Hove in the Past: Hove and the First World War; J

Judy Middleton 2020 (revised 2022)

copyright © J.Middleton
The brass tablets commemorating Hove men who died in the
Great War are in the vestibule of Hove Library.

These pages are indebted to the sterling work undertaken by John William Lister (1870-1951) Chief Librarian of Hove, who made it his mission to collect information, and if possible photographs, from all the families affected by the war; this included details not just of those who died, but also those who survived. It was a daunting task because there are no less than 642 names recorded on the Roll of Honour brass plaques in the library’s vestibule. This unique and valuable collection became Hove’s Roll of Honour Archive, which is stored at Hove Library to this day. Not every name is mentioned in these pages, but here are some of the most interesting stories.

Ordinary Seaman Frederick Arthur Jarrold RNVR

Unlike so many other local casualties, Hove-born Jarrold was an only child of Alfred and Elizabeth Jane Jarrold of 15 Westbourne Street. In civilian life he earned his living as a baker. In March 1913 he enlisted in the RNVR, and died on 15 October 1914 at the age of 20 while serving aboard HMS Hawke. (For more details, please see under Able Seaman Albert Walter Marler).

Sergeant Francis (Frank) William Jestico

When war broke out Isaac and Annie Jestico, parents of the two Jestico brothers, lived at 132 Ellen Street, Hove. Frank was born at Brighton in 1888, and became a professional soldier, having enlisted in 1908; his wife lived at 121 Westbourne Street. He served with the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, but was later attached to the 9^th Battalion of the same regiment, He was killed in action on 3 August 1917 during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres. His brother, Able Seaman H. H. Jestico, was killed in action at Gallipoli on 21 May 1915

Able Seaman Henry Herbert Jestico

He was born at Hove in 1897, and in civilian life he worked as a clerk in the Goldstone Bakery, Fonthill Road. He enlisted in 1914, and the following year he went to the Dardanelles, attached to Howe Battalion, 63^rd Royal Naval Reserve. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 21 May 1915. His brother, Sergeant F. W. Jestico, was killed in action at Ypres on 31 August 1917.

2^nd Lieutenant Derrick Sivewright Johnson RFC

He was born in Cape Town in 1895. His father was Lieutenant Colonel Frank Johnson. Derrick was educated at Brighton College, and his family lived at Melrose House, Wilbury Road. Derrick enlisted in August 1914, and joined the 25^th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. As a sportsman, he became Divisional Cyclist, Home Counties. He was killed on 4 December 1916 during an ‘aerial fight’. In the confusion of battle, it was at first reported that he died as a prisoner-of-war.

Private Herbert Jupp

He was born in 1886 at Brighton. In civilian life he worked as a barman, and he and his wife lived at 28 Ruskin Road. He enlisted on 9 June 1915, and was serving with the 11^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, when he was killed in action on 24 September 1917 at Polygon Wood during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres.

Captain George Kekewich

It is a wonderfully exotic surname, and once heard, it is not easily forgotten. The Kekewich family consisted of Lewis Pendarves Kekewich, born in 1859, his wife, Lilian Emily, whom he married on 2 October 1884, and their four sons and three daughters. The origins of the family were in Devon, but in 1909 they moved to Sussex when Kidbrooke Park, Forest Row, was purchased for £35,000. In later life the couple lived at Hove – first at 3 Beaumont Mansions, Fourth Avenue, and then at 45 Brunswick Square with Kidbrooke Park being sold in 1916.

They had an enviable life-style and Lewis Kekewich managed to balance city life with bouts of hunting and shooting; his wife was also an excellent horsewoman and a member of the Hunt. Although two daughters died in childhood, it is what befell the four Eton-educated sons that pulls at the heart strings, and Sydney was the only one to survive the war. It was perhaps inevitable that the brothers would wish to join the colours because there was already a military background in the family. Their uncle Major General Robert George Kekewich of the Buffs took a prominent part in the Boer War and was commander in charge of the beleaguered garrison at the memorable Siege of Kimberley.

George was born on 29 July 1889. He earned a living as a merchant in London, but at home in Kidbrooke Park he founded a group of Boy Scouts of which he was Master Scout. In September 1914 he joined the City of London Yeomanry, and was Mentioned in Despatches on 14 July 1917. He was serving in Palestine when he died on 28 October 1917 from wounds inflicted the previous day at the Gaza Front. His estate amounted to £10,241.

Captain Henbury Lewis Kekewich

He was the eldest son, and he had been with the Sussex Yeomanry for seven years before war broke out. Like his brother George, he also served in Palestine, and just nine days after George’s death, Hanbury was killed in action near Sheria on 6 November 1917. It is interesting to note that his wife was recorded as living in Bichester, Oxfordshire; she later re-married.

Captain John Kekewich

John Kekewich was a sporting person like his parents, and was so good at cricket that he played in the Eton Cricket XI at Lords in 1909; he also enjoyed football. He went onto Sandhurst but instead of joining the military afterwards, he decided to run a ranch in Alberta. Perhaps this was not to his taste, and by 1913 he was to be found working as a planter in the Malay States. He could have remained there, but he must have felt the call of duty and returned to England and do his bit. Captain John Kekewich of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was killed in action near Loos on 25 September 1915. It was a heroic death because he had been badly wounded in heavy fighting, and yet he refused to allow his men to rescue him because he knew their lives would be in jeopardy. Perhaps his body was never found because when Hove and the Great War was published in 1920, his name appears under the list ‘Missing – presumed dead’.

Lieutenant Sydney Kekewich

Sydney served with the Lancers, and on 15 September 1915 he was badly wounded during a fight at the frontier in India; it was the same month in which his brother John met his death. There would be no more battle duties for Sydney. He still served the Army but in the capacity of a desk job in the safer surroundings of the War Office’s headquarters.

Sergeant Burnam Kelly MM

He was born in 1890 at London. He became a professional soldier, enlisting in the South Wales Borderers in 1906. He had a long career in the Army, and managed to survive the First World War although he had his share of battles.

In 1914 he was present at the Siege of Tsingtao (a German port in China) fighting against the Germans with the Japanese as allies. He served throughout the Gallipoli Campaign, and afterwards was despatched to Egypt at El Hubri, near Port Said. He then found himself at the Battle of the Somme and on the 1 July 1916, the very first day of the battle, a bullet fractured his leg. However, he was awarded the Military Medal for gallant conduct, leading an attack, behaving with coolness under very trying circumstances, and saving a position, which was very insecure, for a considerable time.

Corporal Cecil Charles King MM

He ws born at Paddock Wood, Kent, son of John and Elizabeth King. In civilian life, he worked as a gas fitter, and he and his wife lived at 66 Payne Avenue, Hove. In August 1914 he joined the colours, and served with the 98^th Field Company, Royal Engineers; he was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in action on 3 October 1917. He was seriously wounded in the chest on 4 November 1917 at Ypres, and he was taken to No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station where, aged 26, he died on 6 November 1917. The Army Chaplain sent a letter to his wife:

‘He asked me to send you his love. I do not think he realized how seriously ill he was.’

Captain John Peake Knight DSO

He was born in 1890 at Brighton, being the grandson of John Peake Knight, general manager of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway. Young John became a professional soldier and received his commission in 1910. He served with the Royal Horse Artillery, T. Battery, and during the First World War was attached to the 7^th Division. His parents, James and Ellen Knight, lived at Folkestone.

Knight was Mentioned in Despatches twice, the first time in October 1914 by Lord French. On 10 November 1914 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ‘for great courage and initiative on several occasions,’ and he received the medal on the battlefield from the hands of King George V. By August 1916 he was acting major in command of 35^th Battery, Royal Field Artillery. At the age of 26, he was killed in action on 31 August 1916. He and his wife Olivia had one daughter.

Lance Corporal Leonard Gann Knight

He lived at Hove, and worked as a solicitor’s clerk. He had interests outside the law, and was reckoned to be a good cricket player. He also loved music, and it was noted that he ‘had a very wide experience of the musical world and was for a considerable time the Brighton correspondent of The Musical Standard, which position he filled with ability and knowledge until relinquishing his duties to join the colours.’ In March 1916 he enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment, but was later attached to the 7^th Battalion / Royal West Surrey Regiment. He was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered, and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. It is interesting to note that in the chaos of events his date of death was given as 28 September 1916. But this was disputed by a comrade who said Knight died on the 30 September, and he was in the same battle, being not far away from Knight when he was killed. The on-line Roll of Honour records the date as 28 September.

Private Leslie Lampriere Knight

His parents, Walter Edward and Eliza Knight, lived at 75 Addison Road. Their son served with the Royal Army Service Corps, and he was aged 20 when he died. The sad event was even more poignant, because it took place not during hostilities but after the war was over. He died on 15 February 1919 at a military hospital at Etaples.

Corporal Frederic Lane

He was born in London in 1882, but by the outbreak of war his parents Alfred and Emma Lane were living at a house called Helensburgh in Langdale Road, Hove. He earned his living as an employee of the Car & General Insurance Company in London. He had already been in the Territorial Army for six years before 1914, and later joined the City of London Yeomanry (Rough-riders). He was sent to the Dardanelles and at the age of 33 he was killed in action at Gallipoli on 29 October 1915; he was buried at the foot of ‘Chocolate Hill’ Suvla Bay. His commanding officer wrote, ‘He has done his duty throughout, like a man, facing all dangers, without flinching.’

2^nd Class Steward Frank Roland Laslett RN

Laslett was born at Hove in 1893 to William and Minnie Laslett, and he joined the Royal Navy in 1910. His home address was 91 Blatchington Road, while his parents lived at 21 Bolsolver Road. He was aged 21 and aboard HMS Cressy when she was hit by a torpedo from German submarine U-9 on 22 September 1914 and sank. At the same time the U-9 was also responsible for sinking HMS Aboukir and HMS Hogue. Haslett was one of the 1,459 men killed in this dreadful event, although some 837 men survived. (For further details please see under 1^st Class Petty Officer Harry Hammond).

Lance Corporal Arthur Cyril Lee

He was born in Ipswich, and was a hosier by trade; his parents lived at 27 Prinsep Road, Hove. In May 1915 Lee enlisted and joined the 16^th Battalion, Royal Rifle Brigade. He was killed in action, aged 21, on 3 September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. His Hove record states he was killed at Beaumont-Hamel, while the on-line Roll of Honour states it was at Becourt Ridge. In any case, his body was not recovered, and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

Leading Stoker Ernest Lightfoot RN

He was born at Hove on 14 August 1891. Later on, when ashore, he lived with his wife in Goldstone Road. He was a professional sailor and was killed in action aboard HMS Queen Mary during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Fellow local men lost in the same ship were G. H. Blackman, Acting Leading Stoker Richard Harry How (both from Hove) and 1^st Class Stoker Albert Bertie Colbourne (from Portslade). (For more details about the Queen Mary, please see under 4^th Class Engine-Room Artificer George Henry Blackman).

Private Charles James Littlewood

He was born in 1889 at Gravesend, and at the outbreak of war, he was living at 43 Sackville Road, Hove. Like Private Lee, he too earned his living as a hosier. He enlisted in August 1914, and served with the 18^th Battalion, King’s Liverpool Regiment. He was killed in action on 1 July 1916 in the very first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Private Frederick Owen Livermore

He was born at Hove and educated at the Ellen Street Schools. When he left school, he went into service, and it is fascinating to note he worked as a footman but obviously did not live-in, and instead was to be found at 62 Conway Street. Perhaps life as a footman was rather too boring because by September 1914 he had joined the colours. He served with the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, and was killed in action on 13 August 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.

Private Robert Sidney Mace

Not much information is provided about this lad. His parents, Wallace and Fanny Mace, lived at 75 Springfield Road, Brighton. But perhaps they were proud of the fact he worked for such a prestigious establishment as the up-market Palmeira Stores in Western Road, Hove, where he was to be found as a furniture salesman. He had already enlisted in the Sussex Yeomanry, but with the outbreak of war he joined the 7^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and was still aged only nineteen when he was killed in action on 5 October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered from the battlefield, and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

Revd Hugh McMullan (c.1890-1947)

If any priest was qualified to take Remembrance Day services it was Revd Hugh McMullan who was vicar of St Andrew’s Old Church, Hove from 1922 to 1924. This was because he too had served during the First World War, and thus had first-hand experience of the gruesome conflict. Indeed, he was seriously wounded at Bonnecourt Wood on 1 July 1916 having been bayoneted through the chest and lungs, besides sustaining a fracture at the base of his skull. He was in no position to attack the enemy, and became a prisoner of war but he survived. He must have had a strong faith because the battlefield led many men to question the very existence of a loving God, as witness the famous war poets. Revd McMullan died at Swanage in 1947.

Lieutenant Arthur Sampson Marks

He was born in 1885 at Hove, and educated at Brighton Grammar School. His father, Alderman Barnett Marks, was Mayor of Hove for three years. Arthur enlisted in October 1914 in the 9^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and in 1915 he was sent to France. The following details were recorded on his service card at Hove Library. ‘For a year or so he served with a trench mortar battery until invalided home with severe shell shock. He was in various hospitals for another twelve months when he was finally discharged with the honorary rank of lieutenant.’

Brighton Hebrew Congregation's Roll of Honour at Middle Street Synagogue, Brighton.

The inscription in Hebrew translates as 'We shall be strong for our
Nation and for our God', below which is is a quote by
Hermann Adler (1839-1911), Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, which reads
'Surely England deserves that we her Jewish children should gladly live and die for her'.
The memorial was erected in honour of those who joined His Majesty's Forces in the Great War.

Arthur Sampson Marks is listed on this Memorial

Arthur was given an appointment on the War Savings Committee, but he died in London on 25 October 1918 of pneumonia, his illness having only lasted for two days. His body was brought back to Brighton by train accompanied by grieving relatives, and he was buried in the Jewish Cemetery at Brighton. The ceremony was conducted by Revd B. B. Lieberman, Rabbi of the synagogue. There were many floral wreaths, including tributes from the Sussex Masonic Club and the Sussex Motor Yacht Club.

Able Seaman Arthur Walter Marler RNVR

He was born at Hove in 1896 and educated at Ellen Street Schools; his home address was Clarendon Road. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 7 July 1913. His career in the Navy lasted just over thirteen months because he died while serving aboard HMS Hawke on 15 October 1914. The vessel was in the waters off the north-east coast of Scotland when the German submarine U-9 sent a torpedo rushing towards her, striking near the magazine, and causing her to sink within five minutes. At the time, the authorities would not state the number of men lost, but the generally accepted figure is that 524 men drowned. Although the Hawke was an older ship, she had been strongly built and boasted many watertight doors, and thus for her to sink so fast was a tragedy. Another Hove man lost in the same ship was Ordinary Seaman Frederick Arthur Jarrold.

Some twenty-one of the crew did survive, and it is heartbreaking to note that there were more who could have survived had there been anyone to rescue them, because they were seen bobbing about on rafts, or kept buoyant in the sea by their cork life-jackets. The survivors escaped in an overcrowded boat, which was later found by a passing Norwegian trawler. These men were handed over to the steam trawler Ben Rinnes, and landed at Aberdeen.

Major Alfred John Martineau

He was the younger son of Judge Alfred Martineau and his wife Maria – the judge served for many years on the Sussex Circuit. In civilian life A. J. Martineau was a throat and ear specialist and surgeon who worked at the relevant hospital in Brighton, while living with his wife in Cambridge Road. He served with the 19^th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and he was killed in action on 17 April 1917. He was aged 46, although the newspaper printed a younger age. The Sussex Daily News (30 April 1917) had this to say:

‘At the outbreak of war he was in command at the Fort in Newhaven and proceeded to the Front in April 1916 in charge of a siege battery. He had been associated with the Sussex Garrison Artillery for twelve years and was 44 years of age. An exceedingly keen soldier, and a very able artillerist, he was greatly respected by his officers and men.’

Captain J. E. Davidson wrote to Mrs Martineau about the action that cost her husband’s life:

‘He was forward in an advanced post in a wood recently captured from the enemy, and was shot by a sniper while engaged on observation duty. The bullet passed through his brain and so death was instantaneous. Immediately after, the enemy raided the wood making it impossible to recover the major’s body until today, when we managed to bring him in after the enemy had retired. Apparently, the enemy carried away his binoculars but, as far as I can tell, all the rest of his private belongings are complete and will be forwarded to you along with his kit.’

Private George Alfred Maslen

He was born at Hove in 1894, but when war broke out he was working as a chauffeur and lived at Bolney. In March 1916 he joined the 13^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and was killed in action on 31 July 1917, the first day of the 3^rd Battle of Ypres.

Sergeant Herbert John Maslin

He was born in 1887 at Wiston, but his family later moved to Hove where he was educated at the Ellen Street Schools. Later on, he worked as a blind maker, and lived at 22 Clarendon Road. At that time having blinds at the window was quite fashionable, and on sunny days the blinds were often drawn down to stop the sun from fading the soft furnishings; on more serious occasions, blinds were drawn down because of a bereavement, and not lifted until after the funeral. In October 1915 Herbert joined the Sussex Yeomanry, but was later attached to the 1^st Battalion, Manchester Regiment. He was killed on 26 September 1917 during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres. It must have been a time of fierce fighting because his body was never recovered. His name is inscribed on the Menin Gate as well as the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing

Ernie Mason

He pretended to be older than he really was, and enlisted at Hove. He served with the 6^th (Cyclist) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, based at the Sussex County Cricket Ground where there was a Drill Hall. However, as was common then, he was attached to other regiments, wherever there was the most need. On one occasion he startled his family by coming home on leave resplendent in a kilt, having been attached to the London Scottish Regiment. He ended his military career in the south of Ireland with the Black and Tans, and survived the war.

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
A 1915 postcard showing soldiers from the 6th Cyclist Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment in Stoneham Park.
The bottom left of the image is the text, 'WE ARE OFF - FOLLOW ON'
(In the background is the spire of St Barnabas Church in Sackville Road, Hove.)

Gunner Harold Edward Matthews

In civilian life he worked as a milk carrier for Frowd & Walker’s Dairies, 38 Western Road, Hove. He was a married man and lived at 166 Cowper Street. His military career was brief because he enlisted in May 1917 in the 146^th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, and was dead just five months later. He died on 30 October 1917 during the Battle of Ypres – his family wrote the following succinct words on his service card at Hove Library, ‘Dug out was blown in. He died in Poperinghe Hospital’.

Drummer John Edwin May

He was born in 1896 at St Pancras, but he lived with his grandfather at 110 Portland Road for eight years because both his parents were dead. Young John spent three years at the training school Mercury (perhaps this was precursor of T. S. Mercury established in 1913). He then joined the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, as a boy bugler in 1912. By the time of the First World War, he had become a drummer and was attached to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 2 November 1914 in the Retreat from Mons.

Private Frederick Joseph Messenger MM

He was born at 1 Shirley Street in 1880, and he was educated at the Connaught Road Schools. It is interesting to note that when he grew up and married, he and his wife Edith moved into 32 Shirley Street – just down the road from his birthplace. Meanwhile, his parents had moved to 11 Haddington Street where a member of the same family still lived into this century. The lady was Vera Messenger who once once worked as a parlour maid for Miss Gordon of 27 Wilbury Road, whose uncle was none other than the famous General Charles George Gordon (1883-1885).

Frederick Messenger was already a sergeant in the British Red Cross and held a proficiency medal for service at the Indian Hospital in York Place and the Kitchener Hospital, Brighton, before he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was awarded the Military Medal for rescuing wounded soldiers under heavy shellfire on 21/22 July 1917 during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres. Messenger survived the war.

Captain Harold Julian Miles RAF

He was born at Hove, and educated at Brighton Grammar School. He lived at 70 St Leonard’s Road, and earned his living as a chemist. On 26 August 1914 he joined the Air Service. He performed valiantly in France, and as a consequence in November 1918 he was rewarded with the Croix de Guerre avec Palme for distinguished flying during the time the French Army was in difficulties.

It is claimed that Captain Miles was the first pilot to fly from England to Ireland at night, his route taking him from Andover to Dublin via Bristol and Wrexford, with the return flight being made via Holyhead, Liverpool, and Swindon. Captain Miles survived the war.

Major Frederick Stewart Modera DSO MC

He was born in 1887 in Lancashire, and came to Hove as a child where his parents lived at Wilbury Lodge, Wilbury Road. Young Frederick was the great-grandson of Major William Alexander Riach of the 79^th Cameron Highlanders who had served during the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns.

Frederick Modera was educated at Hove, Charterhouse, and finally at University College, Oxford where he gained a degree in jurisprudence. He became a barrister-at-law at the Inner Temple, London. In September 1914 he enlisted as a private in the Royal Fusiliers. On 21 January 1915 he married Mary Antonetta Holland, and the couple had two daughters. Within two years of joining the military, Modera had risen to be second-in-command of a Service Battalion, 3^rd Public Schools Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at High Wood on 20 July 1916, and he was Mention in Despatches in June 1917. In addition, he received the Distinguished Service Order and Bar for the Vieux Berquin action of 12/13 April 1918. He was slightly wounded on 28 September 1918 but he survived the war. Not surprisingly, the Press stated that the major ‘had a wonderful war career’.

2^nd Lieutenant Robert Moore

He was educated at Sherborne, and later lived at 38 Cromwell Road, earning his living as a bank clerk. He was desperate to do his bit in the war, but suffered several rejections because of his poor eyesight. In September 1914 he enlisted as a private in the Public Schools Corps (19^th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers). He served on the Western Front and in July 1916 received his commission, transferring to the Rifle Brigade. On 14 August 1917 at Steenbrek, in front of Langermark, he was wounded early in the action, but refused to leave the battlefield. He gallantly led his men into action, killing four Germans before being struck down by machine-gun fire and rifle fire. He died of his wounds the next day.

1^st Class Boy Sidney Victor Moore RN

He was born at Hove in 1897, and was educated at the Portland Road Schools. He lived at 71 Goldstone Villas, where his mother ran a home for retired servants – there must have been a great demand for such an establishment in a place like Hove where so many servants were employed. Sidney enlisted in 1912 and was killed on 26 November 1914 while serving aboard HMS Bulwark. His death was made more tragic for his family because he died not as a result of a battle, but in a dreadful accident. At the time of the incident the Bulwark was peacefully moored in the River Medway at a place called Kethole Reach. The crew were eating breakfast when there was a massive explosion that destroyed the vessel, as well as causing extensive damage in Sheerness, and rattling Southend pier. At first, sabotage was suspected, but the most likely cause was a volatile element in the ammunition being loaded on board. Winston Churchill was obliged to get to his feet in the House of Commons and admit that 700 men had been killed, and there were only twelve survivors. Another Hove lad who died in the tragedy was 1^st Class Boy John Alexander Fay Reid.

Sergeant James Hamilton Gordon Murray DSM

He was born in Castle Douglas on 28 December 1885, and attended Alloa Academy. He was the great-grandson of Major John Murray of Peninsular fame, who married the Honourable Miss Hamilton, daughter of the 4^th son of the Duke of Abercorn. Sergeant Murray’s mother, Mrs Margaret Gordon Murray of Alloa, later moved to Hove where she lived at 34 Brunswick Square. Young Murray’s interest lay in engineering, and he was working as an electrical engineer in Canada when war broke out. He could have stayed there, but he felt compelled to return to the old country, and do his bit, volunteering in August 1914. It seems he was determined to remain on the practical side of things, because although his superiors thought he ought to be commissioned, he turned down every such offer made to him; indeed, he joined as a simple sapper, and he served with the Royal Marines Divisional Engineers, later being attached to the 63^rd Royal Naval Division.

He was a brave soldier and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, as well as being Mentioned in Despatches by General Sir Ian Hamilton. At Gallipoli on 4 June 1915 it was stated that ‘Sapper Murray was called upon to repair a defective field cable line between Divisional Headquarters and the support lines and found the cable broken in no less than ten places but by dint of perseverance he repaired the cable and finally re-established communication. The whole of the work was carried out under considerable rifle fire in exposed positions … and the repairs lasted three hours.’ Murray was killed in action on 14 November 1916 at Beaumont-Hamel during the Battle of the Somme.

Major Roderick Needham DSO

Major Roderick Macauly Bertram Needham DSO

He was born in Trinidad in 1880, and later on became the brother-in-law of Captain Vane de Vere Mortimer Vallance, and like him he was a professional soldier and had lived locally from boyhood. Needham served throughout the Boer War, and was twice Mentioned in Despatches by Lord Kitchener on 30 July 1902; he was commissioned in the same year. During the First World War he served in France from 9 November 1914 to 13 September 1915. Then he was sent to Salonika where he held an important post on the Headquarters Staff of the 26^th Division. Once again he was Mentioned in Despatches on 7 December 1916, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1918. He returned home safely to his wife and daughters living at 62 Brunswick Place, and ended his military career as a Colonel.

Guardsman Stanley Fullalove Newell

He was born at Surbiton, Surrey, son of Thomas Stephen and Louisa Newell who later lived at 33 New Church Road, Hove. Stanley was living at Hove and studying as a dental student when in November 1916 he enlisted in the 2^nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards; He was aged just 19 when he was killed in action on 31 July 1917.

Lieutenant Alfred George Bathurst Norman

He was born in 1898 at Hove, and educated at the Wick School, Hove, and later at Harrow. His father was Revd Harry Bathurst Norman. The family lived at 10 Palmeira Square, and in April 1917 he joined the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet. After a course at Salisbury on night flying and bombing, he joined the Independent Force in France in June 1918, and later found himself in Paris on duty during the Armistice celebrations. On 20 December 1918 he was killed instantly when his plane crashed in fog near Amiens. He was the author of a book of poems entitled Ditchling Beacon in which his love of Sussex was evident. It was stated that ‘his poems have a real originality because they were the spontaneous outcome of his own deepest feelings.’

Lieutenant Francis Arthur Jospeh Oddie

He was born at Horsham on 25 September 1879, where his parents continued to live. In 1901 he married Lilian, and subsequently joined the staff at the Sheffield Daily Telegraph as a journalist. He later became secretary to the Sussex County Cricket Club and lived at 7 Bigwood Avenue. He joined the 28^th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, but was later attached to 2^nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. On 23 October 1916 he was killed in action while leading his platoon near Bapaume during the Battle of the Somme. His body was never recovered and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

2^nd Lieutenant Thomas Frederick Oliver

He was born at Bristol and educated at Harrow, becoming a civil engineer; later on he lived with his widowed mother at 26 Brunswick Terrace. He enlisted in September 1914, originally in the Public Schools Battalion, then in the 12^th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, and temporarily in the 13^th Battalion of the same regiment, later he was attached to the 12^th Battalion, Notts & Derby Regiment. He was sent to the Dardanelles where he was wounded in action at Gallipoli, but survived. From December 1916 he was serving in France but he had to be invalided out of the Army on 24 February 1917. He died 12^th at home, aged 28, on 26 October 1918 from heart failure following on from pneumonia, and he was buried in Hove Cemetery.

Trooper Thomas Page

He was born in 1887 at Hastings but when war broke out he had been living in Dunedin, New Zealand for six months. He immediately enlisted in 7^th Battalion, Mounted Otago Rifles. He was sent to the Dardenelles where he was wounded at Gallipoli on 14 August 1915. He died 20 September 1915, and was buried in Hove Cemetery; his parents, Edward and Elizabeth Page, lived at 61 Tamworth Road.

Corporal Albert Walter Paish

He was born at Hove in 1890. He had already had a taste of military life before 1914 because he had been awarded the South African Medal, but when war broke out he had been living in Australia for around two years. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Yeomanry, and was sent to the Dardanelles where he served with the Anzac Corps and was wounded at Gallipoli. He was then evacuated to a military hospital in Malta where he died on 10 July 1915. His parents, Henry and Mary Ann Paish, lived at 38 Belfast Street; his widow, Mrs S. E. Paish lived in Aldgate, Australia.

2^nd Lieutenant Walter Gerald Paling RN

He was born at 31 Clarendon Villas in 1890, and did not have far to walk to school because he was educated at Hove High School situated in the same road. When he grew up he was employed as a clerk in the head office of Barclay’s Bank, North Street, Brighton; he lived at 2 Harrington Villas, Hove. In August 1914 he enlisted as an able seaman and was attached to Howe Battalion, 63^rd Royal Naval Reserve, being sent to the Dardanelles. He was Mentioned in Despatches by General Sir Charles Munro where it was stated that ‘he behaved in a gallant and courageous manner in action from 18 August to 24 December at Cape Helles.’ Afterwards, Paling served in France and in 1917 was promoted and placed in the Special Reserve of Officers, and attached to the 3^rd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment. He survived the war.

Lance Corporal James Archibald Parker

He was a carpenter in civilian life, and enlisted in November 1914, and joined the 110^th Company, Royal Engineers. He died at Hove on 11 March 1917 from the effects of chlorine gas poisoning, and was buried in Hove Cemetery.

Lieutenant Frederick Parsons MM

He was born in 1890, and was the son of Fred Parsons, the well-known Hove builder with business premises in Church Road, next door to Hove Library. Fred Parsons and his wife lived at 6 Sackville Road. Fred sent both his sons, Frederick and Robert, to be educated at Steyning Grammar School. When Frederick grew up he decided to go to Australia where he took up farming. At the outbreak of war he joined the 1^st Australian Division. He went to the Dardanelles, and served throughout the campaign. He received a bullet through his arm, but he recovered. Afterwards, he saw service in Egypt and later in France. In April 1917 he received the Military Medal in France from the hands of General Birdwood. Lieutenant Parsons survived the war.

Captain Robert Henderson Parsons MC

He was the brother of Lieutenant Parsons mentioned above. He was interested in the military before the war, being commissioned in the Territorial Army in 1910. He too survived the war and was awarded the Military Cross.

Carpenter Henry Marshall Arthur Patching RN

He was born at Hove in 1895 and was educated at the Ellen Road Schools. He lived at 9 Linton Road, and his parents lived at 83 Payne Avenue. He was killed in action on 31 May 1916 aboard HMS Invincible at the Battle of Jutland. (For details of the battle, please see under Leading Signalman E. G. Aldous).

Henry Marshall Patching

His two sons, mentioned here, were both killed in the First World War. It is therefore ironic that Henry followed a military career in the Durham Light Infantry, serving for seventeen years, and then he undertook a further three years during the war, but survived.

Private Richard George Patching

He was born at Hove and was the brother of Carpenter Patching mentioned above. Richard was a motor mechanic and he joined the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He was killed in action at Rue de Bois on 30 June 1916, in the same year as his brother also died.

Sergeant-Major Walter Patching and his family, Brighton Graphic 26 August 1915

Sergeant-Major Walter Mark Patching

He was born at Hove in 1874, and was educated at the Ellen Road Schools. He was a professional soldier and held a medal bestowed upon him in India for service in the 1897-1898 Tirah Expedition. The is was one of those small frontier wars, and was against the Alfridi who occupied land near the Kyyber Pass. When the First World War broke out, he was a civilian working as a painter and living at 82 Ellen Street. He re-enlisted in December 1915, and served with the 11^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. His family must have been told that he was wounded at the Battle of the Somme, and died of his injuries, but it seems he was killed in action on 3 September 1916. His body was not recovered, and his name is inscribed on The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

Private John Henry Perkins

He was born at Hove in 1897, and educated at the Ellen Road Schools. He lived with his parents, Harry and Gertrude Perkins, at 38 Payne Avenue. John enlisted in the 13^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. On 26 October 1916 he was wounded during the Battle of the Somme, and at the age of 19 died on 4 November at a military hospital in Boulogne.

Private Arthur Hockley Perrin MM

Mrs Sarah Perrin, a widow, living at 20 Mortimer Road, Hove, had three sons serving in the Army, and she was fortunate in still having two sons alive when hostilities ended.

Arthur served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, enlisting in August 1914. He was born at Brighton in 1893, and in civilian life had been a fishmonger’s assistant living at 96 Montgomery Street, Hove. In 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal. This medal was awarded to ‘other ranks’ in recognition of ‘acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire’. He survived the war.

Private Dudley Perrin

Brighton-born Dudley Perrin served with the Royal Engineers, and was latter attached to the 21^st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment; he was killed in action on 31 December 1917.

Private Bert Perrin MM

Bert Perrin served in the Middlesex Regiment, and was awarded the Military Medal in 1918 like his brother Arthur who also won the Military Medal. He survived the war.

Lieutenant Kenneth Fleetwood Gordon Pinhey

This young man came from an interesting family. His father was Lieutenant Colonel Sir Alexander Fleetwood Pinhey of the Indian Army who served in the sub-continent, and in 1910 he was private secretary to the Viceroy, the 4^th Earl of Minto. His mother, Lady Violet Beatrice, was the daughter of Sir Henry William Gordon, brother of the famous General Charles Gordon (1833-1885) who died heroically at Khartoum. Lieutenant Piney was born on 23 July 1896 in India, and since his parents continued to reside in Hyderabad, he stayed with his aunt Miss Gordon at 27 Wilbury Road, Hove, when he came to England. It was at this address that Lady Violet died in 1916.

Lieutenant Pinhey served with ’A’ Battery, 83^rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and was killed in action near Ypres on 2 August 1917.

The Pinyoun Family

If anybody deserved a medal, it must surely be Mrs Louisa Pinyoun of 16 Shirley Street, Hove, who not only had six sons in the services, but her 62-year old husband David Pinyoun enlisted in November 1914 and by 1918 was serving in Salonika. A newspaper article wrote about her as follows, ‘How to make ends meet is the constant care of the mother of this fine family’.

The eldest son James was a member of Hove Defence Corps.

The second son Robert had twelve years of service under his belt, eight at home, and four in India, and he had also served on the frontier and during the South African War.

The third son Joseph was an old member of the Hove Volunteers, and by 1918 he was on his way to India.

The fourth son David had served in the Royal Navy for eighteen years by the end of the First World War, and had earned three good conduct stripes.

The fifth son Harry joined the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment and was killed in action in Flanders on 26 June 1916.

The sixth son Frederick joined the Royal Marine Artillery

The Poole Family

Sergeant Major Poole was a veteran of the Crimean War. He was riding master at the Eaton Riding Stables, and lived in Connaught Road. He had five sons, all serving in the armed forces.

Private Ernest Arthur Poole was born in Brighton Barracks on 21 February 1870 and enlisted in November 1914. He joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, and served in France for two years before contracting a disease, being honourably discharged on 4 November 1916; he died on 17 February 1917.

Sergeant Major Poole’s other four sons survived the war. They were:

Rifleman Henry Poole, Rifle Brigade

Private Charles Poole, 7^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Private William Poole, 2/6 Royal Sussex Regiment, served in India

Private John Poole, Royal Field Artillery

Able Seaman Arthur Roland Prowse

Prowse was born in London in 1893, and joined the Royal Navy as a boy in 1908. By the time the war broke out his parents, William and Lilian Prowse, were living in a house called St Kilda at 23 Tamworth Road, Hove. Arthur served aboard HMS Pathfinder where he had duties as a gun layer. The vessel was used for reconnaissance, and was a sleek modern cruiser of the Scout class. War had been declared on 4 August 1914 and on 5 September 1914 Pathfinder earned the sad distinction of being the first ship sunk by a torpedo fired from a submarine. She was probably totally unaware of the German submarine U-21 lurking in the depths. The torpedo hit the ship on the port side, near the magazine. There were 268 crew members aboard Pathfinder, and 259 of them died, one being Able Seaman Prowse.

Captain George Edward Ram

He was the elder son of Revd Prebendary Robert Digby Ram of St Paul’s Cathedral. His mother was Mary, daughter of George Edward Anson CB, cousin of the Earl of Lichfield. His sister married Sir John Hume-Purves-Hume Campbell of Purves Hall, Berwickshire.

In civilian life, Captain Ram worked as a private tutor, and lived in The Drive, Hove. Perhaps he was a live-in tutor, at any rate official records state that his wife lived at 19 Hove Park Villas. He served with the 4^th Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment but contracted pneumonia while on active service, and died on 25 March 1916 at Lady Inchcape’s Hospital.

Chief Engine-Room Artificer Robert Darney Ramsay RN

He was born at Aberdour, Fife, in 1882, but later settled at Hove where he lived at 67 Errol Road. He had joined the Royal Navy in 1904 and during the war served aboard HMS Invincible. He was present at the Battle of the Falklands, and died in action at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. (For details of the battle, please see under Leading Signalman E. G. Aldous).

Private Edwin Read

He was born on 12 January 1884 at 22 Ellen Street, Hove, and was educated at the Ellen Road Schools (Davigdor Road Schools). He was in the military before the war broke out, being the recipient of the South African War Medal. When he left the Army, he earned a living as a plate-layer for the Railway Company, and he and his wife lived at 114 Livingstone Road. But he re-enlisted and served with the 2^nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment; he was killed in action on 31 October 1914 during the 1^st Battle of Ypres. At first, his family was informed that the exact date of death could not be ascertained, but it was between 31 October and 2 November. Presumably, his body was never discovered, and his name was inscribed at the Menin Gate, Ypres.

Private Hugh Glyn Rees

In civilian life he was a school-teacher. Perhaps he taught at a school in Hove, because later on his next of kin was stated to live at Stockwell. Hugh joined the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles, but was attached to the 1^st Battalion, 15^th London Regiment and was lost during the Battle of the Somme. At first he was posted as wounded and missing at High Wood, and later the date of his death was put at 17 September 1916. His body was not recovered, and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

1^st Class Boy John Alexander Fay Reid RN

He was born at Gibraltar, possibly the son of a service family. At Hove his parents lived at 16 Conway Place, while he worked as a messenger before enlisting on 14 January 1913. He was killed on 26 November 1914 while serving aboard HMS Bulwark. (For details of the disaster, please see under 1^st Class Boy Sidney Victor Moore).

Lieutenant Victor Richardson MC (1895-1917)

Victor was obviously a family name because the lieutenant’s father was Frank Victor Richardson, a dentist who in 1897 had his practice at 1 Sillwood Place, Brighton. The lieutenant’s mother was Emily Caroline, and later on the Richardson family lived at 15 Cambridge Road, Hove.

Hove-born Victor Richardson attended Uppingham where he became best friends with Roland Leighton (1895-1915) and Edward Brittain (1895-1918). They were all born in the same year and died within three years of each other. The ‘devoted trio’ became so close that Roland’s mother called them ‘The Three Musketeers’. They also shared an interest in the school’s Officer Training Corps, and all were expected to attend university – Victor to Cambridge, and the other two to Oxford. The three men have been immortalised in Vera Brittain’s autobiography Testament of Youth in which the men appear in brilliant close-up representing the flower of the finest young men slaughtered in the First World War. Vera Brittain was Edward’s sister and she included photos of them in her book, describing Victor as handsome and reticent and even taller that Edward who was 6-ft. Victor also possessed the remarkable gift of being a sympathetic listener, as Vera would discover, and the other two nicknamed him ‘Father Confessor’.

At the outbreak of war, the three men volunteered for military service, but were not snapped up immediately. Indeed Victor approached various battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment without success at first but by 1915 he was a 2^nd Lieutenant with them at last. In the spring of 1915 Victor became seriously ill with meningitis, and his life was despaired of. When Edward and Roland heard the news, they managed to obtain leave, and rushed down to Hove but Victor was too ill for visitors.

Eventually, Victor recovered but he was put on light duties and certainly not considered fit enough to be sent to the Front, much to his disappointment.

Meanwhile, Roland and Vera had fallen passionately in love, although in alignment with the mores of their time and class, it was a chaste affair of brief meetings, and long letters. They had an understanding that they would marry after the war. Vera was unable to continue her studies at Oxford because she was too unsettled by events and worry. She thought it might be easier if she were to be physically active, and so left the dreaming spires and took up nursing to feel closer to Roland’s situation in France.

On 23 December 1915 2^nd Lieutenant Roland Leighton of the 7^th Worcesters died at a Casualty Clearing Station. The tragic outcome was made even more poignant by the fact that Vera was patiently waiting to meet him at Brighton, and welcome him back for his Christmas leave. It was on 22 December that he and his men arrived at a ‘new’ trench to find the barbed wire was in a terrible state, while the men they relieved failed to warn them that a well-trodden route in no man’s land was subject to a sniper’s fire. As an officer should, Roland went out to check the wire at night, before sending the wiring party in, and was shot. People felt it was such a needless death – no heroics, no medals – just a man doing his duty, he who had had won so many prizes at Uppingham. By contrast, both Edward and Victor received the Military Cross for their exploits, although they had worried about how they might react in their time of trial.

Victor became a great solace in Vera’s loss, and because he was on light duties, and could get leave, she would meet him for supper at the Trocadero while she poured out her woes, and he listened, patiently as ever, with his ‘dark, considerate eyes’. They exchanged letters every few days. When Vera was laid low with German measles, and consigned to a fever hospital for three weeks, Victor sent her flowers and fruit to cheer her up.

Vera soon had more worries when her brother Edward was sent to France on 10 February 1916, as a 2^nd Lieutenant with the 11^th Sherwood Foresters. The possibility of death was freely talked about amongst the friends, but Vera and Victor felt alarmed when they both received an Adieu note from Edward. However, on 1^st July 1916 Edward was injured, not killed, being wounded in the left arm and right thigh. He was sent home to England to recuperate, and by great good fortune, he ended up at the 1^st London General Hospital where Vera was nursing, and the siblings were able to see each other.

His bravery in action had been recognised, and Edward was awarded the Military Cross. Moreover, he recovered sufficiently to attend the ceremony at Buckingham Palace where the King expressed the hope that his injuries had healed. It is said that Edward’s men greatly admired his demeanour in the trenches where he endeavoured to keep his cool by always being freshly shaved and well turned-out despite the difficulties.

Victor and Vera continued to correspond, and he admitted to her that he was an ‘awful atheist’ and wished it were otherwise. This was rather a sad revelation because the Richardsons used to attend St Barnabas Church, Hove, and Victor’s name appears on their war memorial. Victor’s feelings were a different experience to Roland’s, who, while serving on the Western Front had been converted to Roman Catholicism by an Army padre, a fact of which his parents and Vera were completely unaware. In a long letter Victor wrote in March 1917, Vera was astonished at the speed with which he had grown to manhood from the carefree boy she remembered.

It was not long afterwards that Victor was injured on 9 April 1917 leading his men into action. He was first wounded in the arm, and calmly removed his coat, applied a field dressing, and continued to advance with his men towards enemy lines. Then he was shot in the head, the bullet travelling right through and severing the optic nerve. The matron thought he was not long for this world, and sent word to his father at Hove to come over immediately. But Victor rallied enough to be sent back home where he was placed in the optical ward of the 2^nd London General Hospital. When Vera heard about Victor, she rushed to be by his side. This meant a great effort on her part because she was serving in a military hospital in Malta at the time. Since there were fewer casualties there because of the submarine menace, she was able to get leave, and travelled overland to England.

Victor recognised Vera’s voice, and they talked away so that Vera knew his brain was unaffected, although the specialist said he would not regain his sight. The left eye had already been removed in France, and his remaining brown eye ‘stared glassily’. Vera thought he showed no signs of bitterness, and he had been greatly cheered by several visits from the recently-blinded Captain Ian Fraser of St Dunstan’s, who told him of the wonderful work for blinded soldiers being carried on at Brighton.

It seemed that Victor might survive, but one night he told the nurse he felt something had ‘clicked’ in his brain, and his condition deteriorated. He died on 9 June 1917 of a cerebral abscess, and was buried five days later.

A military funeral was arranged for Lieutenant Victor Richardson at Hove Cemetery. Vera was not at all impressed, writing scathingly ‘no place on earth could have been more ironically inappropriate for a military funeral than that secure, residential town.’ She even felt a rebellious anger at the innocuous clergyman uttering the familiar words and phrases of the burial service. She felt Victor ought to have been buried in some foreign field at a military cemetery with the company of other heroes. But it was a rather selfish viewpoint because she was not thinking of Victor’s parents or younger brother and it is probable they derived some comfort from Victor being buried in their home town, and whose grave could be visited as often as needed.

Lieutenant Victor Richardson received a posthumous Military Cross. His commanding officer had written to his parents ‘you have good reason to be proud of him.’

Edward Brittain recovered and was sent back to France, but he was bitterly disappointed when he was sent to a different regiment instead of his own 11^th Sherwood Foresters. Vera had noticed a great change in him during his last leave, he did not smile and seemed strangely unfamiliar. Vera was relieved when he left the Western Front and was sent to Italy, where she thought he would be in less danger. In the event he was killed in action on 15 June 1915 on the Asiago plain, and buried in the Grenezza First World War Cemetery. Vera later visited the site, which was high up in the mountains facing pine woods, and contained around 60 graves. Edward lies amongst soldiers of the Sherwood Forresters, killed on the same day, but his gravestone records him as belonging to the 11^th Notts & Derby Regiment. Captain Britain was only aged 22, but his colonel, who received a VC for his part in the battle, was just twenty-six. Vera felt that she left a piece of her heart in that remote grave.

Air Mechanic 1^st Grade Harold Victor Robinson

He was born in 1897 in Scotland, and his father served as a colour sergeant in the Royal Scots during the South African War. The family moved to Hove, and young Harold was educated at the East Hove Higher Grade School, later becoming a motor engineering apprentice; the family lived at 7 Shakespeare Street. He joined the Territorial Force before the war, and therefore was mobilised in August 1914. In November 1914 he contracted bronchial pneumonia, and was invalided out of the service. After a long illness and convalescence, he managed to recover. He then joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a mechanic, and spent the rest of the war serving on airships, flying almost continuously.

On 22 December 1917 five airships stationed at Polegate were ordered to patrol the English Channel and look for German U-boats; each airship carried a three-man crew. They set off early in the morning, but were recalled in the afternoon because of worsening weather conditions. The controller at Polegate considered the snow and fog made it too hazardous for all five airships to return there, and ordered them to scatter. One landed near Uckfield, two landed near Jevington, and two came down at Beachy Head. When visibility improved, the two latter airships were re-called to Polegate. Airship Z19 landed safely but Airship Z7 clipped Airship Z10, and both were soon enveloped in flames. The bombs on board one airship exploded, killing the pilot. Robinson and a boy mechanic rushed over to the other airship, and Robinson managed to extricate the pilot and two crewmen (all severely injured). Then Robinson unclipped the bombs from the burning car and carried them away from the flames. The bomb casing was so hot that his hands were scorched.

Hove people were so impressed with Robinson’s bravery that a collection was organised, and £103-8s was raised as a mark of their esteem. At Robinson’s own request a gold watch was purchased and suitably inscribed, and £80 was placed in War Bonds. In addition, in June 1918 King George V presented Robinson with an Albert Medal in gold.

Major Douglas D. Rose MC

Major Douglas Drysdale Rose MC

He was born in 1884 in London, educated at Wellington, and in 1901 enlisted in the Royal Sussex Militia (Artillery). His parents, Mr and Mrs High Rose, lived at 2 St Aubyns. In 1903 Douglas was commissioned to the Royal Field Artillery. He served with them during the First World War and returned to his Hove home with most of his left hand missing, having also suffered nine wounds. But he was more fortunate than brother Hugh who died of his wounds. Major D. D. Rose was awarded the following:

South African Medal

Military Cross

Croix de Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur

Croix de Guerre

Mentioned in Despatches

Major Hugh Alexander Rose DSO

He was the brother of Major D. D. Rose mentioned above. Hugh joined the Royal Field Artillery, and was on the staff of Divisional Headquarters. He was aged 36 when he died of his wounds on 18 April 1918. He was buried in Lijsseathoek Military Cemetery.

2^nd Lieutenant George Harry Thornton Ross

He was the only son of Harry Thornton Ross, Superintendent of the Madras Police, and Mrs Ross of 30 Norton Road, Hove. He was also the grandson of Major Montagu Battye of the Royal Body Guard. George joined the Essex Regiment and fell during the Battle of the Somme leading his men into battle. At first he was posted as missing but later his date of death was recorded as 8 August 1916. His father never heard the sad news, having died on 10 March 1914, but his valiant mother, Mrs Lena Caroline Outram Ross, soldiered on until 1934.

Private William Rowland

One family’s grief at the loss of their son was compounded by the anger they felt that despite his long stint of war service, he never once came home on leave. His parents were William and Lilian Rowland of 63 Wordsworth Street. In civilian life William was a butcher, and he enlisted in September 1914, and served in the 4^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He served for three years and three months, on the Eastern Front, and in Palestine. Then, instead of home leave, he was sent to France where, two months later and aged 23, he was killed in action on 29 July 1918 at Grand Rozoy.

Sub-Lieutenant Joseph Sandbach RNVR

He was born in 1876 and joined the Royal Navy as a boy in 1891. He lived for some years in one of the Coastguard Cottages, Kingsway, because he was an instructor to No. 2 Company (Brighton & Hove) Sussex Division RNVR. He re-enlisted for war service, was sent to the Dardanelles, and was killed in action, aged 35, on 20 July 1915. Lieutenant Commander Isger wrote the following words:

‘Poor old Sandbach … he has been my comrade clean through, first as a chief petty officer and then as a sub-lieutenant and a finer chap and comrade you could not meet. The day before [he was killed] he assisted me in carrying out a plan of mine … It meant crawling through a hole in the Turks’ trench, and finding out if they were there; had they been there it would have meant certain death. We found, however, that those who could do so had fled, and that the Turkish trenches were a solid mass of dead. The result of our reconnaissance was that we took all points that it had been desired to capture and 150 yards beyond.’ Sandbach was shot ‘practically in the hour of victory and glory’.

It is interesting to note that Sandbach’s wife Nellie was recorded as living at 41 Glendower Road , Plymouth, Devon.

2^nd Lieutenant William Alastair Fraser Sandeman

2^ndLt. William Sandeman

He came from a military family, his father being Captain William Wellington Sandeman who was the recipient of the Afghan Medal, and retired in 1888 after twenty years of service with the 2^nd Seaforth Highlanders. The Sandemans lived in Second Avenue and their son was born at Hove on 29 March 1889, and educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. Not surprisingly with his military background, he followed a career in the Army, and in a Scottish regiment too; in 1909 he joined the Seaforth Highlanders. However, he did not live to see much service during the First World War because on 14 October 1914 he was badly wounded near Bethune. His regiment was ordered to retire, and reluctantly they were obliged to leave him behind on the battlefield. He thus became a prisoner of war, and was taken to hospital in Laventie where he died on 14 October 1914.

Private Alan Bernard Sanders

He was born in Deal but became a Hove resident. He served with the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, and died at the age of 22 on 24 January 1917. It is interesting to note that on his family headstone at Hove Cemetery the lettering states he died at the Military Training Camp at Newhaven, rather than at home, as recorded in the on-line Roll of Honour. But perhaps in this context ‘home’ stands for England, as opposed to dying in ‘some corner of a foreign field’. The stone also mentions his older brother Percival Frank Sanders who was aged 30 when he was killed in action on 20 September 1916 in France. Probably, Percival was living elsewhere because his name does not appear on Hove’s Roll of Honour, although Alan’s name is recorded.

Private Sydney Theodore Sang

He was a cadet in the RNVR in 1914, and the following year he was sent to the Dardanelles, attached to Howe Battalion of the 63^rd Royal Naval Reserve under Major Kenneth Ford. Sang spent his fifteenth birthday in the trenches at Gallipoli, and was fortunate enough to survive, unlike four other Hove men in Howe who died.

His parents, Mr and Mrs J. H. Sang of 6 Glendor Road, were glad to have him home again in one piece, and wanted him to continue with his education. He complied with their wishes for a short while, but then grew restless, and soon joined the Liverpool Scottish as a bugler. He was then attached to the 18^th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and died in France on 2 September 1918.

Leading Seaman Albert Jesse Saunders MM DCM

He was born at Hove in 1892, and educated at the Ellen Street Schools. Before enlisting, he worked on the bread delivery round for the well-known local firm of Gigin’s. He joined up in December 1915 and served in Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Reserve. He was awarded the Military Medal for his heroic work at Passchendaele on 26 October 1917 during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres when he carried in wounded soldiers while under heavy fire. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bombing German trenches at Cambrai on 30 December 1917. He survived the war.

Lieutenant John Angus Nicolson MacEwen Scobie

Donald Scobie was one of the many British people who eventually settled at Hove after service in the Empire. Donald Scobie, and his second wife Joan, lived at 36 Pembroke Avenue; he had been employed in the civil service in India; indeed his son John was born in India in 1894, while the younger son Keith was born in Scotland.

Both the Scobie boys were awarded scholarships to Brighton College. The elder son, besides being given three Christian names, was also named MacEwen, which was his mother’s maiden surname, and unhappily she died in Burma in 1900. John’s scholarship was a mathematical one, but he was also keen on sport, winning three prizes at the College Athletic Sports Day, as well as playing cricket and football for his house. He became a prefect and an officer in the college’s OTC. He went on to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and in July 1914 enlisted in the Royal Engineers, serving with the 225^th Field Company. He was promoted to lieutenant, and was killed in action on 29 July 1916 with a bullet through his left lung.

Lieutenant Keith Macdonald Scobie RAF

Keith had completely different interests to his brother John. Keith had strong, literary tastes, and became a leading member of the school debating society. He must have enjoyed his days at Brighton College, and it is pleasant to record that after he left, hardly a term went by without him presenting some volumes to the college library. However, he did follow his brother by going to Woolwich, from which institution he passed out first in May 1916. Like his brother he too was promoted to lieutenant. He served in France, including the Somme, for nine months before suffering a leg injury, and was sent home to recuperate in April 1917. It must have been a severe injury because it took him some time to regain his strength. In April 1918 he transferred to the Air Service (it became the RAF a little later). He had just completed his pilot’s course when on 27 October 1918 he was killed ‘accidentally by an aeroplane’ at the RAF Training Station, Stockbridge Aerodrome, also known as the 43^rd Training Depot Station.

Private Hugh Scott

His parents Hugh Hamilton Scott and his wife Agnes lived firstly at Waterloo Street, and then moved to 44 Hova Villas. The name of Hugh Hamilton Scott is frequently encountered in the annals of Hove because he served as surveyor to the town for an astonishing 42 years. This meant that he started out with the Hove Commissioners in the 1880s and remained in his post when Hove received borough status. He was hard-working and meticulous, but also a little diffident in evaluating his own worth. In 1918 it was stated that he had been earning the same salary of £600 a year for fifteen years. Hove councillors, reviewing the situation, said he could have had more money if only he had asked. But it must have been enough to pay for his two sons to have a private education at Hove High School in Clarendon Villas. Sunday was a special day in the household because Mr Scott had a stark Presbyterian background; there was strict Sunday observance with attendance at church of course, blinds kept drawn down, and the only recreation permitted was Bible study or a perusal of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.

Hugh Scott went on to attend the University of London, and became a civil engineer, living with his wife Winifred at 19 Ventnor Villas. Hugh joined the 25^th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, and was killed in action at Arras on 28 April 1917, aged 36.

Private Robert Scott

He had moved to British Columbia by 1916 where he pursued a career as an architect. He enlisted as a private in 72^nd Canadian Battalion and was sent to France. He was aged 33 when he was killed in action on 1 March 1917 at Vimy Ridge, just three days after his brother was killed. Perhaps because he had moved to Canada, his name does not appear on Hove’s Roll of Honour, although his name is on the memorial at Clarendon Villas.

Trooper Sidney Wigmore Shaw

He was once a member of the Sussex Yeomanry but in 1909 he emigrated to Australia. He lived with his sister at Mount Morgan, Queensland. When war broke out he joined the Australian Imperial Force and was part of the Anzac troops at Gallipoli where he was killed in action on 11 May 1915.

Private Arthur Aaron Short

He was born at Hove in 1879. He joined the Army in around 1898 and served for five years. He returned home, and worked as a paper-hanger for William Willett, the well-known Hove builder. Then Short decided to go to Australia, and while he was there, war broke out. In 1915 he joined the Australian Pioneers, and was sent to Europe where he died on 6 November 1917 of wounds received at the 3^rd Battle of Ypres. His brother Signaller Short also died in the war.

Signaller Frederick Charles Short

He served with the Royal Sussex Regiment, but was then attached to the 6^th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; he was killed in action in France on 7 April 1918. His brother Arthur had already died in 1917 after being wounded at Ypres.

Lance Corporal Eric Simon

He was born in 1890 at Jersey, but later lived at Hove. He joined the Royal Sussex Regiment but was later attached to the 8^th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; he was killed in action on 9 September 2017 during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres, at a place called Gilwell Wood. His next of kin lived in Wimbledon.

Lieutenant Edward Henry Keith Smithers

He was a cousin of Captain Smithers, being the son of Edward Allfree Smithers, one of the founders of Smithers Brewery. Edward was born on 6 January 1896 in a large house called The Gables at Furze Hill, Hove, and he was still living there eighteen years later. He was educated at nearby Wick School, and later at Winchester College. He was already a student at New College, Oxford, when in September 1914 he decided to enlist as a 2^nd lieutenant in the 11^th Battalion, Manchester Regiment; he died on 11 July 1916.

Captain Reginald Cuthbert Welsford Smithers

copyright © Brighton & Hove City Libraries copyright © J.Middleton
This fine portrait of Captain Smithers is stored in the Roll of Honour Archive at Hove Library, the elegant memorial plaque in All Saints is in memory of Captain Reginald Cuthbert Welsford Smithers.

He came from a well-known local brewing family. His father, Herbert Welsford Smithers, had founded a brewery at Brighton in 1906 in conjunction with his brother, Edward Allfree Smithers, that amalgamated the North Street Brewery and the Bedford Brewery. In 1913 the brothers acquired the old-established firm of Vallance & Catt to add to their portfolio. It is pleasant to record that the brothers were exceptionally close, but the downside was that when Herbert died on 9 June 1913, Edward could not get over the loss and followed his brother to the grave on 5 February 1914. It was after the brothers had died that the firm of Smithers took over the Brewery in Portslade Old Village.

Meanwhile, Reginald and his brother Montague attended their father’s funeral and burial in Hove Cemetery in 1913, and just four years later Reginald was dead too. Young Reginald was blessed with film-star good looks, and he was already a Captain and Adjutant of the 7^th Battalion, King’s Own Light Infantry when, aged 20, he was killed in action at Ypres on 16 August 1917. His widowed mother re-married, becoming Mrs Hollick, and living at 9 Eaton Gardens. A memorial tablet was placed in All Saints Church, Hove.

Lieutenant Henry Kenneth Martin Southwell RN

His father was Revd Henry Kemble Southwell who had undertaken sterling work organising the role of Army chaplains almost since the beginning of the war. In 1920 he became Bishop of Lewes. But he and his wife were not immune to service losses, although when their son died aged 24 it was after the war. Lieutenant Southwell was serving aboard the submarine L-55 on operations in the Baltic Sea when on 9 June 1919 the vessel struck a mine, and all 38 crew members were killed. At least the parents had the consolation of a known grave, because the bodies were retrieved and buried at Gosport. There must have been a local connection because Lieutenant Southwell’s name appears on Hove’s Roll of Honour.

George Sowter RN

Leading Seaman George Sowter

By 1916 Sergeant George Sowter had served in Hove Police for sixteen years. He and his wife Margaret lived at 27 Blatchington Road, and they had two sons who were educated at the George Street Schools, later St Andrew’s Church of England School, and then at the East Hove Schools in Davigdor Road.

The eldest son George Sowter served in the Drake Battalion, Royal Naval Division, and was sent to the Dardanelles. He was amongst the first landing party to step ashore on the fatal beaches of Gallipoli, and was shot dead by a sniper on 15 July 1915 at the age of 21. His commanding officer thought highly of the sailor and wrote the following words to his father:

‘Mr Cherry, who was killed in May and in whose platoon he was, always said that he was the most capable leading seaman he had. It will be some consolation to you to know, sir, that your son died doing his duty nobly, as he has never failed to do since the beginning of the campaign. We have lost in him a most brave and trustworthy hand and one we shall never be able to replace with another as he was one of the original Drake Battalion.’

Sergeant William Dewar Sowter DCM

He was the brother of Leading Seaman George Sowter. He had joined the 1^st Battalion, Cameron Highlanders, before war broke out, and in August 1914 was sent to France. He rose through the ranks quickly and by the age of 21 he was already a sergeant major. His citation for the Distinguished Conduct Medal ran as follows:

‘For conspicuous gallantry on September 15 1915 in the assault near Halluch. As machine-gun sergeant of the battalion he handled his guns with the greatest bravery and dash during the later stages of the assault, when machine-gun officers had been wounded. With another non-commissioned officer he pushed on with one gun, and materially assisted the advance. While firing the gun the safety-catch was struck by a bullet, stopping the gun. Although under very heavy fire, he took out the damaged portion and continued to fire without it.’

In February 1916 he came home on leave, and married Florence Mary Green at All Saints Church, Hove. The wedding cake was patriotically embellished with a machine-gun and the letters DCM. On 22 February 1916 Alderman A. R. Sargeant, Mayor of Hove, presented him with a handsome clock in appreciation of his services to King and Country, and as a token of good wishes for his marriage. It was stated that from Sowter’s class of twenty boys at East Hove Schools, no less than eighteen of them were serving in the Army or the Navy. At least Sowter survived the war.

Lieutenant John Cecil Stollery

He was the only son of Colonel and Mrs Stollery of 47 Denmark Villas. Young John was considered to be a delicate child, and thus was not send off at a young age to endure the rigours of boarding school. Instead, he was a day boy, first at Holland House School, then at Cottesmore, both at Hove. When he eventually arrived at Christ Church, Oxford, it was recognised that he was at a disadvantage by not having the public school old boy network to fall back on. But he soon settled in, and made friends with some of the Rhodes Scholars. In 1911 he was called to the Bar.

In 1914 Stollery joined the Royal Fusiliers. After fighting at Armentiers in the same year, he was invalided home for a spell. In May 1915 he returned to the Front, and was attached to the 1^st Battalion, Warwickshire Regiment. He came through some fierce fighting at the 2^nd Battle of Ypres (22 April to 25 May 1915) unscathed when a large number of men in his platoon were killed or wounded. His unit was then sent back for ten days of rest before returning to battle. On 24 May 1915 they were ordered to re-take trenches that the Germans had managed to seize by the use of chlorine gas. The men gallantly took the first trench, and Stollery was giving orders to his men when a sniper shot him through the head at a place the British nicknamed Mousetrap Farm near Ypres. Stollery’s body was not recovered, but his name is inscribed at The Menin Gate, Ypres.

Private George Thomas Stoner

He was born at Hove in 1891, and educated at the Ellen Street Schools. His parents, Edward and Fanny Amelia Stoner, lived at 9 Sheridan Terrace, Hove. In civilian life George worked as a milk carrier, and lived at home. He served with the 8^th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment, and was injured during the Battle of the Somme, dying from his wounds at the age of 24 on 5 September 1916.

1^st Class Stoker Alexander Douglas Stringer RN

He was born at Hove on 25 August 1893, and educated at the Ellen Street Schools. He lived with his parents at 73 Tamworth Road, and later earned a living as a sawyer and box-maker. He joined the Royal Navy on 21 April 1913, and was serving aboard HMS Hampshire when he was lost on 5 June 1916. (For details about the sinking of thr Hampshire please see under Lieutenant B. P. K. Greenhill).

Corporal Arthur Dudley Cleveland Swayne

He was born in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, son of Frederick and Irene Swayne. Arthur was a married man when he enlisted in the Army Pay Corps, his wife Mabel living at 5 Wilbury Crescent. At the age of 34 Arthur died on 10 February 1919 in France.

Captain John Alfred Tennant OBE

He was born at Clifton in 1887, and educated at Winchester and Sandhurst. He was a professional soldier having joined the colours in December 1907 with the 14^th Hussars. Tennant served with the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1918, and the North Persia Expeditionary Force from 1918 to 1919. Also in 1919 he was awarded the OBE (Military Division) for valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in Mesopotamia.

Tennant was part of the first force sent to try and relieve Kut, but unfortunately it failed. He then had the satisfaction of being involved in the final operation that managed to re-take Kut as well as Baghdad. Tennant survived the war and lived at 22 The Drive, Hove. (Please also see under the Siege of Kut at the end of this page).

Captain Leslie Vernon Thorowgood RFC

He was born in Wandsworth, and his parents Arthur and Lottie Thorowgood, were living in London when war was declared. When their only son decided to enlist, the parents moved down to Hove, at first buying a house in Sackville Gardens, and then moving to 25 Rutland Gardens. On 22 March 1918 their son was killed in a flying accident at Lakedown. He was buried in Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire. A hand-written note on his service card at Hove Library states ‘Flight Commander’.

Private Ernest Victor Townsend

William and Florence Townsend had four sons. Two addresses are recorded for the parents – 56 Ellen Street, and 30 Coleridge Street, both in Hove. The three younger boys were all educated at Ellen Street Schools, and thus did not have far to walk.

Thomas Townsend was the first brother to die, and he was killed in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 during the Relief of Peking. The other three brothers all perished in the First World War – two in 1915.

Private E. V. Townsend was born in Camberwell. He was serving with the 12^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, when, aged 22, he was killed during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres on 20 September 1917. His body was never recovered, but his name is inscribed at the Menin Gate as well as the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. He was the last brother to be killed.

1^st Class Petty Officer Frederick Charles Townsend RN

One of the four Townsend brothers, Frederick Townsend served with Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Reserve. He met his death not at sea, but in the mud of the Somme, being part of the 63^rd Naval Division. He died in action aged 32 at Beaumont-Hamel on 12 November 1916.

1^st Class Petty Officer John George Townsend RN

One of the four Townsend brothers, John Townsend joined the Royal Navy as a boy in 1890, and became a 1^st class petty officer. He was aboard the ill-fated HMS Viknor when she went down on 13 January 1915 some eleven miles off the coast of Ireland and west of Tory Island, County Donegal. It was an unaccountable tragedy because there was no survivor to throw light on the matter. The vessel could have hit a hostile mine, on the other hand, sea conditions were rough at the time. The entire complement of the crew was lost in this disaster, which meant that twenty-two officers and 173 men were drowned. The majority of the crew came from the Royal Naval Reserve, and twenty-five of them were drawn from the Newfoundland Division. (Another local casualty was Able Seaman Ernest Tidy, aged 17, from Portslade.)

Sergeant Leonard Townsend

One of the four Townsend brothers, he was a keen a keen footballer, playing with Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as with Hove Football Club. He and his brother Frederick earned their living together by laying down wood paving. But when war was declared, they both volunteered for the Army. Leonard joined the 6^th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, becoming a sergeant. He was killed in action in Gallipoli on 7 August 1915, a year after enlisting.

After the war, Mr J. W. Lister, Chief Librarian of Hove, was busily collecting details of all the war casualties. It was a lady called Daisy Moncur who got in touch with him about the Townsend brothers. She wrote, ‘It was a bitter grief for all of us to lose our dear ones but thank God they were all four men and knew how to die for King and country and their loved ones at home.’

Stoker Frederick Upward RN

He was educated at the George Street Schools, later St Andrew’s Church of England School. He was a married man when he joined up, and he and his wife lived at 8 Victoria Cottages right on Hove sea-front. Stoker Upward was aboard HMS Majestic when she sailed for the Dardanelles, and upon arrival, the captain was instructed to open fire on Turkish Fort 9 on 15 March 1915. Of course orders were orders, but Nelson once said, ‘any sailor who attacks a fort is a fool’. This comment proved to be correct in the case of Majestic but the captain was not to know that some Turkish field guns were cleverly screened in adjoining woodland. This resulted in four direct hits upon the vessel resulting in one death and some wounded sailors. But Majestic herself was not badly damaged and just four days later was back in service. However, on 27 May 1915 at Cape Hellas the German submarine U-21 sent a torpedo pounding into the vessel, causing her to capsize within nine minutes and the loss of 49 lives, one of them being Stoker Upward.

Captain Vane de Valence Mortimer Vallance MC

In 1884 twin babies were born at Hove to Jane and her husband Edmund Vallance, late of the 19^th Hussars. It must have been a great cause for rejoicing because in the previous year their first-born son, Vivien, died at the age of six weeks. The twins were a pigeon pair with the girl being named Valerie and the boy named, rather grandly, Vane de Valence Mortimer. The latter name was his mother’s maiden surname, and his maternal grandfather, Albert John Mortimer, had been the British Paymaster General of the German Legion in Hanover for twenty years.

Vane was educated at Eton, and with such a military background it was not surprising that he went straight on to Sandhurst, and thence joined the 5^th (Royal Irish) Lancers in 1904. By 1912 he was already a captain. A cavalry regiment suited his temperament because he was known as a fearless cross-country rider. He was a popular officer, and it was said he was loved by all ranks.

When war broke out, the 5^th Lancers were stationed in Dublin, but they were soon on their way tio France, being one of the first regiments to cross the Channel. They became part of the Expeditionary Force under Sir John French, and concentrated near Le Cateau. The Battle of Mons took place in Belgium on 23 August 1914 when the British found themselves up against, and outnumbered by, the crack First German Army.

The British held their nerve and fought back with efficient gunfire. Sir John was fully prepared to battle on the next day, but he found to his disgust that French troops had withdrawn without any consultation, leaving the British troops in jeopardy. There was no option but to retreat as well. The 5^th Lancers were the last British troops to leave Mons, and the first to re-enter it in November 1918.

Captain Vallance was Mentioned in Despatches twice, on 23 June 1915, and on 1 January 1916, as well as being awarded the Military Cross. He was very fortunate to survive so many battles, although he was said to have had many narrow escapes. He was present at eleven famous actions, including Mons, the 1^st and 2^nd Battles of Ypres, Le Cateau, the Marne, Aisne, Loos and the Somme.

After such a battle-hardened life, and a safe passage home, it is sad to record that the gallant captain died suddenly on 8 July 1924. Vane was enjoying a walk along the cliffs at Black Rock when he suddenly fell over and crashed down to the beach 80-ft below. Naturally, the question arose as to whether it was an accident or was it suicide? Perhaps he had become inured to danger, and it was said he was testing the friable nature of the cliff with his stick as he was walking. Who knows what happened? But it was ironic to dodge so many German bullets only to perish on your own home ground. One certain outcome of the tragedy was that his five-year old daughter Vivien never got over her loss.

Captain William Mountcharles Crofton Vandeleur

The gallant captain was a professional soldier, following in the footsteps of his father, Colonel William Vandeleur, who lived at 18 Salisbury Road, Hove. The captain was born on 28 May 1870, and he had already joined the colours by the time he was nineteen. He started off in the Militia, then joined the Royal Fusiliers where he remained for less than two years before transferring in October 1891 to the Essex Regiment to which he remained loyal until his death twenty-three years later. He saw plenty of action in three theatres of war. The year 1897 found him battling it out on the notorious north-west frontier of India, taking part in the Mohmand Campaign as well as in the Tirah Expeditionary Force. For his exploits he earned a medal with three clasps.

Then it was off to South Africa where he took part in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) being promoted to captain in 1900. He served with the South African Horse, and with Roberts’s Horse, and he was there at the Relief of Kimberley under General John French on 15 February 1900. Kimberley had become an important place since the discovery of diamonds, and the Boers had besieged it for four months. The Relief of Kimberley was the first in the famous trio of successful actions against the Boers – the Relief of Ladysmith taking place on 28 February 1900 followed by the Relief of Mafeking on 17 May 1900. The news of these events caused much rejoicing back home in Britain.

Vandeleur was involved in numerous other operations too, he served in the Orange Free State, the Transvaal, Cape Colony, the Vet River and the Zand River. More medals were awarded – this time it was the Queen’s Medal with four clasps, and the King’s Medal with two clasps. For a few months he was employed in the civil government in South Africa.

When the First World War broke out, Vandeleur was stationed with the 2^nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, at Chatham, but they were soon despatched to France. A newspaper report stated that Vandeleur was killed in action in September 1914 but no date or place of death were given. Instead, it was recorded that he saw action at Le Cateau, the retreat from Mons, and the advance to Aisne, and that he most probably fell during the latter action. It seems that Hove people were not familiar with Vandeleur’s life, or at least it escaped the attention of H. M. Walbrook whose book Hove and the Great War was published in 1920, and did not mention him. However, Vandeleur’s name is inscribed on the brass memorial tablets in the vestibule of Hove Library, and so his family must have come forward to ensure he was not forgotten.

There is another Vandeleur connection with Hove and that was Isobel Grace Vandeleur, daughter of Colonel Hector Stewart Vandeleur, Lord Lieutenant of County Clare. She married James Denham, who was given a knighthood in 1921, and the couple lived at Hove; Sir James spent his last days in a Hove Nursing Home and died on 3 October 1927. He was buried in Hove Cemetery, and the funeral was attended by his widow, his daughter Dorothy and son Vivian Gilbert-Denham - the elder son having settled in Rhodesia while the younger son was serving in the Irish Guards. The place of burial is adorned with a large white angel with arm raised and pointing upwards.

James Denham studied at Christ Church, Oxford, where his tutor was none other than Lewis Carroll. Denham began to write poetry while still at university, actively discouraged by his tutor. But Denham took no notice and churned out numerous volume, all of which seem to have sunk without trace. One of his songs was Wake Up England – always appropriate. He raised considerable sums of money for charity by singing English classics to an appreciative audience. He had other interests too, including hunting, fishing, photography, and, above all, cycling, claiming to have cycled 60,000 miles in twelve different countries.

Lieutenant Jean François Constantin Maxime de Crevoisier, Baron de Vomecourt

Baron de Vomecourt of the Château de Chassey les Montbozon, France, was born in 1863 and lived at number 33 Cromwell Road, Hove from 1908 until 1914. He was killed in action at Ypres on 20 December 1914 while serving in the French 6th Regiment of Artillery. Although Baron de Vomecourt was a foreign national he is remembered in Hove because of his Hove residency. His name is inscribed on the First World War Memorial in the foyer of Hove Library along with local British servicemen who had fallen in the Great War of 1914-1918. The Baron name is also listed in H. M. Walbrook’s Hove and the Great War (1920).

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove
Brighton Herald 9 January 1915, the address given in the above report is incorrect, Baron de Vomecourt actually lived at 33 Cromwell Road for six years.

Captain Arthur Bartlett Wales MC

He was educated at Hove High School. In 1913 he became a Hove councillor, and he was one of the very few councillors who saw active service during the war. Her served in the Army for four years, being posted to France, Belgium and Italy. He served all through the Battle of the Somme, the 3^rd Battle of Ypres, and the Passschendale Ridge. In 1918 Wales was awarded the Military Cross and the Italian Croce de Guerra, and he was also Mentioned in Dispatches three times.

Wales was Mayor of Hove from 1928 to 1930. In civilian life he ran an estate agent’s business at 173 Church Road, Hove, and was an auctioneer too. He lived at 38 Pembroke Crescent, Hove, and died in February 1953 aged 68.

Air Mechanic Arnold Walker RFC

He was born in 1893 in Surrey, but had lived at Hove since 1895, and was educated at the Connaught Road Schools. In October 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, and became an observer. He was Mention in Despatches, and Major Lewis put his name forward for promotion. But before that could happen, Walker was killed on 30 March 1916 in an aerial battle over Bapaume when his plane was shot down over German lines. ‘First they thought his machine was only missing, the next day the Germans dropped a message saying he was killed.’ This gentlemanly behaviour by German aviators was not uncommon in the early part of the war. Indeed, there seemed to be a kind of chivalry between air combatants on both sides. The Germans carefully buried Walker, marking his grave, and his own squadron discovered it a year later.

It is interesting to note that the man who shot down Walker’s plane was the celebrated German pilot Lieutenant Max Immelmann. He was an effective fighter who surprised his foe by an attack from underneath, followed by a swift climb to attack the British pilot from a point where his view was obscured by his own wings. Immelmann was the recipient of the rare Pour le Merite medal, which was subsequently nicknamed the Blue Max in his honour. He was also awarded the Iron Cross. Like many aviators, he was a superstitious person, and liked to have the lucky clover-leaf his mother had given him about his person. On 18 June 1916 Immelmann was shot down and killed by a pilot of the Royal Flying Corps.

Trooper Reginald Douglas Warren

He was born at Chesterton, but his parents, Mr E. G. and Mrs Elizabeth Warren, later moved to Hove where they lived at 19 Frith Road. Reginald joined the Royal East Kent Regiment. He died aged 20 on 6 December 1915 at Gallipoli. Besides his name appearing on Hove’s Roll of Honour, he is also commemorated on the outside war memorial at the church of St Thomas the Apostle, Davigdor Road (now known as St Abraam and St Mary).

copyright © J.Middleton
The War Memorial on the east wall of the Church of St Thomas the Apostle,
Davigdor Road (now known as St Abraam and St Mary - Coptic Othodox Church)

Corporal Jack Stanley Waters MM

He was educated at the George Street Schools, later known as St Andrew’s Church of England School. When he grew up he worked as a butcher and his home address was 90 Rutland Road. In September 1914 he enlisted in the 12^th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He was awarded the Military Medal for his conduct during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres in 1917, the citation reading as follows:

‘For most conspicuous gallantry and good leading in the Battle of Ypres on July 31 and August 1 and 2. While crossing No Man’s Land, the NCO in charge of the Lewis Gun Team was wounded. This man at once took charge of the team and led them to their objective. During the whole period of the operation his gun was always in action, and his cheerfulness at a very critical period was of the utmost value in keeping up the spirit of the men in his section.’

2^nd Lieutenant Kenneth Martin Wearne

His parents were Mr and Mrs Hammon Wearne and two addresses are given for them – 22 The Drive and 11 Fourth Avenue, Hove. Kenneth was educated at Uppingham and later lived at 13 Fourth Avenue. Kenneth served with the 10^th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment, and he was only aged 20 when he was killed n action during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres on the 20 September 1917. His body was never recovered – a fact of which his family were well aware because a terse, handwritten note on his war record at Hove Library states ‘He was never found, presumably blown to pieces’. His name is inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.

Lance Corporal Arthur Whale

He was born at Crewe, Berkshire, but his parents, George and Elizabeth Whale, later moved to Hove where they lived at 20 Denmark Villas. Arthur was educated at Shrewsbury, and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where being a sporting type, he earned a Soccer Blue. In 1908 he was goalkeeper in a match between Cambridge University and Oxford University. At the age of 28 he was killed in action on 3 August 1916 near Ovillers. He is copiously remembered at different war memorials – at Thiepval, Hove, Shrewsbury, Cambridge, and on the outside war memorial at the Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Davigdor Road (now known as St Abraam and St Mary).

Private Albert Edward Wheeler

He was born in 1891. He was the brother of Claude Fogo Wheeler, and Thomas Victor Wheeler (see below). When war broke out, Albert was living with his parents at 8 St Leonard’s Road, Hove, and in civilian life, he worked as a motor driver. He served with the 17^th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, and saw a great deal of action at the Western Front, including the Somme. He was also present at Delville Wood, the battle lasting from 14 July to 15 September 1916, where he was severely wounded. On 19 October 1917 he was discharged from the Army as medically unfit, and received a full pension. Unhappily, he did not survive for long, and died at 8 St Leonard’s Road on 6 November 1917. He was buried in Hove Cemetery, and given the standard white, military-style headstone. But it is not to be found near the other First World War graves, but is tucked away in the south west corner, near to the graves of other family members. (J. Middleton and Christine le Blanc)

Claude Fogo Wheeler

Most probably, Claude was brought up on stories of his family’s military service, and it seems he was desperate to enlist and do his bit too. But his poor health did not allow this ambition to be fulfilled. The local recruiting centre turned him down, and he made a last ditch attempt to join the Royal Sussex Regiment at their Chichester base. Amazingly, he decided to march all the way there, perhaps in an effort to prove his fitness for service. But it was his final hurrah because although he reached Chichester, he was turned down there too. He must have been utterly dejected when he returned to Hove. He died at home, 8 St Leonard’s Road, on 18 January 1917. What a sad outcome for his family – to lose two sons at home within one year. (J. Middleton and Christine le Blanc).

Major George Massy Wheeler VC (1873-1915)

He was born on 31 January 1873 at Chakrata, United Provinces, India. He was the grandson of General Sir Hugh Massy Wheeler of Indian Mutiny fame, and son of General George Wheeler.

He attended Bedford Modern School from 1886 to 1891 where he was known as ‘Pup’ Wheeler. In 1893 Wheeler joined the Army, enlisting in the 1^st Wiltshire Regiment, but in 1897 he transferred to the 7^th Hariana Lancers, Indian Army.

In 1903 he became a captain, and from 1908 to 1912 he was commandant of the 50^th Camel Corps. In 1911 he was promoted to major, and in 1915 he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The citation reads as follows:

‘For most conspicuous bravery at Sheiba, Mesopotamia, on 12 April 1915. Major Wheeler asked permission to take his squadron and attempt to capture a flag, which was the centre point of a group of the enemy who were firing on one of our picquets. He advanced and attacked the enemy’s infantry with the lance, doing considerable execution among them.

He then retired, while the enemy swarmed out of a hidden ground and formed an excellent target to our Royal Horse Artillery guns.

On 13 April 1915 Major Wheeler led his squadron to attack on the north mound. He was seen far ahead of his men riding single-handed straight for the enemy’s standards. This gallant officer was killed on the mound.’

copyright © Royal Pavilion & Museums-Brighton & Hove
A letter from King George V to Mrs Elinor Massy-Wheeler
(donated to Hove Museum by Mr Kenneth Laycock)

There is a memorial to him in Basra War Cemetery, Iraq, and a plaque at St Alban’s Church, Hindhead, Surrey.

On 23 July 1926 in the Memorial Hall of Bedford Modern School an oil paining of the gallant major was unveiled. The quarter-length portrait depicts him wearing the uniform of the 7^th Hariana Lancers, complete with military turban, and was painted by Barbara Chamier.

In the Register of the Victoria Cross (1981) his county connection is given as Hove. His name does not appear on Hove’s Roll of Honour because he was not born at Hove, but his wife Elinor (1885-1950) lived at 5 Gwydyr Mansions.

It is interesting to note that in 1925 Elinor Massy-Wheeler purchased a grave plot at Hove Cemetery in 1925, plus another one two years later (Block J Section D), and she resided at Hove for many years dying in the town in 1950.

In 1950 Mrs Elizabeth Swannell donated the precious Victoria Cross to Hove Museum – the same museum also held his other medals:

India Medal with clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897/98, Waziristan 1901-2

Victory Medal 1914-1918, standard and miniature

1914 -1918 Star, standard and miniature

It is sad to record that Major Wheeler was virtually forgotten about until staff at Brighton Museum were searching through their stock in order to mark the 100^th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The Argus (19/1/15) reported that the staff had no idea there was a Victoria Cross amongst their treasures.

Thomas Victor Wheeler

He was the brother of Claude Fogo Wheeler and Albert Edward Wheeler (mentioned above)

Thomas Wheeler’s personal military files were destroyed during the London blitz in September 1940 but the following details have been obtained from the Machine Gun Corps Database as well as records held by Christine Le Blanc, his grand-daughter.

Thomas originally enlisted as number 1171 in the 17^th (Service) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, which was raised on 12 December 1914 as a ‘Pals’ Battalion’ and was later nicknamed the ‘Football Battalion’. This was because at its core were a group of professional footballers including the entire team of Clapton (later Leyton) Orient. Thomas was present at the Battle of Delville Wood, which was part of the Battle of the Somme, as well as other battles from July to November 1916.

In December 1916 Thomas returned to England on leave and married Maud Ellen Dennis on 20 December 1916 at St Matthew’s Church, Hammersmith, London. After the war Thomas returned to London to join Maud and their son Thomas Joseph who was born in 1917. They also had a daughter Ada Maud born in 1920.

Thomas did not recover from his war service and the family moved to Hove to be with his parents at 8 St Leonard’s Avenue and to benefit from the sea air. It was there that he died on 5 February 1922.

Private Herbert Wakeley White

Hove-born White was already living in Ontario, Canada at the time war broke out. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and could have stayed safely where he was. But he felt duty called him to do his bit for the war effort, and in November 1915 he joined the Canadian Light Infantry. He was killed during the 3^rd Battle of Ypres on 30 October 1917.

Robert Whiting

Number 9 – Professional footballer Bob Whiting lived at 9 Coleridge Street with his wife and two children. He was born at West Ham on 6 January 1883, and the Sussex Daily News described him as one who ‘greatly distinguished himself as goalkeeper in the service of Brighton & Hove Albion, and previously at Chelsea.’

Whiting joined the ‘Sportsmen’s Battalion’ Middlesex Regiment on 1 January 1915. He was sent over to France and was killed in action on 28 April 1917. When he died, there was a three-month old baby at home whom he never saw. Perhaps it was his sad widow who, when the Hove War Memorial at Grand Avenue was unveiled, laid a small bunch of violets with the heart-breaking message ‘From the little baby who he never saw’.

Corporal Frank Wilkinson

He was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, and went on to become a member of the old-established firm of Wilkinson, Son & Welch, auctioneers and estate agents – Frank being put in charge of the Hove branch. His parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Wilkinson, lived at 7 York Avenue. In 1908 Frank became Worshipful Master of the Clarence Lodge of Freemasons. His hobby was collecting birds’ eggs – illegal these days, thankfully – and to add to his collection he liked to visit the west coast and isles of Scotland. When war broke out, Wilkinson was aged 38, which was past the recruiting age at that time, and so he could have stayed comfortably at Hove. Instead, he volunteered to join the colours in September 1914. He joined the 20^th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Public Schools Battalion). Of course he was so much older than his fellow recruits that they affectionately nicknamed him ‘Pa’. He served during the Battle of the Somme, and at the age of 40, he was lost at High Wood on 20 July 1916. His body was never recovered, and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. The following is an eye-witness account.

‘He met his death with characteristic devotion. He could easily have ensured his safety. But he saw a man lying wounded and helpless in a crater and he made his way to him to dress his wounds. He had finished this work of mercy and was on the point of returning to his trench when he was struck by a bullet and was killed. Thus died a very brave and gallant gentleman.’

At the time of his death, it was announced that his brother, Captain T. O. Wilkinson of the 91^st Punjabis, currently stationed at Mandalay, Upper Burma, had been ordered to Mesopotamia.

It is interesting to note that a Major Augustus Frederick Wilkinson of the Indian Army is buried in Hove Cemetery – he died in 1911.

Lieutenant Lawrence Arthur Wingfield DFC

He was born in 1898 in Richmond, but when war was declared he was living at 6 San Remo, Kingsway, while his parents lived at 19 Wilbury Avenue. His father George Arthur Wingfield was a London solicitor, and Lawrence followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an articled clerk to a solicitor. In July 1915 he joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps. On 24 August 1915 he was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers, but at once was attached to the Royal Flying Corps. Lawrence inherited a love of flying from his father, founder of Shoreham Aerodrome, which was officially opened on 20 June 1911, as well as the Sussex Aero Club. At the start of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916 Lawrence Wingfield successfully bombed and destroyed a railway station. In September 1916 his commanding officer wrote to his father:

‘I do not know if you heard but the destruction of St Quentin railway station, the scattering for three days of the 71^st Prussian Reserve Regiment and the burning of the train with all their equipment was his doing. It was a fine piece of work and we are awfully proud of him.’

Then his plane was shot down, and he was reported as missing. Three weeks were to elapse before it was confirmed that he had in fact survived and was a prisoner of war. He was taken firstly to Kronach in Bavaria, and afterwards to Crefeld. It seemed he had no intention of remaining incarcerated, and his father believed he had made previous attempts before his famous escape to Holland in October 1917. His father stated he had received a letter from his son containing the following statement, ‘I have not been able to write regularly for reasons which are good enough but not serious. But if I put them in they would be blacked.’ Wingfield’s escape from Stroken was reported in many newspapers, and the Examiner (1 January 1918) carried a fascinating account under the headlines ‘Airman’s Dash for Freedom / Long Tramp from Germany.’

‘On the night of October 4 he made a dash for liberty. The guard was turned out and the bullets whizzed through the air. Wingfield ran into a wire fence and then took a ‘header’ into the ditch on the other side, which was full of mud and dirty water. For over an hour he remained up to his neck in slush. When all was quiet, he dragged himself out of the ditch, crawled across the road into some long grass, through which he crawled on his hands and knees for perhaps half a mile. It was a very dark night and once clear of the camp he began his long tramp to freedom. By day he lay hidden either in straw, under hedges or in ditches, by night he tramped and tramped, guided entirely by the stars. Several times he entirely lost his bearings and wandered about for hours without knowing in which direction he was going. But always he managed to find his location again by the stars.

On one particular night, on turning a bend in the road, he was almost run down by two German civilians on bicycles but they called out “Good night” in German and he replied in his best German with his heart in his mouth. Perhaps they were in a hurry, for they passed on, although Wingfield was still in his British officer’s uniform. At length after 8 miles’ tramp through a hostile land, and with very little food, he reached a river on the frontier. By this time he was exhausted and afraid he would never be able to swim across. As luck would have it he stumbled over a broken plank. Stripping off his clothes he put them on the plank and swam to the other side. The swim, to use his own words “bucked him up wonderfully”. When he crossed the river he again lost himself but after wandering about for several hours saw a light in a farmhouse. Creeping up to the window he was delighted to see a man getting ready for the day’s work. He knocked at the door and after telling the farmer and his wife who he was, they gave him food and coffee. Here he had a good wash and rested a little.’

By the time Wingfield arrived back in London, he was looking fit and well. He was awarded the Military Cross in recognition of his ‘gallantry in escaping from captivity’. He survived the war.

Captain Theodore Wright VC (1883-1914)

Captain Theodore Wright has the distinction of being Hove’s only holder of the Victoria Cross. He was born on 15 May 1883 at 119 Lansdowne Place. A blue plaque was unveiled at the house in 2016 as part of the campaign to honour Brighton & Hove’s Victoria Cross Heroes.

Theodore Wright was educated at Clifton College, and later attended the Military Academy at Woolwich. In October 1901 he joined the Royal Engineers being promoted to Lieutenant in 1905. He served in Gibraltar and Cairo, and so by the time of his heroic actions in 1914 he was a seasoned soldier and a Captain.

On 23 August 1914 a company of Royal Scots Fusiliers were at Jemappes, Mons, Belgium, desperately trying to hold their barricade located on the north side of a bridge spanning the Mons-Condé canal. The battle was so fierce, and the casualties so numerous that there was no option but to retire from the scene. Captain Wright was also present – by then he was with the 57^th Field Company, Royal Engineers.

copyright © J.Middleton
A wreath of poppies attached to scaffolding
while Theodore Wright's former home was
in the process of renovation in 2019

Lance-Corporal Charles Jarvis of the Royal Engineers was given the unenviable task of destroying the bridge. Unfortunately, Jarvis did not have the equipment at hand. Although Captain Wright had already received a head wound, he told Jarvis to return to the bridge while he would bring what was needed. Captain Wright then made desperate attempts to connect the leads: but the bridge was under close scrutiny by the Germans who were no further away than around 30-yards, and every time Wright raised his head above the tow-path’s level, the bullets whizzed by. At length Wright had to abandon the plan, and he began to swing himself back along the girders underneath the bridge: then, suffering from exhaustion and a head wound, he lost his grip and fell into the canal. Sergeant Smith managed to fish him out. For this brave action Captain Wright was awarded the Victoria Cross.

However, this was not the end of his war service. On 14 September 1914 he was at Vailly, Aube, by another stretch of water and another bridge – this time a pontoon bridge over which the 5^th Cavalry Brigade was passing, and Wright was assisting them. This bridge too was under fire, and it was while Wright was trying to help a wounded man into shelter that he was fatally shot.

Leading Seaman Samuel Wyatt

In civilian life he was a boatman, and his parents lived at 18 Sussex Road, right next to Hove sea-front. Samuel and his wife lived at 2 Ethel Street. Samuel might reasonably have expected to serve aboard a ship and he was a member of Nelson Battalion, 63^rd Royal Naval Division. Instead, he died during the Battle of the Somme on 13 November 1916 at Beaumont-Hamel.

Signalman Frederick George Victor Young

His parents, Mr G. H. and Emily Young, lived at 41 Coleridge Street, and in August 1914 Frederick joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In January 1915 he was invalided out of the service suffering from bronchitis. When he recovered he joined the Royal Flying Corps in May 1915. He became a wireless operator and saw service on the Somme. While in France he went down with pneumonia, and in March 1917 was invalided out of service for a second time. He was sent to recover in Foredown Isolation Hospital, Portslade. He was well enough to be be on the point of discharge, when unhappily he caught the dreaded influenza, followed by another dose of pneumonia, and he died on 23 October 1918 aged 30. He was buried at Hove Cemetery.

The Siege of Kut

People automatically associate the First World War with the Western Front. But of course there were other theatres of war – the fighting in Mesopotamia (Iraq) was somewhat similar to the feelings of the men who served in Burma during the Second World War and thought of themselves as the ‘forgotten Army’ because everyone was so obsessed with events in Europe.

The Siege of Kut was a terrible event when British and Indian troops were holed up in Kut surrounded by hostile Turkish forces for a total of 147 days while three British attempts to relieve them were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, there was a desperate shortage of food. By the end of February there were cases of scurvy and beri-beri, while by April around 30 soldiers a day were dying from starvation. The Indian soldiers suffered badly because their caste forbade them from eating meat, and the little milk available was reserved for those in hospital. Meanwhile, the British were willing to eat any meat going with a preference for mule rather than horse, and a young donkey made a delectable meal. Camel meat was not enjoyed because it was so tough, and it was also sweet. It must have been heartbreaking when an officer’s favourite charger had to be butchered for the common good, and it was no consolation that in such a case, the officer’s mess was awarded the horse’s heart and tongue.

The first British plane flew over Kut on 3 February 1916. However, it must be said that the planes were relatively primitive and quite unsuited to the job in hand. It was very difficult to drop supplies accurately onto a small landing area, both because of the pilot’s inexperience and because gusty winds often blew the precious bundles off course to fall into Turkish hands or splash down into the Tigris. The bundles weighed 80lbs, and to prevent them from rocketing down too fast, they were provided with two white sheets, which as well as providing ‘drag’ also made them more visible to the hopeful soldiers below. Captain Malcolm Dickinson (already mentioned) was one of the gallant pilots who flew their planes over Kut and dropped provisions, for which feat he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Another Hove man connected with Kut (also already mentioned) was Captain Tennant of the 14^th Hussars who served with the force that finally re-took Kut.

Able Seaman Walter Nye was a professional sailor with twelve years of experience before he left the service and lived at 27 Franklin Road, Portslade. When war broke out, he re-enlisted and was assigned to HMS Alert. He served in Mesopotamia as part of a 49-sailor team manning a horse boat that conveyed equipment and supplies up the river to the British Army. Unfortunately, when General Townshend retreated, the sailors were caught in no-man’s land, and Turkish forces took them prisoner. Able Seaman Nye died on 13 August 1916 of enteritis while still in Turkish hands.

By that time the Kut garrison had already surrendered on 29 April 1916. It did not end happily. The prisoners-of-war were treated harshly, and were already suffering from starvation. It is sad to report that out of 2,500 British captives, only 700 men came home. There were around 9,300 Indian troops at Kut and 2,500 of them died afterwards.