Category: 20th-Century

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3rd Shoreham Scouts

A Brief History

The 3rd Shoreham Sea Scout Group was formed in 1919 by William L T Roberts a Cornish seaman who settled in the town at the termination of the First World War. In 1923 he joined the Metropolitan Police, later transferring to the Thames River police. The first recorded Group Scout Leader was Captain C T Keigwin, R.D, R.N.R, F.R.G.S, also a Cornishman, appointed in 1929.

In 1919 the Sea Scouts occupied a small shack situated on the Surry Hard. The shack was originally used by 1st Shoreham Scouts from 1911. During the First World War the number of Scouts dropped and by 1918 the 1st Shoreham Group fell into abeyance. 3rd Shoreham Group took over the building from 1919.

Original shack 1919-1939 Brighton Road adjacent Surry Hard
Surry Hard 1932 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW039497

It was in 1939 that the Group adopted the title ‘Sea Scout Ship Terra Nova’ after R.F. Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, officially known as the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913

In 1939 a new HQ was built from a second hand aircraft designers’ building acquired from the now famous F G Miles the British aircraft designer and manufacturer. This was sited in the Shoreham Urban District Council works yard in Ropetackle.

Ropetackle site in 1949 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW022247
The Ropetackle hut 1939-1980. Note the davit on the left which swung over river wall and the rail viaduct signalling in background.
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Aerodrome c1913

A collection from Alex Robertson. The early days of aviation at Shoreham.

For a detailed article on the earliest days of aviation at Shoreham visit here.
For a graphical timeline of the expansion of the aerodrome site visit here.

Mr AV Roe’s planes at Shoreham Aerodrome c1913
Mr AV Roe’s planes at Shoreham Aerodrome c1913
Mr AV Roe in 1913 at Shoreham Aerodrome.
c1913. The 1912 Burga Monoplane built by AV Roe and test flown at Shoreham in Nov 1912. Damaged in an accident a month later
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Airco crash Lancing

Nelson writes:
It’s been some time since I last saw this photo and don’t think it has ever appeared on our forum before – even if it has it is probably worth another look.

Lancing Clump in the background. Decorative board on the left probably advertising a new estate of houses and behind it the intended buildings have been staked out. In the centre is what appears to be a tractor surrounded by debris ……. until you realise the tractor has a propeller attached to it and uniformed (RAF?) men clamber on the wreckage to load broken aircraft wings on to a lorry. The aircraft looks much like an Airco DH9A used by the RAF from 1918 to 1931 that has come down in Lancing on an approach to the airport.

captioned: Clearing up aircraft wreckage. Worthing to Brighton Road. June 18th 1927
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Brussels Grounded 1922

A photo that unusually records both the grounded SS Brussels and the last of the two mystery towers before it was demolished – July 1922

The lifeboat house and lifeboat had been  moved to the beach in 1892 after the build up of the bar had prevented the lifeboat from leaving the harbour. They were returned to Kingston after the bar had been cleared and after that photo was taken. Holloways of Shoreham were involved in harbour reclamation work in 1925 which seems likely to have included clearing the bar.

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Residents in Adverts

Hadfield’s advert featuring early 1900’s Old Shoreham farmer William Norman and his massive mangolds! In 1910 another Shoreham character that featured in an advert was Myrtle Winton who’s husband Reg Eley ran a motor cycle business in Shoreham. This over-pasted and grubby insertion from the ‘Motor Cycle’ magazine in the Winton family scrap book is nevertheless an interesting relic perhaps.

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Bungalow Town 1946

An interesting panorama of  four photos sent to us by Chris Mead. Taken by his father in 1946 from one of the flats above the shops in Ferry Road it looks out westwards across a barren landscape following the wartime clearance of most of the bungalows. Amongst those that survived were West and East House(s) on the extreme right. Just beyond the old sports club are two house boats, the one on the right is Skylark and to the left of it is what looks like an MTB that to me is very similar to one that survived until recent years – perhaps someone remembers it’s name? 

Why were the two bungalows in the centre of the view left untouched I wonder? The smaller one was named ‘Barge’ but the larger doesn’t appear to have been named and is just noted as  No. 81 on the BT Properties list.

Lastly, along the shore can be seen the anti-tank blocks that were removed a few years later – the lower photo of blocks at Lancing gives an idea of them closer up.
 

Ferry Road 1946: Sussex University Geography Dept.
Old Fort Road 1946: Sussex University Geography Dept.
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Bungalow names

Some bungalow names added to a 1930’s photo. (Incidentally, Skylark was actually a boat pulled out of the water to become a land dwelling, you can just make it out in the enlargement.)