A 'chocolate bar' ramp to load tanks

Henry Howard, the Thomas brothers and so many other workers slogged so hard to do the impossible that I think a few words should be written about their efforts from the start of the 1960s.

This quite magnificent air view shows clearly up the river towards Piddinghoe.

Here at this delightful village was a large wharf, where tip-up trucks would empty themselves of clay into a barge, which would be towed up the Ouse to Lewes Cement Works where the valuable material would be unloaded to be used in the making of cement.

This performance had been going on for many years resulting in the creation of the fine sailing lake which exists there today.

At the very bottom left of the photo, note no yacht club has yet been built.

Go left and up a little and a building can be seen which could be a boathouse or oversize garage.

Compare its location with 1930s pictures portraying the Ark House. Was there some 'squatters' rights or the like over this little portion of land, or just a separate ownership which was excluded from the Harbour Company's ownership?

That building seems to exactly occupy the land on which the old Ark House barge was located from its arrival circa 1813.

Above the yacht club to-be-area was the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve boathouse with its own slipway into the river.

Above this can be seen the long length of bank which originally went all the way up to the swing bridge before Sleepers Hole was opened up at the turn of the 19th century, so that lay-by steamers and dredgers (and later yachts) could be accommodated there.

Note there are two landing stages there; they were intended for dangerous cargoes. That may have meant petroleum or, perhaps, explosives for the Fort.

Beneath the water was a chalk 'hard' where even Channel steamers could sit for examination or repair at low tide.

The two main catwalks of floating berths can be seen leaving the shore from left to right.

At the Fort Road end a loading ramp to be used by tanks for the Dieppe Raid was established in 1942.

Recent research has found that though the Churchill tanks were intended to be transported from there, nothing left for what was called Operation Rutter and the craft were returned to Portsmouth.

On the decision to rehash the plan, the craft came back for the August 19, 1942 raid named Jubilee. The tanks were taken over to France but were not landed on the beach. Landing craft from Shoreham had left earlier and discharged their tanks, but these were hopeless on the shingle. There was no point in landing more and risking the loss of valuable landing craft, which as it happened were to see service in Sicily, Italy, and on D-Day in France.

It is almost eerie how little items like this surface through the interest of an ex-soldier or maybe his son, as happened in this last instance.

The informant was a mechanic on one of those landing craft. He quoted the two visits of the craft and the museum records were able to confirm the dates, times, tide and weather states of the two occasions.

The sailor hopes to come here and see again the old 'chocolate bar' ramp down which the tanks were driven into his craft.

PETER BAILEY

Peter Bailey is curator of the Newhaven Local and Maritime Museum based in its own fascinating premises in the grounds of Paradise Park in Avis Road, Newhaven. Winter opening hours are Saturdays and Sundays, 2-5pm or by arrangement. Admission 1 (accompanied children free). Contact the curator on 01273 514760. Log on to the website at www.newhavenmuseum.co.uk