Hastings Pier in WW2, continued - Derequisitioning

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370 with permission

Not only were formal documents and procedures needed to requisition the piers, but also to reverse the process.

However, the army was unwilling to derequisition some of the piers under its control.  The War Office issued orders to all commands in November 1943, to submit lists of requisitioned piers and whether control of them could be relinquished.

As a result, of the 53 requisitioned piers in Great Britain at that time, 18 were found to have no operational value as of December 1st 1943.

South Eastern Command's response was that both Brighton Piers and and that at Eastbourne were under its control, as well as some in West Sussex and Kent, stating: "It is NOT considered operationally desirable that any of these piers should be de-requisitioned."

This indicates that St. Leonards and Hastings Piers had already been handed back. There had been some great confusion over the latter in 1941 however.

In August, the War Office had noticed that the Hastings Corporation had cut out an new 40-ft section, effectively severing the pier from the promenade.  This, it was argued, was contrary to Defence Regulations, as the Corporation had prevented access to property that the War Office might want to occupy.

The graphic below explains the situation and is based on a sketch drawn at the time.

Hastings Corporation owned what was known as the 'Parade Extension', but the pier proper was owned by the Hastings Pier Company.  Both had been served requisition notices, and the army cut the main gap.

The Corporation rejected the charge against them and it was discovered that a local military commander had, in fact, asked them to undertake the work in May 1941, so that the promenade could be completely sealed up with barbed wire entanglements.

It was not until late 1944 that all piers were allowed to be handed back to their respective owners; on 21st December, the War Office issued the following order:

...it is now considered that the operational necessity of the retention of piers for defence purposes has now ceased...

The Hastings Promenade Extension was still the subject of requisitioning confusion in May and June 1945.  The Corporation believed that compensation would be paid under an 'omnibus' agreement that covered all their property as one process.  However, the War Office maintained that the pier was not part of this process and demanded a separate claim form to be submitted.  How this issue was resolved is seemingly not recorded!

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued - Cryptic Camouflage

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370, with permission.

Eastbourne and Hastings Piers, and those at Brighton were subject to a mysterious project in late 1942.  The Royal Engineers based at Battle Abbey give us some information:

13th October: No.3 Section started work on job H.P. at Hastings Pier, where Major Woods, Captain Turner and Lieut. Love met Lieut. Evers at 08:30 hrs, who explained the job required, i.e., the screening off of the lower part of the pier. About 30% of the job was completed today.

The following day, job E.P. at Eastbourne Pier was begun, again, to screen the lower part of the pier.

Both jobs were to be completed by Saturday 17th October.  It is assumed that this entailed covering the piles and strutwork beneath the decking.

On 15th October, Hastings was 80% complete and Eastbourne 40%, but progress had been held up by a lack of cordage.  The 17th October deadline passed and it was another two days before the necessary cordage was delivered to the piers.

The work appears to have been completed around this time; nothing more is said of the matter until 7th November when the screens at both piers were lowered in tests.

Orders were received on 10th November that the screens must be lifted by the following night, which was duly done in the morning of the 11th.

The Divisional Engineer records "two sections rolling up the camouflage on Hastings and Eastbourne Piers.  The job is not the success it might have been."  The documents only give the above information. Was it some sort of unsuccessful trial at concealing something under the pier?  The screens were presumably at the shore end, where the cross-braces and risk of beaching would surely rule out landing craft being hidden there.

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370, with permission.

The photo below was taken by the Luftwaffe in 1940 and shows both piers, with Hastings on the right.

Both St. Leonards and Hastings had had their detonators removed in the wake of the Dunkirk emergency; they were back in position by 20:00 on June 5th. Three weeks later, orders were received to remove the decking from both piers. An 18ft gap had been cut in St. Leonards Pier using oxy-actylene equipment by July 12th, but the completion of the job is not recorded as complete until 23rd August.

However, both piers had been cut enough that, that by 17:00 on 1st August, the detonators and charges had finally been removed.

The cutting of the girders at St. Leonards had proved valuable to the army though; some RSJs  were salvaged and an RE unit used three of them to build a roof for a field gun emplacement at Rye. A year later, another Royal Engineers Field Company managed to build overhead cover for 12 artillery emplacements using RSJs from St. Leonards.

It's quite likely that similar reuse of materials from the other piers took place, but is not explicitly recorded.

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued

Requisitioning, June 1940
East Sussex Piers in wartime

On June 23rd, Eastern Command issued fresh instructions regarding the demolition of piers.  The Admiralty had struck back in the argument over who was responsible for the piers, and had pointed out that the first warning of an invasion might be German craft actually landing alongside the piers.  This would mean that it would be too late for the army to insert the detonators and blow the charges.

It was therefore preferable to cut out a bay from each pier as soon as possible to avoid this scenario.

Matters were later clarified by the War Damage Act, 1941 which stated that damage incurred due to preparations to meet enemy attack (regardless of whether the attack came) could be classed as war damage.

A December afternoon

Hastings Pier in Wartime–Second World War

Taken, with permission, from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370

Demolition preparations, May 1940
It wasn't until 10th May, 1940 that the Sussex coastline found itself potentially on the front line as the Germans launched their offensive in France and the Low Countries.

The earliest mention of the piers is in reference to their partial demolition on 13th May, when a report on Eastbourne, St. Leonards and Hastings Piers was compiled by a Royal Engineers field company based at Robertsbridge.

The reason for the proposed demolition was simple; in the event of invasion, it was feared that the Germans might try and use the piers to disembark troops and supplies from their ships.

The Germans, of course, were well aware of the piers;

Belts of Dannert wire were erected at the pier heads as the work in placing explosive charges theoretically proceeded; Eastern Command stipulated that one bay below low tide level and one above high tide should be removed.  The plan at this time was not to blow the charges immediately, but within three hours of the invasion warning being received.

Then, on 22nd May, the preparations were thrown into confusion as the Admiralty got involved.  As the Royal Navy was responsible for all defensive matters below high water mark, it was held that the demolitions were under its control.  Having been given orders by the Senior Naval Officer at Newhaven, the RE Company Commander reported his concerns to his Divisional superior, who promptly countermanded the Navy's orders.  The RE were not to undertake the demolitions on the Navy's orders, but, when required, the work was to be done by civilian contractors under RE supervision.

The following day the situation changed again, and the engineers were instructed to begin preparations; the orders for demolition were written out; the army would be responsible for ordering the ultimate blowing of the charges.

Explosives were collected and the RE finally set to work; at 18:30 on 24th May, the Brighton pier demolition charges were reported as completed.  At 06:00 the following day, the piers at Eastbourne, St. Leonards and Hastings were also ready for "hasty demolition."

Then on 27th May, the situation changed yet again; the detonators and explosives were to be removed from the piers!  This was because it was expected that the British Expeditionary Force would use the piers to disembark troops from the evacuation of Dunkirk.

The Dunkirk evacuation ended on 4th June without the Sussex piers being used.

Pier’s Progress #10 - From Hastings Independent Press

"The roof of the Bandstand Pavilion has been prepared for the zinc cladding. The sheets of zinc are nailed down and joined together with 'standing seams' (similar to those on a lead roof). The central section of roof is almost complete. The cladding of the domes is under way, and the decorative pole from the north dome has been re-instated.

Once the Bandstand Pavilion has been fully refurbished, it will be used as a restaurant. However, extra space is required for customer toilets and an additional kitchen area. Consequently, two small extensions ('pods') are to be added to the Bandstand Pavilion (on the western side). These 'pods' will be circular and flat roofed, and of a timber frame construction like the Bandstand Pavilion itself. The two extensions will be clad with wood from the old Pier deck. The south 'pod' will be built first."

See the full story at http://hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/2014/12/piers-progress-10/

December Newsletter

 

 

 

 

Happy Christmas from Hastings Pier Charity

Construction Update

The demolition of the Ballroom was successfully completed, ahead of schedule and the temporary scaffold road has been removed.  We have carried out the initial survey of the Pier Head steelwork to confirm what needs to be replaced and start the manufacturing process.  The repair work will start in the New Year and will continue through to the end of the Project.
Elsewhere, the repairs to the structure continue, with the temporary ‘rig’ progressing along the Pier to provide the working platform for the steelworkers. The steelwork to the main spine has now been replaced up to the Pier Head and when the deck is laid, it provides us with the access for the work. The old balustrade around the Pier Head is being carefully removed and is to be taken by Hastings Borough Council for use in the Country Park.
We are now making preparations for the start of the Visitor Centre construction in the New Year. There are six new piles to be bored to form the foundations, these will be drilled from the deck. We have just carried out a borehole investigation to establish the make-up of the ground beneath the Pier so that we can calculate how deep the new piles will have to be. On to the piles we will build a new steel structure to take the load of the new building.
Work on the refurbishment of the Bandstand Pavilion continues. The new zinc covering to the main roof and the two cupolas is being completed. Inside the building, the new floor structure is being built up and steel supports installed in the walls to form the openings for the windows. We have also treated all of the existing roof timbers with a fire retardant spray which will give it some fire protection. The new pod extensions on the West side are being constructed, these will form the new toilets and kitchen support areas, and they will be clad with some of the old timber deck.
Picture taken by John Cole wishing

Staff profile: Clive Wormald - Financial Controller
I started work in the Lloyd's Insurance Market back in the mid-seventies where I trained to be an accountant. In 2005, after 30 years of commuting to London I decided to take early retirement and to work locally in and around my home town of Eastbourne. I have had a several local jobs prior to this latest appointment, including working as a Disability Employment Advisor on a European Social Fund Project, a Town Clerk for Polegate Town Council and Chief Executive of Age Concern Eastbourne.
Undoubtedly this project is one of the most exciting and interesting things I have had the pleasure to be involved with. I believe the rebirth of the Pier will be a fantastic fillip for Hastings and I am proud to be associated with this unique adventure. 

Science On Sea

Science. The Pier. The Sea. All very interesting, super exciting and ever changing. If you like your science, and science near the sea, why not come along to one of our interactive educational and most engaging workshops.  They are just for you, for the Pier and all about the Pier. Hosted by Americano-Sussex Science Dude Brad Gross, these family friendly, engaging, all ages - bang smash boom pow type science workshop will leave you feeling like a breath of fresh air and to top it off there will be something to take home too.
FREE December 2014 to March 2015 every 2^nd Saturday of the month @ The Hub
Saturday 13^th December 2014
11am – 12noon or 1pm – 2pm
If you would like to book a place email or phone us 01424 435587

Help make sure your local school doesn't miss out!

We are in the process of setting up an e-Learning Network through which we want to reach all the schools in Hastings and the local area.
We will be using this email network to let teachers know about exciting and FREE opportunities for schools!
If you know a teacher that would like to be added please ask them to e mail: learning@hpcharity.co.uk

In Living Memory

Hastings Pier’s Learning and Education department are going to be starting work on a new and unique inter-generational oral history project called ‘In Living Memory’.
We are recruiting for a Coordinator for the project so if you know anyone with experience in community engagement and in gathering oral histories do encourage them to check out the recruitment section of our website.
The project will connect local school children with older people in our community and the students will train in oral history interview techniques and learn how to use recording equipment to gather people’s personal stories about the pier. The students will then use these stories to devise a piece of verbatim theatre which will be performed in Hastings.
If you have a great story to share about Hastings Pier and think it could be interesting for the project please e mail beatrice.rapley@hpcharity.co.uk with the subject line ‘In Living Memory’ and once the Coordinator is in place they will contact you.
Your story could become part of an original drama and you could be played by an actor in a re-enactment of your own story!
Photograph by Chris Parker

The Hub will be closing for 1 month from Sunday 14th December 2014 and will open again on Saturday 10th January 2015.  Have a fab Christmas and a great new year!

Quote from a contemporary newspaper, 6th August, 1872, reporting on the opening of Hastings Pier

“The handsome Pier which your lordship has so kindly consented to open may be taken as an additional proof of the desire of the residents of this place to render their town as attractive and beneficial as possible to the numerous visitors who are in the habit of resorting thither.

It was certainly a singular thing with respect to an enterprise of this novel character, which would have been almost impossible 50 years ago, and if steam and electricity had not brought Hastings so near the metropolis. It was originally intended to associate a harbour with the pier, but that part of the scheme had been abandoned.

It happened he [Earl Granville, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports] had not seen many of the most modern piers, but, as far as his experience went, he had never seen a more beautiful work designed for enjoyment, recreation, and restoration of health.  It appeared to him that this was a peerless pier – a pier without a peer, excepting, perhaps, the unfortunate peer who had the honour of addressing them.

He would only add further that he trusted the pier would give enjoyment, recreation, and restoration of health not to hundreds, not to thousands, but to millions of their fellow-countrymen, that it would give some reasonable profit at all events to the shareholders, who had actuated not so much by purely commercial motives as by an honourable public spirit, and that it would confer all the advantages upon that ancient town and delightful watering-place which the promoters of the undertaking had a right to expect.”

https://comestepbackintime.wordpress.com/2014/03/14/the-piers-bicentenary-celebrated-in-bbc-documentary-the-end-of-the-pier-show/

Hastings, East Sussex, from the East Cliff- painted 1881; Hasting Pier, opened 9 years earlier (W H Borrow)

New post on Hastings Independent Press

Pier’s Progress #9

 

SMOKE ON THE WATER, HASTINGS PIER FIRE - limited edition etching ...
www.ryepress.co.uk

The heat of the fire, combined with the Ballroom's own weight, caused the building's metal framework to buckle and twist in upon itself, effectively creating a giant spring.  This phenomenal tension played a key part in preventing the whole building from collapsing, but presented certain challenges for the demolition company. ………………

The highest section of masonry (on the east side) was considered the most vulnerable to spontaneous collapse, so work began here. This section of the building was 'hinge cut' at the base to produce a controlled collapse - just like felling a tree. Unexpectedly, this had no effect, and further cutting was required.  This also had no effect.  Finally, it was decided to use the crane's grabber to 'nudge' the cut section of the building. This was successful, and the fallen debris was later collected by the crane. …………….  See the whole story at The Hastings Independent Press - Pier’s Progress #9