“You couldn’t go on the beach. We didn’t take the boats out. The fishing boat that I took over was pulled up on the fishmarket beach, and there it died. It just rotted away.
And underneath the walk, along by the Aquarium, there was big, massive tanks of petrol, ready to roll into the sea, to set the sea alight in case of invasion. I suppose they must have held about ten thousand gallons. They were all the way along underneath the promenade.”
When the Germans occupied France in the Summer of 1940, Brighton became a front-line town under direct threat of invasion from the sea.
Individual citizens were told that when the invasion was signalled by the ringing of church bells, they should keep off the roads (to free them for military traffic) and walk towards London wearing bright clothing, so they would not be shot by mistake as advancing German soldiers.
“Preparation for invasion meant they removed things like signposts, which would help the enemy to find out where they were, and go to place to place if they actually made a landing. It was really quite a silly idea, if you think of it, the military after all normally have maps from some source or other, and would know where they were, whereas the local population tended to be totally foxed when the signs were removed.”
Cross over Kings Road using the pedestrian crossing and turn into Ship Street by the West side of the Old Ship Hotel. Continue along Ship Street and continue left into Dukes Street. At the end of Dukes Street, turn right into West Street and walk up the hill until you reach the Clock Tower.