Events
SMHS meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm for 8.00pm start, in the Function Room of the Royal Oak Public House, Station Street, Lewes, East Sussex.
Details of other events (such as visits and other social events) are listed in the monthly newsletter which is emailed to members on the Friday before each meeting.
Entry to SMHS monthly meetings is £3 for members but visitors are always welcome; admission for non-members is £5.
There is time before and after the talk to meet new friends and talk 'shop'; we also have a raffle at the end of the evening to raise funds for charity.
We don't always fill our meetings calendar for the entire year in advance; this allows us to be flexible.
Wednesday 20 July 2022
Subject: Talk on Albert 'Slash' Seton, Matt's relative who fought in WW1.
Speaker: Matt Taylor (SMHS)
Wednesday 17 August 2022
Subject: The evacuation of HMS Vernon, the Royal Navy Mine and Torpedo School to Roedean School during WW2
Speaker: Michael Shaw
Wednesday 21 September 2022
Subject: The life and work of Gp Capt Sir Douglas Bader
Speaker: Dr Richard Atkins
We are delighted that a very distinguished speaker has been booked. Dr Richard Atkins, an engineer by background, is also a Teaching Fellow & Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sussex, and Visiting Fellow at Kingston University London. Dick will talk about the life and work of Gp Capt Sir Douglas Bader. The talk mainly centres on his RAF career (before and during WW2) and prison camp exploits but will also include some material about his earlier life and later years.
Wednesday 19 October 2022
Subject: Airships Over Sussex - tbc.
Speaker: Stewart Angell (SMHS Chairman)
Wednesday 16 November 2022
Subject: My Falklands War
Speaker: Richard Shenton (SMHS)
A personal recollection.
Wednesday 21 December 2022
Subject: Show and Tell
Speaker: [None]
For those unfamiliar with the concept, it really is very simple. We arrange tables and chairs in a hollow square or U shape. For those who have some military artefacts at home (medals, documents, uniform items, anything), please bring one or more items in and talk about them in a few minutes. For those without such items, do still come along and enjoy the evening.
Wednesday 18 January 2023
Subject: Operation Banner 1969 - 2007
Speaker: Graham Moore (SMHS)
Graham Moore, member since mid 2016, will repeat his talk on Operation Banner (British Army operations in Northern Ireland). Op Banner ran from August 1969 and was not formally ended until 2007, well after the Good Friday Agreement. Operation Banner remains the longest continuous operation by the British armed forces in its history. The deployment of armed soldiers (particularly) in Northern Ireland in support of the Police was controversial and continues to generate debate amongst historians and commentators.