HMS Forward
Newhaven, East Sussex
HMS Forward
Coordinates	50°48′19″N 0°03′28″E / 50.805253°N 0.057715°E / 50.805253; 0.057715
Type	Royal Naval Headquarters
Site information
Controlled by	United Kingdom
Site history
In use	1940-1945
Garrison information
Garrison	Royal Navy

HMS Forward was a shore establishment of the British Royal Navy during World War II. It was based at South Heighton, just outside Newhaven, East Sussex.

Service history

Based in a former Guinness Trust Holiday Home,^[1] Forward served as the command centre for all Royal Naval establishments in the area and was responsible for:

• HMS Marlborough, the Electrical Training School at Eastbourne.
• HMS Forward II (renamed HMS Aggressive in 1942), the Coastal Forces base at Newhaven.
• The Combined Operations Landing Craft bases of HMS Newt at Newhaven and HMS Lizard at Shoreham and Hove.
• HMS Vernon (R), the Torpedo, Mining & Electrical Training Establishment at Roedean School, Brighton.^[2]

In 1941 a complex of tunnels were constructed 20 m (66 ft) underground to house a centre which plotted all shipping traffic in the English Channel between Dungeness and Selsey Bill, in conjunction with the coastal radar chain.^[3]

Forward was decommissioned on 31 August 1945.^[1]