Now is the time for marching,
Now let your hearts be gay,
Hark to the merry bugles
Sounding along our way.
So let your voices ring, my boys,
And take the time from me,
And I'll sing you a song as we march along,
Of Sussex by the Sea!
The first verse of 'Sussex by the Sea', written by William Ward Higgs in 1907, and adopted as a marching song of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the First World War.
To mark the centenary of the First World War the Ashdown Forest Research Group has written case studies of all the men who died while on military service during the war and who are commemorated by the war memorials at Forest Row, Hartfield and Coleman's Hatch, Sussex. These are villages lying on the northern fringes of Ashdown Forest that traditionally have strong links with the Forest. Click here to read an illustrated online essay which gives an overview of how the project was undertaken and discusses the key findings that have emerged from the research. (PDF version here.)
The studies are kept under review and are updated from time to time in the light of new information. We welcome any corrections, supplementary information or photographs that may be of interest. Please contact us by email.
Click on any man's name to view their study. You can go from one study to the next by clicking the red arrows in the top corners of the web page. Clicking the red 'home' icon brings you back to this page.
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Baker, Pte George Frank
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Maskell, Pte Harry George
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Bannister, L/Cpl William Henry
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Maskell, Pte Mark
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Bassett, Spr Albert
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May, L/Cpl Ernest William
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Bassett, Pte James Baldwin
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Medhurst, Spr John Arthur
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Baylay, Lt George Frederick
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Mellor, Pte Benjamin Charles
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Biddlecombe, Seaman Henry George
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Melville, Lt William Woodfall
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Boakes, Pte Ernest Stanley
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Miles, Pte Walter Alfred George
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Brand, Pte Albert Victor
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Mills, L/Cpl Albert
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Brooker, Pte Charles Frederick
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Mitchell, Pte Albert
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Brown, Pte William George
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Padgham, Pte Spencer
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Brownlow, Capt Wilfred Herbert Cecil
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Padgham, Pte William
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Burfoot, Pte Bertram
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Page, Pte Harry
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Cannon, Pte Ernest Edward
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Pannett, Pte Reginald Henry
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Cook, Pte Sidney Herbert
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Parker, Pte Edward John
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Cox, Pte Raymond
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Parker, Pte William George
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Divall, Pte Edward
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Peel, 2nd Lt Charles William
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Divall, Pte Reginald
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Polehampton, Lt Frederick William
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Draper, Bomb. Thomas James
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Richardson, Pte Albert Edward
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Dunstan, Cpl Herbert George
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Robinson, Lt Cyril Charles
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Edwards, Pte Frederick Robert
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Robson, Pte Robert Charles
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Edwards, Pte Frederick Sylvester
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Sands, Pte Alfred Jesse
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Farley, Sh.Sm. Victor Frederick
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Sands, Pte William Thomas
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Fielder, L/Cpl Edward Cecil
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Shelley, Spr Ewbert John
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Fielder, L/Cpl Frederick Stephen
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Simmons, Pte James
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Fisher, 2nd Lt Edmund Montagu Prinsep
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Simpson, Lt George
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Fisher, Capt George Kenneth Thompson
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Sippetts, Sgt Jack Frederick
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Fry, CSM Frederick Samuel
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Snelgrove, Lt Sidney Henry
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Gladman, Pte Archibald Frederick
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Southey, Dvr Frederick Charles
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Gordon, 2nd Lt Ronald Granville
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Stevens, Pte Charles Edward
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Grayer, Pte Harold
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Stevenson, Pte George William
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Gregory, Pte George
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Stevenson, Pte John
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Grisbrook, Cpl Alfred Llewellyn
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Styles, Pte William Joseph
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Harding, Pte Ernest
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Sumner, Pte Alfred William
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Heasman, Pte George James
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Sykes, Lt Col William Ernest
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Hill, Gnr Frederick William
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Syms, Pte Charles
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Holmwood, Pte Frederick
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Tester, Pte William Edgar
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Honeysett, Pte Thomas Edward
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Thomsett, Pte Philip
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Horlick, Maj Gerald Nolekin
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Tibbles, Pte Frederick Charles
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Humphrey, Pte Thomas
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Titcomb, Pte Arthur William
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Hyder, Pte Frank
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Tomsett, Pte Albert Ernest Standen
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Kekewich, Capt George
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Upton, Pte Albert James
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Kekewich, Capt Hanbury Lewis
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Upton, Stoker Arthur
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Kekewich, Capt John
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Vaughan, Dvr Ernest Stanley
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Kennard, Pte Arthur
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Villiers, Lt Algernon Hyde |
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Kensett, Pte Henry James
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Waters, Lt Eric Gordon
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Killick, Pte William
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Webber, Pte Frederick Percy
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Lawrence, Capt Michael Charles
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Weeding, Tpr George
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Lawrence, Capt Oliver John
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Weeding, Pte John
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Leney, Pte Cyril Henry
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Weekes, Pte David
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Lucas, Capt Keith
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Wheatley, Pte Doctor
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Luxford, BSM Bernard
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Wheatley, L/Cpl George
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Luxford, Gnr Edward James
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Wheatley, Pte Harry
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Luxford, Sgt William
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Wheatley, L/Cpl William James
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Martin, Pte Walter
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White, Pte Albert Henry
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Martin, Capt William Gerald
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Whitfield, Capt Nigel Bernard
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Maskell, Pte George
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Woodhams, Sgt Thomas Henry
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Post-war casualty: Wheatley, O/S Charlie
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Tables summarising key details of all these men are here (ordered by surname) and here (ordered by date of death). Both tables are PDFs.
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Parliamentary Recruiting Committee poster, 1915
Much of the fighting in France and Belgium took place only a short distance away across the Channel.
The disturbing sound of 'the thud and throb of the guns night and day' could be heard from Ashdown Forest.
(Click to enlarge)
(From left to right - click to enlarge) Early recruitment poster for the Southdown battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment; the famous "Daddy, What Did YOU Do In the Great War?" recruitment poster; and the start of full-scale conscription on 2 March 1916. (Source: Imperial War Museum)
