Shingle Street Investigation - Full Story
The following letters were sent to the East Anglian Daily
Times over a period of several months when I recalled the experience
I witnessed serving in the LDV at the outbreak of the '39 '45 war.
I have set out these investigations in a series of letters sent to the
East Anglian Daily Times, which prompted some interest.
Although this subject about the attempt to land on the east coast at
Shingle Street had been under investigation by MPs
and other individuals over a long period due to the secrets act, no
conclusion was ever reached.
The following statements as to this vital phase of the last war and
the letters and phone messages received from the public proves beyond
any reasonable doubt the truth of this investigation and the statements
I have made.
Other publicity on this subject I am sure would prompt survivors more
closely connected with this event to come forward, it would then settle
this controversy before it is too late.
Ronald Ashford.
Ronald S Ashford
12 Linden Road
Aldeburgh
Suffolk
IPI5 5JQ
21st April 2000
The following story actually took place in August 1940.
I was a volunteer in the LDV before it was renamed to the Home Guard
and was one of thirty men serving under a First World War Officer named
Sir Basil Eddis.
After drilling without weapons for some three months we were issued
with 303 rifles and four clips of 303 ammunition clips holding five
rounds each.
Shortly afterwards a red alert was declared along the East Suffolk coast
and we were dug in behind a long brick wall facing the Aldeburgh marshes
and had knocked out firing slits every few feet.
It was a clear dark evening- about 9.OOpm when the heavens appeared
to open up to the south of Orford Lighthouse. In the Shingle Street
area we heard tremendous gunfire and explosions then a red glow filled
the night sky. Sporadic gunfire and the red glow lasted for several
hours.
Word came down that a German landing had taken place. This was later
confirmed by eyewitness accounts and the frightening story was of the
shoreline littered with burned bodies. It appeared that this landing
had been expected and we had been laying in wait. The seabed had been
laid with piping from the shore at intervals with flammable fuel. The
exact numbers of German E-boats and men that the regiment had laying
in wait is at present unknown.
The target was obviously the RADAR station at Bawdsey Manor, which had
just been perfected and was vital to our defence. The enemy would also
have known this. Further confirmation of these events was later given
by my friend Bob Burns who related a similar version of events at Shingle
Street to men he was posted with when he was called up in 1944. A Belgian
who had come over and joined our forces in 1945 and hearing Bob relating
the story, told him that he was living in the Belgian port area at the
time when some survivors had landed- badly burned bringing with them
many bodies.
It is my belief that Churchill had declared that these events must never
be made public. We had just been defeated in France and had lost guns,
tanks and transport. Much of our army had surrendered, some demoralised
men taken off Dunkirk beaches, many ships sunk.
Hess, Hitler's deputy had landed in Scotland with plans of conquest.
This may have been all that was needed at this time had the enemy succeeded
in landing and our determination to fight on collapsed in the light
of this knowledge.
Yet further confirmation of these events came from my mother's niece
who lived at Shingle Street and who was evacuated together with the
rest of the village at the beginning of the war. She had related eyewitness
accounts to my mother confirming these events.
R S Ashford
12 Linden Road
Aldeburgh
Suffolk
IP15 5JQ
11th May 2000
Head Reporter
East Anglian Daily Times
Dear Sarah Chambers.
Enclosed is a factual story, which I believe should be exposed especially
after 60 years of silence. A voice from the grave should not be allowed
to hide this vital episode from the last war any longer. I am not given
to exaggeration or inventing stories but the experiences I saw and heard
on this August night I swear are true.
I have been unable to trace any men I was with that night who are still
alive but I am sure that if you could run a story along the lines I
am about to suggest, there will be witnesses still alive and some with
facts handed down from father to son who will confirm what I have stated
especially around the Orford and Bawdsey area who were much closer than
I was to these events. The story to which I refer is as follows.
It has been rumoured that certain operations took place in the Shingle
Street area during the early part of the last war- around 1940. I would
ask that anyone with witness accounts or facts pertaining to these events
please phone or write to the following address; 12 Linden Road, Aldeburgh,
Suffolk. IP15 5JQ
If this operation had succeeded the whole outcome of the last war would
have changed. It is my belief that had the enemy succeeded in their
initial target- the destruction of the RADAR station, they would have
been able to hold the area for reinforcements and march on to Martlesham
aerodrome. The LDV would have offered little resistance at the time
as our unit had only two weeks previously been issued with 303 rifles
and we had not been instructed in their use.
If this raid had succeeded I am sure we would have lost the war. I state
this story to be true Sarah and I hope I have managed to impact on you
the seriousness of these events and the international implications had
they succeeded.
PS) I some four months ago related these facts to your editor but he
appears not to have acted upon them, probably due to the secrecy which
still surrounds them.
Yours faithfully
Ronald Ashford
The Editor
East Anglian Daily Times
Dear Sir.
R S Ashford
12 Linden Road Aldeburgh Suffolk IPl5 5JQ
18th May 2000
Further to the enquiry regarding the failed enemy landing in the Shingle
Street area in August 1940 to which I referred in my previous letter.
I have sent an account of these events to your reporter- Sarah Chambers.
To add further confirmation of this event I am sure word has been handed
down from father to son in the Orford to Bawdsey area and there may
even be surviving eyewitnesses. I ask that you print the following appeal
in your letters page...
It has been rumoured that a certain important event took place in the
Shingle Street area in August 1940. Would persons with any information
pertaining to this please write to me, Ronald Stanley Ashford, 12 Linden
Road, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. IP15 5JQ
Please note that I have made no mention of an enemy landing so I believe
it will be interesting to see if any information is forthcoming. I will
be sure to contact you with any further evidence.
As I previously stated, had this landing succeeded and the initial target-
the RADAR station had been destroyed, the enemy could have consolidated
the area and captured Martlesham aerodrome. I believe that reinforcements
waiting to land after the success the enemy had been hoping for, would
have dramatically altered the course of the second World War, especially
taking into account the depleted state that the home forces were in
at the time.
I understand your reluctance to take the word of a simple state educated
Englishman over people far more qualified to comment on such historical
events. For me though it is the secrecy surrounding these events, which
I find intriguing. What actually happened during this vital phase of
the war?
I can only offer assurance that I was serving my country from day one,
firstly as a volunteer in the LDV and then being called up for army
service late in 1940, serving in the Middle East through to Italy. I
have medals and documents as testimony to this. During the early part
of the war I kept my eyes and ears to these events and have done ever
since.
I would like to reiterate that I am not given to exaggeration or imagination
and I am confident that my appeal for information will not go unanswered.
Further, I would be most grateful for your acknowledgement of the points
I have made in my letters to you.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford
The Editor
East Anglian Daily Times Ipswich
IP4 1AN
25th May 2000
Dear Sir,
To carry on in the vein as my previous letter to you.
In May and June 1940 we had just suffered our worst defeat in military
history, our strength lay strewn over the roads of France, our tanks,
guns, transport lost, whole regiments surrendering, the remaining troops
were mercilessly pounded on the beaches of Dunkirk.
In July Hitler was waiting for a peace agreement he was sure would come,
our government had many defeatists in it such as Halifax, Chamberlain
and friends, only Churchill held out with no doubt some friends.
When Hitler realised by the end of July no proposal of a peace pact
was possible the plan to send a force to take out the Radar Station
at Bawdsey Manor was put into action, the intention as I see it was
not only to destroy this vital facility but to hold the area taken,
then advance to capture possibly Martlesham air port and or Bentwaters
(under construction), if this raid had been successful reinforcements
waiting across the channel would have consolidated in the area and what
with our weakness and at that time the strength of the German air force
the second world was would have been over as far as we were concerned,
but with foresight on our part with the events I have previously described
at Shingle Street we were saved, but were it not carried out- the defeatists
would have won.
I believe that is the reason Mr Churchill stated that this event never
took place and was never to be made public.
14th June 2000
Richard Smith Head Reporter
East Anglian Daily Times
Dear Sir.
The Shingle Street reports in your paper have had the desired effect.
It has jogged the memory of many people who have contacted me by phone
and by letter, some of which I have sent you previously. Further letters
are included with this correspondence. I believe that the mystery of
events, which happened on this Saturday night in August 1940, is now
solved. I relate these events as follows:
The German High Command ordered preparations for a landing along a six-mile
stretch of coast between the mouth of the river Ore to the Harwich Harbour
with the RADAR installation and air bases as prime targets.
The first wave of troops was dressed in captured British uniforms to
confuse our defences. This force set off in barges, disguised to look
like P&O ferries.
I estimate that this flotilla must have included at least twelve large
landing craft with some hundred thousand troops. These would have left
from harbours along the Belgian and French coasts.
According to reports I have received, these forces were to rendezvous
on the Thursday and to proceed to the East Coast. The flotilla was detected
by our RADAR and/or spotter plane and was subsequently heavily attacked
by our air force. This caused many casualties and much confusion as
reports arrived of wounded being loaded on to the French railways to
hospitals-, which had been placed on alert.
This strike succeeded in reducing the strength of the attacking force
which, following orders- proceeded on regardless. The reduced force
attempted a landing along the Shingle Street - Bawdsey area. This met
with a "sea of fire" and our troops laying in wait along the
shoreline.
As I understand it, there were no prisoners probably due to the fact
that they were dressed in captured British uniforms belonging to members
of the massacred Norfolk regiment who had surrendered. We in the LDV
knew of this, so it is certain that our troops knew also.
These terrible events did more to strengthen our resolve to carry on
the struggle at a time of despair than Churchill could have hoped for.
News of the events was rushed through the armed forces like a bush fire.
If the attacking force had not been weakened at sea, it would most probably
have captured the port of Harwich and landing areas for their air force.
When news of their disaster reached the German High Command, the reinforcements
waiting along the Channel coast were stood down and not repeated.
The facts and rumours which persist to this day from 1941-3, regarding
a chemical and gas warfare accident carried out in this area were secrets
not to be revealed until 2021 when everyone who experienced these events
would be long gone.
This, to my way of thinking must not be allowed to happen.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford
R S Ashford
12 Linden Road Aldeburgh Suffolk
IP15 5JQ
18th June 2000
Richard Smith
Head Reporter
East Anglian Daily Times
Dear Richard.
I have added some further views of the events, which occurred on the
August night in 1940. I call it "What if."
What if our defences had not succeeded in repelling this landing attempt?
Our vital eye on the enemy- the RADAR installation at Bawdsey would
have been destroyed. The port area at Felixstowe and Harwich would have
been a vital resource to the enemy, as would the flat areas for aircraft
landing.
This well thought out plan I state here was formulated in 1938 when
the air ship the Graf Spee was allowed to photograph this vital stretch
of coastline.
The Second World War was well planned in advance. Hitler knew his plans
for conquest would only succeed owing to British and French weakness.
We ignored his mighty build-up of army and air forces in the 1930s,
only Churchill could see what had been planned but at the time he was
called a warmonger and sent into isolation only later to be reinstated
to save us.
What if?
There would not been a base for the American and our air forces to invade
in 1944. The German forces would not have been split to defend the countries
that were conquered. In other words the enemy would not have had to
fight on two fronts and the factories and supply lines would not have
been pounded by ours and the American air forces- to weaken that mighty
force.
His invasion of the mighty Soviet Union called Barbarosa, I will state
here would most probably have succeeded.
The German forces stood at the gates of Moscow and surrender was discussed.
At this vital time it was imperative for us to keep them in the war.
Russia took the brunt of the onslaught with terrible consequences in
lost lives and destruction but it had one vital effect to weaken this
colossal war machine.
It is difficult to appreciate the size of a force sent to conquer this
enormous country and at the same time able to hold vast areas of the
world, albeit with the help of people like the French quislings and
other conquered country's turncoats you can get some idea about Hitler's
boast that the Reich would last for a thousand years.
I am no war historian, the war had been written by far superior and
more important men such as Churchill but I have a problem with what
was left out, and this to me- the most vital event at Shingle Street
which nearly ended our participation in this war must not be a secret
any longer and "What If" must be made public.
These events in the Shingle Street and Bawdsey area definitely happened
and I have proof at last. It makes you wonder what the world would be
like today had "What If" not succeeded. The planners who designed
the vital defences along our coastline deserve the highest honours this
country can bestow.
Yours sincerely,
Ronald Ashford
The Editor
East Anglian Daily Times Ipswich
IP4 1AN
19-6-00
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed my final report on Shingle Street 1940. I have
recently received undisputed evidence on this landing attempt and as
near as possible to the time it took place.
This large force was detected on a Thursday either by Radar or spotter
plane or possibly both and was heavily attacked in the North Sea off
Bruges, the surviving force now weakened continued on course to reach
our shores on that fatal Saturday night in the middle of August 1940
with the disastrous results already stated.
A phone message and later a letter from an 82 year old farmer Mr Henry
Baldry said and I quote "Mr Ashford something has bothered me for
a number of years. I was at a dance in the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh
which was attended by many troops stationed in the area on a Saturday
night You had mentioned when there was a commotion, about 9pm an officer
grabbed the Tannoy mike and called out for the troops to muster outside,
he also said all cars will be commandeered, this order was rescinded
within an hour." My comment and view is the landing was in progress
and reinforcements were called for but the oil defence had been effective
so reinforcements were unnecessary. Another phone call and letter followed
from a farmer in the Beccles area and he said he had German prisoners
on his farm later in the war and he got to know them pretty well, one
in particular named Paul but could not remember his surname told him
he was in the German navy and as they were coming in towards land the
sea was set alight and as they were outside the fire line they escaped.
I have other letters and phone messages confirming the events, so there
is no disputing what took place that night.
Yours faithfully,
R S Ashford.
If you agree with me I see no reason why the public should not be informed
of this vital event in our history, by all the letters just a few I
have enclosed, also the numerous phone calls it has a lot of interest
to many people.
Please find enclosed information, which I hope, will help you to come
to a final summing up.
Yours Faithfully, R S Ashford
The Editor.
East Anglian Daily Times
Ipswich
IP4 1AN
28 - 6 - 00
Dear Sir,
I did not want you to think I had abandoned my investigations of the
1940 events described in previous letters without reaching a conclusion.
The letter enclosed dated 19 - 6 - 00 was to be a final summing up but
I have just received the two enclosed charts I have marked A and B so
I have to state my view as to this significant addition to this story.
Just as we partly surprised the German high Command as to our landing
sights in 1944 on the coast of France therefore splitting his forces
I have come to the conclusion the enemy was trying the same ruse with
us by making believe his forces were preparing to land much further
south of the vulnerable area already described.
The Battle of Britain was being fought over Kent for mastery of the
skies and no doubt our navy was also concentrating in this area leaving
the German High Command to believe the area around Shingle Street would
be less protected, much as it turned out to his cost.
I have at present been unable to obtain copies of a vital diary written
by Police Inspector Claude Rush who was stationed at Felixstowe from
1940 to 1945, copies of this diary was allowed in 1961 with two pages
missing, these were removed on Government instructions, the original
complete diary is under lock and key at Martlesham Police Headquarters,
the police officer in charge of the museum where it is kept is stationed
at Leiston police station, I
was informed he was on leave and attending a course to be made up to
sergeant, his name is Jackson. The two missing pages are dated June
1940 No 74-83 and January 1941 No 274-285.I am sure the information
contained therein would finally without doubt reveal all I have previously
stated.
If and when I obtain these two missing pages I am told I have to wait
until the middle of August I will send them on to you, also the letter
promised me by Mr Henry Baldry the farmer who verified the time the
landing attempt took place by the announcement made at the dance in
Aldeburgh on this Saturday night in August 1940 when reinforcements
were called for, at the same time our platoon witnessed the fire and
gunfire in the distance over Shingle Street.
Enclosed is conformation of this date from a young farmer Henry Baldry
who was at a dance in the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh that Saturday night
when there was panic when an officer announced all troops at this dance
muster outside and all transport to be commandeered, this order was
rescinded one hour later, this time corresponds exactly with what we
in the L D V experienced. I have also enclosed a phone message I received.
I have been promised a letter confirming the statement enclosed. I have
also mentioned the initial enemy force which set out from the Belgian
port was a massive attempt to hold the ports from Harwich to Yarmouth
and the airfields along this coastal area some 30 miles long. There
is and was no more suitable coastal area for invasion of these islands,
but for this fire defence we would have been overwhelmed, as I stated
this force was severely weakened by a heavy air attack off the coast
of Belgium, confirmation of this in a letter referring to reports of
enemy casualties sent to hospitals by commandeered French railways.
Sincerely,
R S Ashford.
The Editor
East Anglian Daily Times
Lower Brook St
Ipswich
IP4 AN
14 - 7 - 00
Dear Sir,
I have a feeling you have been stopped from publishing further revelations
on my investigations of the Shingle Street invasion in 1940.
These faceless bureaucrats should not be allowed to succeed in their
quest to stop the public from learning how close we came
to total defeat.
My efforts must not be allowed to fail, my time and expense and all
who helped me to uncover the truth must not be disappointed, we fought
two world wars for the freedom of the press and speech, the incineration
of enemy troops may be part of the cover up, but my view is they should
not have been there in the first place and what happened to them is
their own fault, their plan after all was to enslave us and put us under
foreign domination. I would ask you to think again about keeping these
events secret.
I have enclosed a letter which verifies the time the landing attempt
took place and I have just received a phone message from a Mr Charles
Miller who stated he was stationed at the very area in Bawdsey and witnessed
the boats trying to make a landing and the sea on fire.
If a secret especially after 60 years is allowed to take priority over
the truth in other words the suppression of the facts, the democracy
we are supposed to be living in is a sham in my opinion.
Beside the letter from Mr Henry Baldry I have just had an interview
with Mr Charles Miller, he is in very bad health, but he confirmed what
he saw that night.
The two missing pages from the diary of Inspector Claude Rush I have
previously mentioned may be impossible to acquire being in police hands,
it would most probably be suppressed.
You have now received all the information of these events in August
1940; I leave it to you as to how you handle it.
Yours faithfully,
R S Ashford
The Attempted German Landings in the Shingle Street-Bawdsey Area August
1940
I make this final statement as to why these secrets have been so difficult
to unravel due to the near disaster to our country after the biggest
military defeat in our history at Dunkirk.
I refer to the loss of our army and equipment and 60,000 men on the
beaches and the loss of 200 ships to get 260,000 men off. We claimed
this was a major victory to cover up the useless thinking and planning
by 1st World War generals with their 19th century planning, and men
sitting in fortifications such as the Magino line of forts facing the
German Sigfried line built especially to fool us to cover up the fast
moving Blitzkrieg tactics planned and victoriously carried out. To our
terrible cost it took three years to train a new army from 1941 to 1943
to bring us in to the 20th century.
We, as young conscripts were subject to battle school training, jumping
over ditches, climbing walls, being submerged in tunnels filled full
with water, crawling under barbed wire while live ammunition was fired
overhead and explosions going off all over the place. It took generals
such as Montgomery known affectionately as "Monty of the 8th army"-
I was proud to serve under to show the way to victory.
I often wonder if there are survivors of the times I lived through who
think as I do. I refer to this vital hour in August 1940 between 9.00pm
and lO.00pm when our fire defences saved all that we hold dear such
as our institutions, our way of life. In other words our freedom- we
nearly lost it.
The sacrifices of millions of young men you only have to visit the war
cemeteries to see the hundreds of thousands of crosses marking the young
lads cut off in their prime so that we could be free from domination.
I have other thoughts concerning the treatment of Russia after the
last war. This country with its terrible sacrifices made it possible
for us to defeat this colossal war machine. A country that helped us
in the First World War and a country that never fired a shot in anger
against us but every village and town in our land and over half the
world have war memorials commemorating the sacrifice of young men who
helped stop the German nations ambitions to rule the world.
These are my further thoughts on this subject.
Yours sincerely,
Ronald Ashford
R S Ashford
12 Linden Road
Aldeburgh
Suffolk
IP15 5JQ
28th June 2000
Dear Sir.
This statement is a final summing up of my investigation of events at
Shingle Street in August 1940, in it I trace the early reasons why and
how Hitler had planned the start of World War II.
He sent Rebontrov- his foreign minister to Russia to negotiate a peace
agreement, which he hoped, would allow him to invade Europe with out
having to fight on two fronts. In other words- a free hand after the
German army had inflicted our worst military defeat in history at Dunkirk.
German tanks stopped short of driving what was left of our troops into
the sea and Gering; Hitler's air force commander had pledged to finish
us off with their air force. We lost some 60,000 men on the beaches
and some 200 ships lost at sea. But in spite of this, the rescue succeeded
in bringing back some 250,000 men.
This is the history of the war published by many decorated and highly
qualified people but what was left out and not made public are the secrets
which I will set out below.
Following Hitler's victory celebrations in June 1940, Hess was sent
to Britain in July with a peace agreement. It is not believed that this
was worded in terms of surrender. It is well known that Hitler had a
certain admiration for the way the British Empire controlled half the
world at this time. His plans for further conquest centred on our future
non-involvement in the war. Like the agreement with Russia however,
this would only have been a temporary affair serving to give Hitler
a free hand to invade Russia- called Barbarosa, the plan for invasion
along the Eastern Front.
When Churchill gave his "No Surrender" speech, Hitler put
into operation the plan formulated in 1938 when the airship the Graf
Spee mapped this vital area of the mouth of the River Ore at Shingle
Street to the Port areas of Harwich, Ipswich and Felixstowe. The Bawdsey
RADAR and the flat land near the coast from Martlesham, Woodbridge and
Bentwaters were of great strategic importance. No other area in my estimation
held a more important potential as a landing area for a large air force.
If this campaign had succeeded in the weakened state this country was
in, our institutions our way of life and in short, our freedom would
have been lost possibly forever. Hitler's boast of the Third Reich lasting
for a thousand years could well have become a reality.
Our survival depended in most part by a very ingenious arrangement of
flammable liquid mixed to burn longer than ordinary petrol. This was
arranged using piping laid off shore along the seabed and barrels, which
were ignited using tracer fire and flares. On one Thursday in the middle
of August, a large force of enemy shipping set off from the Belgium
and French ports.
This was tracked by RADAR and heavily attacked by our air force. Our
pre-emptive strike weakened this task force very severely in my estimation.
This is verified by numerous reports of heavy casualties being carried
by the French railways at the time.
The invasion fleet was continuously traced to our shores and we knew
of the landing attempt within roughly an hour on the Saturday night
round about 9.OOpm. Our platoon in the LDV had been put on red alert
following the discovery of the German task force in the North Sea. When
it arrived- fortunately in the right area for the fire defences to take
effect, we were stationed along the marsh area at Aldeburgh and had
a clear view of the orange glow, which lit up the sky, and the gunfire,
which continued for several hours. The requests made earlier at around
9.OOpm for reinforcements at a dance being held in Aldeburgh had been
rescinded by 10.00pm.
If this vital hour for our survival is placed into its proper perspective,
it can be seen that the world as we know it could today be a different
place. If this force had not been reduced by our air bombardment it
could well have captured the port area and I firmly believe that the
oil defences alone would probably not have prevented a successful landing.
You will not find these events recorded in the history of the Second
World War- events which, if they had succeeded would have ended our
further participation in it.
A police inspector named Claude Rush stationed at Felixstowe from 1940
to 1945 wrote a diary of the wartime events but two vital pages are
missing, taken out on government instruction. I know where the original
complete diary is and I am currently trying to have a copy of these
pages made which I am sure will authenticate my statements.
I reiterate that if the full enemy force which set off from the Belgian
and French ports had arrived off our coast in August 1940, within an
hour between 9.OOpm and 10.00pm we would most likely have been overwhelmed
and terrible consequences would have befallen us.
The two copies of letters confirming the events are enclosed and I would
like to make clear that I have no reason to make up or exaggerate the
statements I have made. I have not asked for or received any financial
inducement for this investigation but I have to repeat there have been
numerous corroboratory statements from people who have contacted me
over this Churchill's speeches telling us we would "fight them
on the beaches." The landing grounds etc., were a fine morale booster-
in practice, these fine words would not have saved this country from
total defeat and lost our strength to push the enemy back into the sea
if they had succeeded in landing in force as was their plan.
Those in high positions who were seeking the peace agreement, which
had already been presented to them, would have given away our way of
life forever, our institutions and the very freedom we enjoy today.
This monumental time and the decisions taken to preserve our way of
life are testament, sufficient to say that if our defences had not held
on this vital night in August 1940 there would not have been any Normandy
landings in 1944 with all the consequences that would have had for Europe
and the world as we know it.
Yours Sincerely,
Ronald Ashford
12th September 2000.
The Editor,
East Anglian Daily Times.
Dear Sir,
I have written to you several times regarding the importance of events,
so far unpublished, regarding the historical times in 1940, and how
close we came to total defeat. I do not in any way belittle the brave
efforts of our airmen in the skies over the south of England, called
The Battle of Britain, but there was a far more sinister threat to our
freedom by the early planning of the last war by the meticulous way
the German High Command planned events.
From the early thirties, with their massive rearmaments programme, their
modern approach to fast moving warfare, with the air artillery ahead
of the tank, the dive bomber which overwhelmed the First World War thinking
of the French and British armies, dig in and hold; sacrificing young
lives for little gain.
Hitler knew, before his march into Poland to start the war Europe would
be under his control in a matter of months. He had, in comparison to
his onslaught, little opposition. I state these facts to prove the further
plans drawn up for the conquest of our country in 1938, as I have previously
stated in letters to you. The Graf Spee Airship which we allowed to
map this vulnerable coast line with the flat lands to the west of the
coast, the port areas from Harwich to Felixstowe, the radar stations
along this section of the coast, the further ports of Yarmouth and Lowestoft,
an enemy bent on invasion could not pick on a more vulnerable area.
The Battle of Britain was being fought mainly to draw our remaining
strength in the air and on the sea by the enemy threat to invade the
southern areas of our country- code-named Sea Lion.
But his main target was much further north along the east coast, which
he put into operation in the middle of August with the disastrous results,
which befell him, which I have previously described.
I do not and will not waiver from my investigations and the public help
in believing these statements are true. At no other time in our long
history was our way of life and freedom more at risk than on that Saturday
night in August 1940. With his superior air power he could sustain the
heavier losses he incurred but once he had established an airfield on
our soil we would have had no chance.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford.
2 - 10 - 00
Dear Richard,
Thank you for letter of the 23rd, the contents were interesting I agree
this important part of our history should have a wider circulation than
the E A D T.
I have received many letters and phone messages from surviving members
of the public who witnessed events like me, their memories were awakened
through my writings on this subject.
It would be interesting to hear from surviving members of the armed
forces who were involved at the time, after their involvement they were
dispersed into small units to the middle east and far east, it would
be assumed by these members of the troops involved that this event was
of little importance to the wider conduct of the war, being strangers
to the area you can imagine it would not have been to them at the time
a serious situation, one reason for the cover up to keep it secret.
Your statement on Rudolf Hess landing in Scotland on the date you said
is correct, it was known by me, my purpose to bring the date forward
(as I knew the editor of the E A D T would most probably not have known
the precise date) was to try and reinforce my statements of events for
him to publish the story, I had given him every chance to make this
public but I will take your advice and if you could contact a national
publication like the Sunday Times it would be of interest to a much
wider field, these events in 1940 when our very survival was at stake
must surely be more important than the schools teaching children ancient
history.
You probably realise the several letters I sent refer to the same subject,
this does not change, but as I received more information I kept on writing
down more facts so if as you say you could condense the contents into
an acceptable and interesting format I would like you to have full permission
from me to have it published any way you see fit.
If you sell the story, good Luck to you Richard.
The date I stated throughout my letters-mid August; I have racked my
brains for the exact date but the nearest date is between the 15th and
20th of August Saturday evening the vital time was 9.00pm to l0.00pm,
definitely not September- that is when I was called up for service.
Enclosed is conformation of this date from a young farmer Henry Baldry
who was at a dance in the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh that Saturday night
when there was panic when an officer announced all troops at this dance
muster outside and all transport to be commandeered, this order was
rescinded one hour later, this time corresponds exactly with what we
in the L D V experienced. I have also enclosed a phone message I received,
I have been promised a letter confirming the statement enclosed. I have
also mentioned the initial enemy force which set out from the Belgian
port was a massive attempt to hold the ports from Harwich to Yarmouth
and the airfields along this coastal area some 30 miles long. There
is and was no more suitable coastal area for invasion of these islands,
but for this fire defence we would have been overwhelmed, as I stated
this force was severely weakened by a heavy air attack off the coast
of Belgian, confirmation of this in a letter referring to reports of
enemy casualties sent
to hospitals by commandeered French railways.
Sincerely.
R S Ashford.
This statement is because of further information revised on 4-5-01
The facts from Ronald Ashford who witnessed the events at Shingle Street
in 1940 are as follows:
Firstly, I was there, so have knowledge of everything that went on in
Shingle Street in 1940.
The people who write these books such as "Shingle Street"
by James Hayward do not know a lot about the facts, he has probably
never witnessed these events and is too young to have been personally
involved, so he relies a lot on other peoples versions of what happened
and that is not always reliable. He is quoting from the official line
Mr Churchill allowed to be released regarding these events. It is a
secret not to be released until 2021! to protect the families of government
officials such as Halifax, Chamberlain and other MPs who tried to surrender
and enslave this country must not succeed. I state this secret has
now been exposed.
The German attempt which failed due to a sophisticated defence system
which overwhelmed them is a statement of fact. On pages 9 and 10 of
this book James Hayward states it was an exercise we carried out - rubbish-,
he also mentions the German pilot being removed from the sea, also various
regiments being in the area in June and July 1940. The vital time these
events took place was Saturday 31st August late evening, visual and
sound witnessed from Aldeburgh marshes we in the LDV were protecting
from paratrooper landings. The regiments mentioned in this book were
remnants of the once proud British Army, their main strength lay dead
or captured in France. The remnants snatched off beaches at Dunkirk
were a defeated and demoralized body of men of no help in defence at
this vital time. These remnants of the British Army were moved around
the coastal defences at short notice to give the British public a false
impression of strength and protection.
It was not until the Radar at Bawdesy and Darsham picked up the German
preparations at Zeebrugge harbour in Belgium for this landing attempt
on our coast. We sent one of our complete regiments, the East Anglian
Regiment for coastal protection along the Suffolk coast in August; this
was the force involved that vital night. You will see there is no mention
of this fact in this publication, this boy at the time had no knowledge
of this, and the secret even to this day was well kept. This regiment
after the event was split up and posted to the Middle East and Far East,
many were captured at Singapore without firing a shot, waiting for them
when the convoy docked was the Japanese army who had just accepted the
surrender of this vital base which resulted in many deaths and torture
at the hands of the Japanese. Two Aldeburgh men who survived, Darkie
Linsel and Stanley Shaw (sadly now deceased) could have told the whole
story.
Ronald Ashford.
12 Linden Road
Aldeburgh
Suffolk
The Editor
Mail on Sunday.
12-05-01
Dear Sir,
In enclosing this letter regarding the Shingle Street event.
I was brought up to take a fair view of events, to study both sides,
as in this case there are two points of view, both opposing views should
be studied and the public have a right to state their own conclusions
as to the story. If James Hayward was allowed to have his book published
because he toed the official line of the events at Shingle Street in
1940, while Churchill's history of the last war was allowed to be made
public and keep this vital secret I witnessed and have exposed not to
be made public until 2021 is not in my opinion fair assessment of the
opposing views.
James Hayward printed his book in 1994, if as I doubt he was born in
1940, he would have been a young school boy with no knowledge of these
events, his book contains the history of the area the government, on
Churchill's instructions made public. This secret of the true operation
which took place must now, after 61 years be exposed.
The book in question is called Shingle Street: The Nazi Invasion that
Never Was, such a bold statement in my view required my reply. My efforts
to have this secret exposed have been thwarted by officialdom.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford.
The Editor,
Mail on Sunday
12-5-01
Dear Sir,
I have enclosed a letter referring to a project I have been investigating
for several months; it concerns an enemy attempt to land at Shingle
Street on the Suffolk coast in August 1940. It is a secret not to be
exposed until 2021. It is now some 61 years since the event I have published
in a series of letters I sent to the editor of our Suffolk paper; the
East Anglian Daily Times, he has printed some extracts I sent him but
he left out the main events I witnessed personally and information received
from survivors at this crucial time in our history, the components and
stories we have gathered are collectively unique.
If you agree that this story could be of interest and you would like
to see a folder I have put together I would gladly send it to you.
The letter I have enclosed you will see concerns a book published in
1994 by James Hayward who would have been just a boy then so would have
had no knowledge of events described in his book, but as he has toed
the party line so to speak he was allowed to have it published, copied
from the official war diaries. I on the other hand, stating the truth
my investigation uncovered have to date been unsuccessful.
The Hess story recently published and filmed on the television was the
third and final attempt to eliminate this country from further participation
in the war. The first was a peace agreement sent after Dunkirk when
the enemy thought we were defeated, this against strong opposition from
the cabinet at the time, which Churchill rejected. The second attempt
to neutralize us was this failed attempt at Shingle Street in August
1940 as I have described.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford
14-06-01
Dear Mrs Dolby.
Your letter received today is just one of many which confirms the true
facts regarding the Shingle Street landing attempt by the German forces
to neutralize this country from further participation in the war, if
this landing had been successful I state the outcome of the last war
would most certainly have been in the enemy's favour, his forces would
not have been split to fight on two fronts, which would have left his
massive strength to overwhelm Russia before the winter set in.
I have enclosed two letters regarding my investigation as to the actual
events witnessed by myself and my answer to James Hayward's fictional
story he has written about these events of August 1940.
New information just received which reinforces these defences, which
protected the coast along the Norfolk/Suffolk vulnerable areas.
A similar fuel pipeline was laid along the seabed at Halkham and Wells
on sea which unlike the fuel line at Shingle Street was not activated,
it was removed in 1945 when the mine clearing operation was completed
by a company of 32 men (only 6 survived).
Awaiting letter of confirmation.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Ashford.
The Editor
East Anglian Daily Times
17th October 2006
Dear Sir
During my investigation of the failed enemy invasion attempt in 1940
at Shingle Street, I have been asked many times why the secrecy after
sixty-six years and to last until 2021- when I have proved with other
eyewitness accounts the accuracy of my statements as to what took place
that September night in 1940.
The sound of gunfire, the glow of the sea on fire, to mobilising of
troops from Aldeburgh and surrounding area all witnessed by my platoon
of the LDV (Home Guard).
Facts reported and recorded in folders in Ipswich Records Office, Gatacre
Road- folder numbers 12385(H2061) also in the Moot Hall Museum, Aldeburgh
and on the internet at www.shford.fslife.co.uk/ShingleSt
My uncle; Victor Salmons who has recently passed away has released
me from the secrecy act which being in Winston Churchill's war cabinet
restricted him from going public. It is now exposed.
The enemy's plans for the invasion of Europe were completed before
the war started in 1939. This was achieved by setting up a fifth column
in the countries to be overrun. Our country's fifth column was controlled
by Molsey and his black shirts- trained to run our country after the
conquest. Molsey infiltrated the free masons whose secret powers were
essential to have the most influential powerful people in industry and
press to sign the peace agreement sent to the war office after the military
disaster at Dunkirk with the incentive of no interference in theirs
and their families' lives after occupation.
The duke of Westminster the mason grand master and a well known press
baron who emigrated to Australia headed the signing. What a treacherous
act to enslave their country to save themselves.
I have the names of many influential people who signed but the law
of libel protects them. Winston Churchill said at the time it was a
very close call.
You sir due to the power of the free masons will be unable to print
this, but at least I have been able to unburden the secret at last.
Sincerely
Ronald Ashford