SECTION 17

 "SWING the LIGHTS".

Various Regimental Stories & Anecdotes

from the 35th Regiment of Foot.

The Royal Sussex Regiment & The 3rd Bn. The Queens Regiment.

A short film about the Royal Sussex Regiment on Snakes-Head Ridge,

Monte Casino, Italy 1944. - (Including the interview with the late Col. John Buckeridge of

"C" Coy, 1st Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment.)

                               My Dunkirk Story -"Just in Time"

                                    by the late Vernon Wareham

                                4th Bn. - May 1940 (2 Slides in all)

A MILITARY CAREER (PRECIS)

24245009 Cpl. David Wolfe - 3rd Bn. Queen` s Regiment 1971-1977.

(6 Pages - In his own words)

David Wolfe   6 Pages

End of Article - 3 Pages

End of article - 2 Pages

End of precis - 1 Page only

A Regimental Story by Steve BeanDelete comment

Spring of 1964. - At the recruiting office in Kingston, Surrey, I was painted a beautiful picture of "The Pearl of the Med" (Malta !), by the recruiting Sgt., so I signed on for 1st Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment. - I took my shilling and train ticket, and was in Canterbury the following week.
Members of my training platoon were :  Dave Sims, Stuart Hoods, Vic Raymond, (one of 3 brothers), Les "the bat" Deacon and Cpl Mike Sinden. - Passing out Parade saw me off, as best shot and best at PT; how proud I was.
After our arrival in Malta we were kitted out with KD `s and flown to out to Tripoli, North Africa within two days. - A day later, it was off into the desert to meet our Platoons in Tarhuna and go directly on exercise. - Note, no acclimatization or any kind of preparation. - It nearly killed us ! - One of us new bods landed in hospital. - Maybe he'll Tell his story upon reading this?  - Note from "the bat" - I dropped a rock on my foot & fractured it whilst making sangars out of Tarhuna. - I was in BMH Tripoli for 8 days, before returning to the Regiment in Tarhuna.)
Back in Malta we were on continuation Training with "D" Coy (Instructor was Cpl. Colin Rhodes), after which I was "Volunteered" for the Officers Mess Staff.
After Malta I was in N.Ireland and did a N.C.O's cadre, with Dilly, under the keen eye of RSM Charly Pace.

After being promoted L/Cpl, we moved off to Lemgo, Germany.
After a few months I applied to be re-enstated to a Private and return to a Rifle Company. - I got back to "B" Company and was severely interviewed by Maj. "Piggy" Rixon. - I felt like a criminal ! - "How dare I even think about reverting to Pte.?" - So, I then spent some time in Dilly's section, completed another N.C.O's cadre under Sgt. Tom Scott, and had various jobs in "B" Coy.
I completed a German Language Instructors course in Dortmund and instructed in Lemgo and Detmold. 

I completed a driving course in Padderborn as a Ferret driver, and later a Signals Cadre. - ! was then in Sigs. Platoon in "B" Company till my demob in 1970. -  I cherish my time in the Sigs. Pln. to this day. - So many good friends and the best mate I ever had, Bren Webb. - He was also my best man, when I married Hanne in Lemgo in 1969. - (Hanne & I, are still together !).
Hope this lot of gobble might be of some interest. - To me, my time with 1st Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment & 3rd Queens, means a lot. - I have met up with many at re-unions since and hoping for such in the future.

All the best, .....

24005895 L/Cpl. Steve Bean - "B" Coy. & Sigs Pltn.

Saturday, 22nd January 2022, at 12:13. - (Spelling & Grammar, edited by "the bat")

A WW2 War Trophy of the 1st Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment.

from the Battle of Tunisia, 1943.

General Von Arnim` s Personal Staff Car (German Officer IC Africa)

Captured, with the General at St. Marie du Zit, Tunisia on 12th May 1943.

The contents of this article are copyrighted to the Webmaster & https://theorangelily.jimdo.com/

Article 1 - Photos from the service of

Lieutenant (QM) Sydney John Dudley Burgess

1st Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment - 1923 to 1945

FIRING DRILL FOR THE BROWN BESS (Short Land Pattern)

The skill that won the 35th the Battle of Quebec !

The gripping, but sad story of the almost complete destruction of the brave

7th (Territorial) Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment,

during their gallant rearguard action in France 1940, ("sacrificed" in the meadows, to save others on the beach)

Recruiting Booklet 

to the Junior Soldier` s Wing  (Bandsmen & Drummers)

The Home Counties Brigade Depot, Canterbury - 1960` s.

(The Royal Sussex Regiment is of course included)

(B)                                                Records of the number of

Soldiers who Fell (died) per month/week & Regiment 

from the Royal Sussex Regiment, during WW1.

(Records of the 2nd, 7th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th & 13th. Battalions)

(A)                                                            A Personal Story

The story of Pte. Albert John Harris,

9th (Shiny Ninth) Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment. 

SWING the LIGHTS - THE "BAT-GRAPHICS"

Digital artwork for the Regiment - by Leslie "the bat" Deacon.

Copyrighted for this website & associates, etc, .......Please, do not copy without permission.

SWING THE LIGHTS - SPECIAL EDITION

The work of - FORTUNINO MATANIA - A War Artist

Have a look at these incredible illustrations !

No...they are not photographs, neither are they taken from photos.

They are drawn freehand in situ, without help lines or pre-sketching.

They have all appeared public in "The Graphic" & "The Sphere" news periodicals.

For me,...he was the genius of realism.....are there perhaps, Royal Sussex soldiers shown ?

This collection is to mark the end of our Great War commemoration years.

I have all the original captions if needed. - There are over 70 frames, only a fraction of his work.

How does he do that ????

Method of Drawing/Sketching of the War Artist - Fortunino Matania. 

Uncanny !...........No help or construction lines - Realism, built out of a vivid personal "vision" ability.

FORTUNINO MATANIA - THE DRAWINGS

(Our collection shows only fraction of his work

SWING the LIGHTS No 0

The late Pte. Wareham`  s written account of his terrible time at Dunkirk.

SWING the LIGHTS 1

An account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the 2nd Boer War 1900- 1902

SWING the LIGHTS 2

The Road to Dunkirk by Glynn Brown

SWING the LIGHTS 3 -

An Obituary to a Friend by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 4 

The Newman Story

written by Les Newmam - edited by Les Deacon.

SWING the LIGHTS  5 

The Best Cap-Badge by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 6

Various Regimental Themes by Martin Mills

SWING the LIGHTS 7

Regimental Memories  written by Ray Hawkes - edited by Les Deacon.

SWING the LIGHTS 8 

Korea Revisited by Arnold Schwartzman OBE RDI

SWING the LIGHTS 9 

Casino by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 10 

Lemgo to Libya by Bill Kempton

SWING the LIGHTS 11 - The Regimental Timeline by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 12 

The Last Battle - Radfan written by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 13

The Robert Benner & Nick White Murders by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 14 

Short Stories

from Bob Bumstead, Mick Gilbert, Geoff "Ernie" White, & Robert "Jonah" Jones

SWING the LIGHTS 15 - Medals

Chris Rollason MBE & "The Order of Wear & Precedence " by Les Deacon

SWING the LIGHTS 16 

Stornoway Barracks (Lemgo) revisited !

SWING the LIGHTS 17 

Part of the Pte. Harry Etherington`  s account of 

"THE RACE TO SAVE GORDON"

SWING the LIGHTS 18 - LIFE & DEATH ON SNAKESHEAD RIDGE

An account of the Battle of Casino by the late, Col. John Buckeridge MiD

SWING the LIGHTS 19 - A RARE ARTICLE

about the Regiment at Palace Barracks NI in 1960.    

By courtesy of the magazine "Forward".

SWING the LIGHTS 20

DID YOU KNOW ? 

"Secret" 58 Pattern Webbing items existed.

(They COULD have been issued, although manufactured & stored, MOD Admin still bungled it, so they were```  nt)

SWING the LIGHTS 21

UPDATE - GENERAL VON ARNIM`s STAFF CAR - 23rd Aug 2017

After refitting the engine, it fired first time, after 30 years in the damp Redoubt

and 74 years after capture !

SWING the LIGHTS 22

" The Anson/Ascher Story " 

SWING the LIGHTS 23 - A Dunkirk Story 

Sgt. Dennis Jenner MBE,

4th (TF) Bn. Royal Sussex Regiment, from Haywards Heath.

SWING the LIGHTS 24

A post from this website, about the  "Witchhunt" goes viral, all over the Web !

SWING the LIGHTS 25

Su Paine  & the legacy of her father, the late Cpl. Nick “Pancho“ White

                   SWING the LIGHTS 26

Mayor of Richebourg is granted Freedom of Worthing.  

Freedom of Worthing honour for Richebourg Le Avoue.

SWING the LIGHTS 27

Cpl. Fred Goode`s

account of Mysore, India with the 6th (Cyclists) Bn.

SWING the LIGHTS 28

Home Guard Pamphlet for the Bren Gun

SWING the LIGHTS 29

The poem "IF".

An anonymous gem from an unknown Second Lieutenant !

SWING the LIGHTS 30

The Story of Sgt. Bruce Hoad BEM & "Operation Florian"

4th/5th Bn.Royal Sussex Regiment/5th Bn. Queens Regiment (TA)

                                             Swing the Lights No 31                                                     

VERY RARE 

"Hart` s  Army List 1892 "

Famous list of all Regimental Officers of the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1892, their promotion, careers, roles & decorations.

SWING the LIGHTS 32

Various  Regimental lost gems of interest from " The bottom of the Archive"

A sort of "Treasure Hunt for everybody" by the webmaster

SWING the LIGHTS 33

A Detailed Regimental History (Martineau)

1701 to 1815 - " The First Hundred Years ".