HMS Forward (1939 shore establishment)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Forward.

HMS Forward
Newhaven, East Sussex
Site information
Type	Royal Naval Headquarters
Controlled by	United Kingdom
Location
HMS Forward
Coordinates	50°48′19″N0°03′28″E / 50.805253°N 0.057715°E / 50.805253; 0.057715
Site history
In use	1940-1945
Garrison information
Garrison	Royal Navy

HMS Forward was a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy during World War II. It was based at South Heighton, just outside Newhaven, East Sussex.

Service history

Based in a former Guinness Trust Holiday Home, ^[1] Forward served as the command centre for all Royal Naval establishments in the area and was responsible for:

• HMS Marlborough, the Electrical Training School at Eastbourne.
• HMS Forward II (renamed HMS Aggressive in 1942), the Coastal Forces base at Newhaven.
• The Combined Operations Landing Craft bases of HMS Newt at Newhaven and HMS Lizard at Shoreham and Hove.
• HMS Vernon (R), the Torpedo, Mining & Electrical Training Establishment at Roedean School, Brighton. ^[2]

In 1941 a complex of tunnels were constructed 20 m (66 ft) underground to house a centre which plotted all shipping traffic in the English Channel between Dungeness and Selsey Bill, in conjunction with the coastal radar chain. ^[3]

Forward was decommissioned on 31 August 1945. ^[1]

References

1. Ellis, Geoffrey (2011). "The Guinness Trust Holiday Home (a.k.a. Denton House) 1938-1996". Our Newhaven. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
2. Ellis, Geoffrey (2011). "HMS Forward". Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
3. Ellis, Geoffrey (2011). "Royal Naval HQ, HMS Forward, Newhaven, 1939-1945". The Secret Tunnels of South Heighton. Retrieved 5 November 2011.