona’s, since they were going dismounted to France. The 2/1st Sussex Yeomanry also

moved to Maresfield Camp.

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On 4 May 1915 the Dragoons, Strathconas and 2nd

King Edward’s Horse left Buxted by rail for Folkestone and disembarked in Boulogne on 5 May 1915. The Dragoons, the Strathconas and the 2nd

King Edward’s Horse fought as dismounted units until 27 January 1916, when it was remounted and

resumed its cavalry role as part of the 1st Canadian Cavalry Brigade.

The following article gives some insight into the thoughts of one frustrated soldier who I believe was in

the 2nd King Edward’s Horse Regiment.

A Bomb-Thrower in the Trenches

By Lieutenant Z of the British Army

( Scribner’s Magazine, July and August 1916 )

Lieutenant Z enlisted as a trooper in one of the new cavalry regiments at the outbreak of war. His regiment remained in camp all winter, waiting impatiently to be called to the front, and when spring came

and there was still no need for cavalry, they volunteered to be dismounted and sent to Flanders. There he was twice promoted for bravery, finally being offered a commision in his regiment. His regiment became

remounted and so he joined the Machine Gun Corps. Letters were sent home and printed in the magazine.

A letter was sent from Maresfield Park camp on 29 April 1915 to his sister.

Dear I,

We got news from the Colonel at about 2.00pm. today and I wired as soon as possible. The Colonel said

we would leave for the front, Flanders, the real front, on Saturday, but we go without our beloved horses.

Dismounted, foot-sloggers, bang into the trenches I suppose. But everyone is very pleased. My feelings

are those of ferocious glee. I had begun to despair. As cavalrymen we were dodos, out of date relics of

wars far past where small handfuls of men scuffled together. This is new war absolutely.

I can add nothing now but will wire as soon as I can

Goodnight,

Your always, F.

The next letter dated 8 May 1915 was sent from France saying that the brigade was intact and billeted in a large farm, with the Canadians in another farm close by.

The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery remained in Maresfield camp until July 1915.

Hansard, June 1915 records questions being asked regarding the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery who were still in Maresfield camp, bitterly disappointed at being left in England.

They asked if their 13 pound guns were the reason and could they have 18 pounders. Some of the troops

had absented themselves and stowed away to France with other units, only to be discovered and returned

to Maresfield camp.

A reply from Mr. MacMaster stated “ Is not the real reason for this action that Horse Artillery are usually

employed as accessories to Cavalry formations, and when the brigade commanded by General Seely was

dismounted and became Infantry the usefulness of Horse Artillery was so lessened”.

A coroner’s report from East Sussex records dated 3 July 1915 records the accidental death of Gunner

Alastair Smith McCallum, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. He was thrown from his horse while off-duty

at Maresfield camp.

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The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery left the camp

on 19 July 1915 by rail from Buxted to

Southampton.

Funeral of Gunner Alistair McCallum R.C.H.A.

Maresfield Camp

The Headquarter Office Fitters Shop 1918

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13th

Royal Canadian Regiment , C. Squadron Fancy Dress

This regiment landed in England in August 1915 and after training left for France in October 1915.

The West Kents remained at Maresfield until October 1915. and they were followed by the 2/1st

Hampshire Yeomanry.

The Machine Gun Corps was authorized in October 1915,

The Royal Engineers were in the camp in early 1916.

The Royal Sussex remained until July 1916.

In October 1916 a Cavalry Machine Gun Corps Training Centre was formed at Maresfield.

By 1917 No. 2 Royal Garrison Artillery Cadet School had been set up in the park.

In August a tunnel under a belt of fir trees adjoining Fords Green was

constructed, leading to a gun pit.

An outpost guard house on White House Hill 12ft x 8ft on six brick piers was built and connected by telephone to the camp. Sand bag gun

emplacements on Burnt Hill and Burnt Oak Bottom were connected by telephone to the camp.

Trenches were dug west of Duddleswell House and south of

Duddleswell and on Camp Hill.

Permission was granted from the conservators for the military to cut coarse heather for bedding for the

horses. 37 loads were collected at 1/- per load.

On August 1st 1917 Ralph Vaughan Williams joined the No. 2 Royal Garrison

Artillery Cadet School at Maresfield Park with the rank of private. He listed his

occupation as doctor of music.

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Most of the cadets were more than twenty years younger. He turned 45 while at the school.

It was a noisy place so he took a room in a cottage outside the grounds where he could work in privacy and silence. This arrangement was secret, for cadets were supposed to remain inside the grounds. A hole

was made in the hedge, disguised with removable branches, through which he and a select group could

come and go without passing a sentry.

He was commissioned on 23 December 1917 with the rank of second lieutenant.

On 1st March 1918 Ralph Vaughan Williams embarked from Southampton for France, where he remained

until the end of the war.

The official listing for the Royal Artillery in November 1918 has the Royal Garrison Artillery, No. 2

Officer Cadet School at Maresfield Park.

There was still a military presence in the camp after the war ended. In July 1919 an advance guard of

Royal Engineers arrived at the camp. In 1920 Maresfield became home to the Signal Service Training

Centre and the Army Signal School. Later in 1920 on the formation of the Royal Signals these were

retitled the Signal Training Centre and the School of Signals. The latter was for officer training. It moved

to a permanent location in Catterick in1925.

Maresfield Park Estate was advertised for sale in 1924.

This plaque is inside Maresfield Church

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Map used with the sale details of 1924

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Chapelwood Manor Nutley Chapelwood Manor in Nutley was one of the homes of Lord and Lady Brassey.

During the war it was used as a convalescent home for returned wounded soldiers.

Nurses and patients enjoy stoolball

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Thomas Strickland, centre row, second soldier on the right, at Chapelwood Manor, 1914.

From the Bolton News, February 2014.

Thanks to a 100 year old handwritten account of soldier Thomas Strickland’s experiences we know that

he was at Chapelwood Manor for five weeks. Thomas was wounded on 26 August 1914 during the

retirement from Mons and eventually arrived at the Royal London Hospital on 30 August 1914.

He writes

“During our stay we were visited by the Royal Family, chatting with us and sympathising with us in our

adverse circumstances and gave us very cheery encouragement.

After being in this hospital for three weeks I found myself making very good progress and was very much

improved in health so that I was sent as a convalescent to Lord and Lady Brassey’s home at Chapelwood

Manor, Nutley Sussex to whom I am indeed indebted for a happy and beneficial stay of five weeks

duration”.

Thomas never returned to the front.

Siegfried Sassoon (1886 – 1967)

Siegfried Sassoon was born at Weirleigh, near Paddock Wood in

Kent. After Marlborough College he went to Clare College,

Cambridge, but left without a degree. For the next eight years he led

the life of a country gentleman.

At the outbreak of the First World War he enlisted as a cavalry

trooper in the Sussex Yeomanry.

In May 1915 Sassoon became an officer in the Royal Fusiliers. He

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was sent to the Western Front and in June 1916 was awarded the Military Cross for bringing a wounded

man back to the British lines while under heavy fire. After being wounded in April 1917 he was sent back to England.

He had grown very hostile to the way the war was being run, and this was reflected in his poetry.

Although hostile to the war he continued to fight in Palestine, then France.

Further injuries forced him to return to England.

He spent a period of convalescence from 12 May 1917 to 4 June 1917 at Chapelwood Manor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Introduction The Military on Ashdown Forest 1793-1925 Photographs

The Duke of Cambridge Wikipedia

St. John’s Common The Weald Website

Crowborough 1912 The Weald Website

West Kents pre 1914 Website History Event Number 2 Crowborough

Chelwood Gate Military Camp. Danehill Historical Society

Crowborough Army Camp

Photographs and extracts from Rifleman Hubert Brown’s WW1 Diary by kind permission of his

grandson. Website robinlodge.com

The Henry Williamson Society

Jack Widdicombe WW1 Letters Website jackswarletters.wordpress.com

Douglas Walter Belcher Wikipedia

William John Sydney Simpson, MC Website livesofthefirstworldwar.org

Camp Hill The Weald Website

Crest Hotel The Weald Wbsite

Leslie Frost Wikipedia

The Canadian War Diaries

34

The Letters of Leslie and Cecil Frost

Hand drawn plan of the camp Website Images of a Forgotten War.

YMCA Hut Nigel Woodrow and the Weald Website

QVR’S Photographs Website wartimememoriesproject.com

Crowborough Hut Interior Kent and Sussex Courier

YMCA Hut in town Kent and Sussex Courier

Forest Row Army Camp Photographs

Photographs and documents reproduced by kind permission of Nigel Woodrow

Ashdown Place The Weald Website

James Hepple Kind permission of his grandson

Forest Row Cemetery Documents War Graves Commission

Maresfield Park Army Camp Photographs of Maresfield Park Mansion and other views The Weald Website and Nutley Historical

Society

Photographs of soldiers and horses reproduced by kind permission of Mick Harker

Ralph Vaughan Williams Wikipedia

The Canadian War Diaries

Chapelwood Manor Nutley Photographs of Chapelwood Manor Website of Nutley Historical Society

Convalescent photographs Mick Harker and Danehill Historical

Society

Siegfried Sassoon Wikipedia

The Bolton News February 2014