0:00:04 > 0:00:06What happens when the perfect match you meet online
0:00:07 > 0:00:12turns out to be a fraud?
0:00:12 > 0:00:14I ended up, very foolishly, sending two lots of money
0:00:14 > 0:00:18totalling just over £8,500.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Shoulde vaping be legal for teenagers?
0:00:20 > 0:00:25All around the world, you see headline sayings
0:00:25 > 0:00:27vaping is bad as smoking.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28You look at the study committee should actually,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33in the study, smoking was way, way more dangerous.
0:00:33 > 0:00:43And the brave World War I Seaplane pilots at New Haven.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48The pilot would be guided by the observer so he'd put his hand
0:00:48 > 0:00:50on his head and then twisted either right or left
0:00:50 > 0:00:52depending where he wanted to go.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I'm Natalie Graham with untold stories closer to home
0:00:54 > 0:00:56from all around the South East, this is Inside Out.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Hello and welcome to the programme which, this week, comes
0:01:10 > 0:01:15to you from the South Downs Way.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Near Lewes.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19There are many people out there looking for love and,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21if they're busy, using online dating sites to try and meet
0:01:21 > 0:01:23their perfect match.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25But the course of true love never did run smooth.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28As Emma Thomas reports.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35This is Val McKie.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Having lived alone for some years after her husband s death,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40she decided to give love another try.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42And, after venturing online, she thought she d found it
0:01:43 > 0:01:45with a man called Peter.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48We would chat for four hours a night on messenger.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53It felt like it was that thing of feeling really, really connected.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58It was like I d found love again.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Her new-found love said he was a major in the British army
0:02:01 > 0:02:02stationed in Baghdad.
0:02:02 > 0:02:10Then one day he went out on patrol and I didn t hear from him
0:02:10 > 0:02:13the following morning, and I always had, so I was really distressed
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and I didn t hear from him for 48 hours which felt like a lifetime
0:02:16 > 0:02:19because it triggered all the memories of my husband s
0:02:19 > 0:02:23death and everything.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Then he came back online to say it been very harrowing,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29he d lost a couple of men in battle and wanted to get out of the army.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Peter said he wanted to start a new life with Val but needed money
0:02:33 > 0:02:42to buy himself out of the military.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44So he told me where to send some money to,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46so I sent it, and of course
0:02:46 > 0:02:49naturally that wasn t going to be enough money and I ended up very
0:02:49 > 0:02:52foolishly sent him two more lots of money totalling just over £8,500.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58The number of people defrauded in the UK by online dating scams has
0:02:59 > 0:03:00reached a record high.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02And the consequences for victims can be life-changing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Tara McDonnell runs a dating agency in Brighton called
0:03:05 > 0:03:08South Downs Introductions.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11She doesn t run an online service but introduces people face to face.
0:03:11 > 0:03:18Tara also happens to be a former Sussex detective.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24There are some victims that have lost up to 1.6 million,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28others that have lost £800,000, they are life-changing amounts
0:03:28 > 0:03:33of money to lose.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35To some people, £1,000 is a lot to lose,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38some people are bankrupt because of the money that they ve
0:03:38 > 0:03:41given to some of these fraudsters and the sad reality is they are not
0:03:41 > 0:03:43likely to ever get it back.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47The victims in these cases are unlikely to get justice
0:03:47 > 0:03:49because, largely, the criminals operate from abroad and hide
0:03:49 > 0:03:54behind email addresses.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And websites that can't be traced.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Nearly 4,000 cases of romance fraud were reported
0:03:58 > 0:04:00to the authorities last year.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04This type of crime is now so widespread, you can get fraud
0:04:04 > 0:04:07kits online that come complete with template emails to persuade
0:04:07 > 0:04:15people to part with their money.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Dave Hazel has also been looking for love.
0:04:20 > 0:04:30He enjoys dancing and has always found it a great way to meet people.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34MUSIC: Out of Reach by Gabrielle.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37But after a spell as a singleton, Dave thought he d found his special
0:04:37 > 0:04:40someone online in Canada.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46The pair exchanged countless emails and phonecalls.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So these are some of the emails she sent you aren t they?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Yeah and I could read you some bits out of it if you like.
0:04:53 > 0:05:00Right.
0:05:00 > 0:05:08It says, "I miss you so much Dave Hazel, you ve become something
0:05:08 > 0:05:11necessary for my soul and my heart and I want to turn back the time."
0:05:11 > 0:05:14"I dream about the children we will have in the future.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19I love you."
0:05:19 > 0:05:22So it s quite emotive language isn t it, how did
0:05:22 > 0:05:23you feel when you read that?
0:05:23 > 0:05:29I felt really excited and happy.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35And, you know, I thought my life was going to change for the good.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Dave sent his online lover £15,000 to help with medical
0:05:39 > 0:05:46expenses she said she had, and to pay for flights to the UK.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I felt over the moon, happy and I felt that I d got
0:05:49 > 0:05:59the right person in my life.
0:06:11 > 0:06:21Neal Masters is familiar with their tactics.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24What you often see in relation to romance fraud is the victim
0:06:24 > 0:06:27will be told by the fraudsperson that they are coming to the country
0:06:27 > 0:06:31to meet with them and that they are going to give them a better life
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and that they are going to sweep them off their feet and of course
0:06:34 > 0:06:38this is what the victim is looking to see, they are looking for love,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40they are looking for commitment and they think they ve got that
0:06:40 > 0:06:41through the fraudsperson.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Fraudsters will often claim to have lots in common with their victims.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Mirroring is one tactic which they find quite effective
0:06:46 > 0:06:49because, if you say you have been divorced, they will say
0:06:49 > 0:06:50they have been divorced.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It s about looking for that attachment, for what they can use
0:06:53 > 0:06:54to reel the victim in.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57His profile was that he was widowed and that he joined the army
0:06:57 > 0:07:00because of the grief and so it felt like we had an instant bond
0:07:00 > 0:07:03bond because we d been through a similar grief experience.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Detective-turned-matchmaker Tara McDonnell says more should be done
0:07:04 > 0:07:07to protect those of us looking for love online.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10I do think it needs to be regulated by one overarching body
0:07:10 > 0:07:12there are a number of different bodies out there that
0:07:12 > 0:07:14are independent but there is no one overarching regulatory body
0:07:14 > 0:07:22and I think there should be.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Having parted with more than £8,000,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Val heard nothing more from her online love.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Increasingly suspicious, she did some online digging.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29So I did a search on the internet.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32I found a story of a lady in the States who had been scammed
0:07:32 > 0:07:35by a person using the same picture, same everything.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It s like part of your world disappears and I also felt really
0:07:38 > 0:07:45quite ashamed that I could have been so silly, so that s what I felt.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And I couldn t tell anyone, I didn t tell anyone about the money
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and I haven t told anyone about the money before because I
0:07:51 > 0:07:56felt ashamed of doing that.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02Dave was awaiting the arrival of his online love.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But then, he got an email saying she was visiting relatives in Ghana
0:08:05 > 0:08:06and she was stuck in Immigration.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11She needed yet more money.
0:08:11 > 0:08:18Dave showed the letter to his bank manager, who
0:08:18 > 0:08:22immediately smelt a rat.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26It was only through the bank who said
0:08:27 > 0:08:28that that isn t genuine.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30How did you fell when you heard those words?
0:08:30 > 0:08:31I was devastated.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32I couldn t believe that it had happened.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35The fraudster had sent Dave these photos to encourage him
0:08:35 > 0:08:36to hand over the cash.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38But police confirmed it was a con.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40The photos could have been stolen from a genuine dating profile.
0:08:40 > 0:08:50They told Dave not to send any more money.
0:08:50 > 0:08:57What was the impact on you as a victim?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00My thoughts were what's the point of living?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02It made me feel really low,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05cheap stupid, I couldn t trust anybody, even my close friends.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Former detective Tara McDonnell says there are things people can do
0:09:08 > 0:09:10to keep the online sharks at bay.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12The main one is to stay on the dating site -
0:09:12 > 0:09:16never move to private emails or private messaging.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19There are checks and balances in place in certain online dating
0:09:19 > 0:09:28sites where certain emails if they are worded in a certain way
0:09:28 > 0:09:31then they will be pulled to one side and it will be checked
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and they may well remove that person if they believe
0:09:34 > 0:09:35them to be a scammer.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Be wary of somebody that keeps asking you lots
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and lots of questions about you and your background
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and you suddenly find you are not getting any information about them
0:09:43 > 0:09:48but you re giving lots if information about yourself.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Never consider giving money out to someone that A - you haven t met
0:09:51 > 0:09:52and B - you don t know.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55His enduring love of dancing is helping Dave get over
0:09:55 > 0:09:56his online experience.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I go dancing, which helps me to relax and focus on different
0:10:01 > 0:10:05things, so my mind is not on it all the time.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Val s says she s learned from what happened and is no longer
0:10:08 > 0:10:15ashamed about telling her story.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21If it does help someone else who is just wondering if this a scam
0:10:21 > 0:10:27if this a scam or not, to take a step back
0:10:27 > 0:10:29because if someone genuinely loves
0:10:29 > 0:10:32you they are not going to put pressure on you to do something that
0:10:32 > 0:10:33doesn't feel right for you.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36# There's a life out there for me. #
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Emma Thomas reporting.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Coming up on Inside Out - What was life like at the Newhaven
0:10:54 > 0:10:55seaplane base during
0:10:55 > 0:10:57the First World War?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Local people were advised, please don't feed the pigeons for your tea.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03They are actually on military service.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Now, it's the end of October.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11That means it's the end of Stoptober, the public campaign
0:11:11 > 0:11:14which runs every year to try and encourage people
0:11:14 > 0:11:15to give up smoking.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19This year, for the first time, they are recommending e-cigarette
0:11:19 > 0:11:20as a healthier alternative.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23But if they're that effective, why are they banned for the under-18s?
0:11:23 > 0:11:30Rachel Royce reports.
0:11:32 > 0:11:38It s Saturday night in Rochester and this is a vaping party.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Vaping is the use of electronic cigarettes to produce vapour
0:11:42 > 0:11:47which mimicks the action of smoking a cigarette.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52It ususally, but not always, contains nicotine.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Most here are in their twenties and thirties ? thre's a strict no
0:11:55 > 0:11:57under eighteens policy - but there are a couple
0:11:57 > 0:11:58of older teenagers here.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I'm 18 years old.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03And how long have you been vaping?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05About a year.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I started vaping as a way to be kept out of smoking and that.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12So I vape all the time now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18Chloe Kennet is 19 and has been vaping since she was 17.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20A couple of my family members passed away of lung
0:12:20 > 0:12:23cancer and the diagnosis was they smoked too much.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26As soon as a heard they died from smoking, I wanted to find
0:12:26 > 0:12:27an alrernative version.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31It s illegal to sell vapes or e-cigarettes to under 18s.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37It's also illegal for an adult to buy them on their behalf.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39But new evidencd shows that vaping contains just 1%
0:12:39 > 0:12:42of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobaocco smoke so it
0:12:42 > 0:12:45time to relax the rules?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Or should the ban stay in place to avoid leading
0:12:47 > 0:12:52teenagers into smoking?
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I found this group of teenagers in Rochester.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Most of them didn t smoke or vape but a few of them do.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04Billy Smith, who is 16, does both.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I prefer vaping because it is has different flavours
0:13:07 > 0:13:08but smoking is just addictive.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11So would you try using vaping to give up smoking?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Because I m only 16 and its obviously going to do me
0:13:17 > 0:13:20damage and I could die younger.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25I went to Billy's home and met his stepfather who vapes himself.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31I wanted to know what he thought of Billy vaping and smoking.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36I d rather he vapes than smoked because it's less harmful for him.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I think he got his first vape pen at 15.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And how did he get it because shops aren t supposed
0:13:42 > 0:13:44to sell to them are they?
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I got it for him for it because he kept persistently
0:13:46 > 0:13:49asking me to go the shop and buy him one.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Vaping has become increasingly popular in the UK in the last five
0:13:52 > 0:13:57years and vaping shops are popping up all over the south east.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Shops like this one in Eastbourne, part of the UK's biggest chain
0:14:00 > 0:14:02of vape shops.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05It strictly follows the no sales to under eighteens rule.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07But, to adults who come in, they are happy to explain
0:14:07 > 0:14:12the benefits of switching from smoking to vaping.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The heating coil heats up, turns the liquid into vapour and then
0:14:15 > 0:14:23you inhale through the top there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26With cigarettes, you actually set fire to it so you are
0:14:26 > 0:14:28inhaling burning matter.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31When that happens, it releases carcinogens
0:14:31 > 0:14:33which causes the heart problems, lung problems, problems with blood
0:14:33 > 0:14:35pressure and everything else.
0:14:35 > 0:14:41The government's health advice is that vaping is 95% safer
0:14:41 > 0:14:43safer than smoking and, for the first time,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46it is recommending that adutls could use it as a way
0:14:46 > 0:14:47to stop smoking.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50This is the TV advert that ran this month as part
0:14:50 > 0:14:51of the Stopttober campaign.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Plus you can use gum, patches and now e-cigarettes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Martin Dockerall is the man behind the Stoptober campaign
0:14:55 > 0:15:00at Public Health England.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03You can see here that back in 2013 when we started asking the question,
0:15:03 > 0:15:08just 7% of people thought e-cigarettes were equally harmful
0:15:09 > 0:15:10harmful as smoking.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Now it's gone up to 26%.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16One in four people now believe vaping is as bad as smoking.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21He is frustrated by what he sees as scare stories around vaping.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22All around the world, you see headlines saying
0:15:22 > 0:15:25vaping is bad as smoking.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29You look at the study and actually, in the study, smoking was way,
0:15:29 > 0:15:35way more dangerous.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37If vaping is pretty safe, why is it still a resricted
0:15:37 > 0:15:39product to under 18s?
0:15:39 > 0:15:43If you re too young to smoke then why would we sell you e-cigarettes?
0:15:46 > 0:15:53If we get evidence that s the wrong thing to do,
0:15:53 > 0:15:58if research begins to suggest that, for some reason, it would be better
0:15:58 > 0:16:00to permit the sale of e-cigarettes, then I guess that s something
0:16:00 > 0:16:02we would look at again.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04MPs are to carry out an inquiry into e-cigarettes
0:16:04 > 0:16:06because they are worried that we don t know
0:16:06 > 0:16:07enough about them.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The Chair of the Science and Technology Committee
0:16:09 > 0:16:11acknowledges that they show great potential to stop people smoking,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15but says it would be wrong to sell them to under 18s.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17I don t want to see teenagers taking a substance
0:16:17 > 0:16:20that we know is addcitive.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Vaping contains nicotine which is highly addictive.
0:16:24 > 0:16:31That in itself is not good for our health.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34We are clear that all the evidence points to vaping being safer
0:16:34 > 0:16:37than smoking but we sholdnt be encouraging people to take up vaping
0:16:37 > 0:16:39in the first place.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Twice as many children have tried smoking compard with vaping.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44So there's some discussion in the vaping industry over
0:16:44 > 0:16:47whether it would be right to lift the under 18s restriction.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49At least for teenagers who already smoke.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I think it will happen.
0:16:53 > 0:17:00I think some under 18s that are smoking should have access
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to them, but I think that will go down the doctor route rather
0:17:03 > 0:17:09than us selling it to them.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13I think they will look at the NRT that they give to under 18 now
0:17:13 > 0:17:14and I think e-cigarettes will be included.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16NRT is Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21There are currently no plans for e-cigarette NRT on the NHS.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Dr Lawrence is an academic and GP in Chatham and doesnt think
0:17:24 > 0:17:30it should ever be used for under eighteens.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Certainly, I have seen that some children who have
0:17:33 > 0:17:35participated in vaping havegone on to become smokers
0:17:35 > 0:17:44and what has been quite interesting
0:17:44 > 0:17:46is that comment that some teenagers have mentioned that vaping
0:17:46 > 0:17:48itself is quite a harsh experience on the throat
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and, in comparison, smoking is milder and easier to tolerate.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53So yes, it a concern that we have.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54Billy's stepfather thinks there could be
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Billy's stepfather thinks there could be other factors at play.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Yes, he does.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05As far as I know he's been doing that since just
0:18:05 > 0:18:07before 16th birthday.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Do you think the vaping in any way encouraged him to smoke later?
0:18:10 > 0:18:19I would say so but I don t know.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26The thing is, his mum and dad both smoke and I think where they've
0:18:26 > 0:18:29smoked he thought it was an in thing to do and started smoking
0:18:29 > 0:18:30himself.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33For some people, the activity of vaping is more than a way
0:18:33 > 0:18:35of stopping smoking ? it can be a hobby.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It comes with its own own paraphernalia and
0:18:37 > 0:18:45sometimes a social scene.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Vaping can produce huge amounts of vape and now there's a new sport.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49It s called cloud chasing.
0:18:49 > 0:18:543, 2, 1 - blow.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59Competitons like this one aren t open to the under eigheens
0:18:59 > 0:19:02but they can often view them on YouTube afterwards,
0:19:02 > 0:19:09and some people think that s encouraing children into vaping.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Unfortunately, for some children, this is going to be
0:19:11 > 0:19:15a strong attraction.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18They will see this, it looks cool, it looks impressive and therefore
0:19:18 > 0:19:22they will think why not try it?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24The govenement and health professionals want to see smokers
0:19:24 > 0:19:27switching to vaping.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But what no wants to see is under eighteens taking up the habit
0:19:30 > 0:19:33of either smoking or vaping.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Rachel Royce reporting.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Now, a century ago, Britain was putting everything it had
0:19:43 > 0:19:46into fighting the Great War.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Inside Out has come across an account by one young man
0:19:48 > 0:19:51who regularly risked his life in defence of his
0:19:51 > 0:19:52country in Newhaven.
0:19:52 > 0:19:58This is his story.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02100 years ago, during the First World War,
0:20:02 > 0:20:11a Seaplane Station opened here at Newhaven.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14The Royal Naval Air Service based 12 Seaplanes here
0:20:14 > 0:20:16supported by 194 personnel.
0:20:16 > 0:20:23Today, this patch of concrete is all that s left.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27One of the pilots left a written account of his time at the Station.
0:20:27 > 0:20:34He was Sub Lieutenant E.M Ackery.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38"Sometimes, after a south west gale, one could take-off in heavy sea
0:20:38 > 0:20:40by running along the crest of a wave.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44This was always great fun."
0:20:44 > 0:20:48"There was something tremendously exciting about scudding
0:20:48 > 0:20:54along the crest of a five or six-foot high wave."
0:20:54 > 0:21:01The aircraft that were based here patrolled the English Channel,
0:21:01 > 0:21:06from the Isle of Wight over in the West to
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Dungeness in the East.
0:21:07 > 0:21:15The reason for the patrols was this.
0:21:15 > 0:21:22Something new to war, the elusive long range U-Boat.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26In February 1917, the Germans announced all-out submarine warfare.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Newhaven was a major supply port to the Western Front.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Ships leaving there were a prime target for U-Boats.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Britain needed to take action.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41And that s where Sub Lieutenant Ackery Stepped in.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44"Keeping well clear of Portsmouth and its trigger happy
0:21:44 > 0:21:49anti-aircraft gunners.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Sometimes we would pick up a convoy of ships and remain
0:21:52 > 0:21:53circling around them.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But often there was nothing to look at but sea."
0:21:56 > 0:21:58In the new airbase, the men lived in huts on stilts
0:21:58 > 0:22:00to protect them from the tide.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Many were teenagers, one of which was Ackery.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Jenny Flood is from Newhaven.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12Jenny Flood is from Newhaven Museum.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15She has been researching the Seaplane station.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18He decided during the war that he d join the Royal Naval Air Service.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20This was before the RAF, and when it was incorporated
0:22:20 > 0:22:23into the RAF they weren t very happy about it.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25They wanted to be naval officers, they didn t want to be airmen,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28they didn t like the idea that it was an Air Force,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30they thought that sounded like the police force,
0:22:30 > 0:22:34so they were most put out about it when that first came in.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36So he trained and he was posted to Newhaven shortly
0:22:36 > 0:22:38after his 18th birthday.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39"The food was good.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44I and several other pilots and observers got extra rations
0:22:44 > 0:22:47because we were still thought of as children."
0:22:47 > 0:22:49So extra rations because he was still growing?
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Yeah!
0:22:50 > 0:22:51How extraordinary!
0:22:51 > 0:22:52So very young.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56He sounds like a character though, even at that young age.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Yes, one of the airmen said they liked to watch him land just
0:22:59 > 0:23:02to see what would happen, it was quite exciting
0:23:02 > 0:23:04to see what was going to happen when he landed.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07He had a few mishaps.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10It was 1917, so the Wright Brothers first powered flight had only taken
0:23:10 > 0:23:12place 14 years earlier.
0:23:12 > 0:23:22There was no time to train the pilots properly.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28Their entire flying test was to be able to take off with their examiner
0:23:28 > 0:23:31standing on the ground, describe a figure of 8 and land
0:23:31 > 0:23:32safely, that was it!
0:23:32 > 0:23:40And if they did that successfully they got their pilots' licence.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Taking off and landing were particularly hazardous.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45"My observer was Lieutenant Martin Press, one of my old school chums.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47We began the take-off.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I soon realised that we were not gaining sufficient height
0:23:50 > 0:23:54to clear the shore."
0:23:54 > 0:24:00"We hit the water crab-wise doing about 60 mph.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Not surprisingly, the undercarriage collapsed."
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And he just flipped it over, his observer Martin Press,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07he went kicked him in the head, flew over him, landed in the water,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Ackery went underwater.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12"I was a strong swimmer and after working myself
0:24:12 > 0:24:15free of the cockpit, I came up alongside the tail
0:24:15 > 0:24:19with my lungs bursting for air.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Martin was calmly sitting on one of the wings,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25his legs dangling in the water."
0:24:25 > 0:24:26"Their bombs were armed.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The safety pins being carried by the observer."
0:24:28 > 0:24:34"There was a very unpleasant moment while I detached the safety pins
0:24:34 > 0:24:37from my buttonhole and inserted them back in."
0:24:37 > 0:24:40They were fully loaded so they had three bombs on board,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44so they didn t want those to go off, so they were lucky really.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47"The following day my fortune at having survived the crash
0:24:47 > 0:24:52was vividly brought home to me."
0:24:52 > 0:24:55The day after he flipped that, two airmen were killed
0:24:55 > 0:24:59at Newhaven on the breakwater, Kitchen and Cole, they were both
0:24:59 > 0:25:01killed, they just couldn t get the lift and crashed
0:25:01 > 0:25:06into the breakwater.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08The planes were fitted with Morse code radios, but they were short
0:25:09 > 0:25:15range and unreliable.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17So on board were two extra little passengers.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21"We had two pigeons in a box for sending emergency messages.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24There was a special procedure for releasing them in the air,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27we covered the birds' wings with our hands and flung them hard
0:25:27 > 0:25:31downwards and forwards."
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Because if he had let it go it would have been killed instantly
0:25:35 > 0:25:37by the tail of the plane that was coming up behind,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39so he had to throw them downwards.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The only problem they had and this was something that was in the local
0:25:42 > 0:25:44newspapers local people were advised, please
0:25:44 > 0:25:46don t shoot the pigeons for your tea, they are actually
0:25:46 > 0:25:49on military service.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54So you ve got to let the pigeons go.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Sometimes, the work was boring.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Patrols could last up to 6 hours and could get tedious.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06"It used to be far more interesting to fly along the coast to Brighton
0:26:06 > 0:26:11and we used to exchange waves with the girls."
0:26:11 > 0:26:14They did get into trouble once and they were told, you know,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17there are no submarines at the Brighton Aquarium,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20where they were flying over and waving at the young ladies
0:26:20 > 0:26:21that were there.
0:26:21 > 0:26:21In
0:26:21 > 0:26:25But remember, the reason the seaplanes were stationed
0:26:25 > 0:26:28at Newhaven was to defend the port from U-boats and Ackery
0:26:28 > 0:26:34did find one submarine.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39They were on patrol and they saw what looked like a wake of a torpedo
0:26:39 > 0:26:41heading towards a convoy so they immediately,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44having seen where it came from, went off in that direction.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46"To our utter amazement, the submarine surfaced obviously
0:26:46 > 0:26:49oblivious of our presence."
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The pilot who sat in the front would be guided by the observer,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56who sat in the back and he would would be guided by the observer,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59on his head and then twist it either right or left depending
0:26:59 > 0:27:03on where he wanted to go.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06"I felt a slight bump as we let loose the 112 pounder.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07It was a near miss.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11There was a great force of water and at the same moment we received
0:27:11 > 0:27:16a buffeting from below."
0:27:16 > 0:27:22They circled round and they saw oil, but they couldn t actually see
0:27:22 > 0:27:27any other debris in as much as they could claim a hit.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33"Arriving back at the station, we received a hero's welcome,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36it being the first occasion that 242 Squadron had attacked a submarine."
0:27:36 > 0:27:41"Unfortunately we were not credited with a kill."
0:27:41 > 0:27:44In spite of all his crashes, E.M Ackery survived the war
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and was later promoted to Wing Commander.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50As to his career after that very little is known.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53What we know for certain is that one brave pilot stepped forward
0:27:53 > 0:28:01and risked his life for his country in the skies above Newhaven.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11For more information about the region, you can
0:28:11 > 0:28:16visit our Facebook page.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21And you can watch the programme again on iPlayer.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Just go to bbc.co.uk.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Coming up next week.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27The Eastbourne brothers at the centre of the upcoming Church of
0:28:28 > 0:28:32England sex abuse enquiry.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I really would like people to be held to account
0:28:34 > 0:28:36for what happened.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Because so far nobody has been.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40There are definitely people, whether it's
0:28:40 > 0:28:44myself or not, who have been abused who would not have been had
0:28:44 > 0:28:46the Church behaved in the manner you would expect them to.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48And cyclists and drivers battling for
0:28:48 > 0:28:49space on our busy road.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50EXPLETIVE
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I've been the victim of hit and run.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Bike was a write-off, the car was never seen.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56That's it for us for tonight.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57Thank you for watching.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00See you next week.