The rivalry between France and Britain in the 1870’s again raised the fear of invasion. To meet such a threat, Colonel Ardagh laid out a defence scheme for the United Kingdom. His key assumption was that an invading enemy’s objective was to be London. His scheme recommended garrisons for the defence of naval bases and commercial ports, a mobile field army concentrated in the south of England and all volunteer troops not required for the defence of ports or naval bases to occupy positions selected for the defence of London. The most likely landing place, where an army would only be a few days march from London, would be between Portsmouth and Harwich; the next best stretch of coast would be between Great Yarmouth to Harwich. Thus, the Field Army, covered by its cavalry and the Imperial Yeomanry, were to be distributed along a front stretching from Aldershot-Gravesend-Colchester. Behind this front, a second line of 10 main positions was to be manned by Volunteers organised in...
Selsey Bombing Range, West Sussex (also known as Range 26 during the war and the Manhood Range or Earnley Range post war)
The Selsey Range was originally established in May 1941 in response to requests by Commands for coastwise armament training areas and an area was marked of Selsey Bill (which was an extension of the old Littlehampton air gunnery range) and was known as the Selsey Bill air firing area (Training Area A.F. 26). It was operation from June 1941. Subsequently, an addition to the Selsey Range was set up in the early part of 1943 as an air to ground range for use by squadrons at Tangmere (Training Area A.F. 26a). Clearance to use the range was given for the duration of the war only. In December 1943 it was decided to provide further facilities for low level and dive bombing practice within the same area and these facilities came into use in March 1944. In August 1944 the range was further extended for rocket projectile (RP) firing, which drew strong local protest. The RP facilities came into use in November 1944. It was not until December 1944 that live bombing faciliti...