The Second World War

Second World War- 1939-45
During ‘The Phoney War’ from September 1939, preparations were made. These included organising life for the inhabitants of the town, such as: air raid drills; vehicles being requisitioned for war service; evening classes on Civil Defence; training houses for practice in such things as gas warfare; appointment of air-raid wardens and a Civil Defence Controller; the organisation of the ambulance, demolition and fire services; the food office; identity cards; blackout arrangements for houses and vehicles; sirens, public and private shelters; water supply - piped and static tanks, and railings pulled down and used for scrap metal.

After initially receiving children from London for their safety in September 1939,- until spring 1940, Rye’s children were evacuated in July 1940 - mainly to the Bedford area.

1) Dunkirk Several ships from Rye went to help in the evacuation of the troops from the Dunkirk beaches in June 1940.

2) The Battle of Britain
In July, August and September 1940, THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN was fought in the skies above this area. The ‘Few’ took off again and again from grass airfields on the edge of Romney Marsh such as Lympne and Hawkinge. Their aim was to stop the Luftwaffe destroying British airpower and bombing the cities, especially London. Several British and German aircraft crashed around here. The High Radar Station to the east of East Guldeford played an important part in this struggle. The Germans tried to bomb it unsuccessfully. RYE was a heavily defended area, but suffered several fatal bomb attacks.

3) Operation Sea Lion: The German Invasion Plan to Defeat Britain
On 2 July 1940, the German troops were told a landing in England was being considered, if they had air superiority. Hitler regarded Britain as defeated by then.

A) The German Navy had a narrow front invasion plan, whereas the Army had a wide front one, with 20 Divisions for defence and 30 for attack.

B) The original Army plan involved 3 assault groups:-
a) Calais assault group against Margate to Hastings by the 16th Army ‘A’.
b) Le Havre group against Brighton to Portsmouth by the 9th Army ‘A’.
c) Cherbourg group against Weymouth to Lyme Bay by the 6th Army ”B”.

C) The Navy’s Revised Plan: They organised two groups, based on this plan, each with three and later two, converted river barges for the Calais Group, to cross at the narrowest point. The barges would be towed by motor boats and landed. N.B. Dunkirk Harbour was still out of action.

In July the Navy said Assault Groups b) and c) in section B were impracticable.

D) The compromise. A compromise was reached by Admirals and Generals who had a meeting on a train to the Channel in August, that the a) Assault would proceed, together with a motor boat landing at Brighton.
The Army estimated 2-3 days, but the Navy 10 days for the First Wave - a great discrepancy!

E) The final plan. This involved the:- 16th ARMY and was to secure the bridgeheads ready for waves 2 & 3

Wave 1 - XIII Corps; 17th Infantry Division; 35th Infantry Division;
- VII Corps; 7th Infantry Division; 1st Mountain Division;