Retro: Take a look back at photos from Eastbourne during the war years

Eastbourne is thought to be the most bombed coastal town in the South-East, having sustained 112 attacks in the Second World War.

Between July 1940 and December 1941, more than four hundred bombs were dropped in the area, according to VisitEastbourne.

The worst bombing raid on the town took place on April 3, 1943 when 10 enemy aircraft dropped 12 bombs on the town centre.

Prior to this, in 1939, Eastbourne was considered a ‘safe zone’ and even welcomed thousands of evacuees from London.

See below to view photos of life during the war and the destruction left behind by the bombings.