In 1881 alone over 77 males living in Guston were involved in the Military as part of the defence of the country. Even back in 1881, there was a large military presence in the area. This remained all the way until after the Second World War. However, Guston's population changed dramatically during World War II. In 1930 the population was just over 1600 people. By 1950 it had decreased to less than 800, having halved within 2 decades. In total, 2226 shells were listed as having been fired at Dover, but evidence suggests many more. Many of these shells would have affected people in nearby areas including Guston, Whitfield, East Langdon, Pineham and Buckland.