Remembering Worthing's fallen

Edwin was born April 24, 1871, and christened on August 6 that year at St Mary’s Church, Broadwater.
His parents were Charles, a brickmaker, and Sarah Harper. Soon after his birth the family moved to North Street, Worthing, where Edwin is shown as a schoolboy in the 1881 census.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1885 and in 1891 is recorded as a Naval Seaman. By 1901 he had risen to the rank of Petty Officer serving on HMS Excellent.
In 1911 Edwin was staying with his brother-in-law, the publican of the The Mayflower public house in Lymington, Hampshire, and is described as a Naval Pensioner. A year later he married Mary Baker and they made their home at 75 Tarring Road, Worthing.
At the outbreak of the First World War Edwin, still on the reserve list, was called to arms again, serving at the shore-based HMS Victory at Portsmouth.
In October 1916 Edwin was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar, near Gosport, Hampshire.
He died of an illness on Sunday, October 1, 1916, aged 46, and is buried at Haslar.
Edwin is remembered on the St Matthew’s Church war memorial in Worthing.
Probate of £191 6s 10d was granted to his widow Mary.

William Pullen was born in Worthing and baptised at West Tarring Church on August 3, 1890.
His father was William, a gardener, and his mother Agnes Matilda.
The family had moved to The Cottage, Manor Road, Worthing, from Rackham before William’s birth.
In 1892 William’s father died aged only 34, and the following year his mother Agnes married her late husband’s younger brother Ebenezer Pullen.
Ebenezer was also a gardener, working in the fruit-growing industry.
He and Agnes continued to live at The Cottage, Manor Road, and went on to have two more sons.
When he left school, William went to work for the well-known Worthing printer Walter Paine.
William enlisted at Rye on February 15, 1916, with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 7th Battalion.
At the end of September 1916 his battalion was back from a period of rest for a third spell of duty on the Somme.
He was killed in action at Gueudecourt on October 1, 1916, and has no known grave.
William is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and also on the Heene Parish Church war memorial.
His mother Agnes died in 1961, aged 99.

Alfred Edward Churcher, known as Edward, was born at Partridge Green, Sussex, in 1888, the eldest son of Edward Churcher and his wife Maria, née Farley.
At the time of his son’s birth Edward was employed as a police constable.
By 1901 the family had moved to Worthing where they lived at 1 Zion Terrace, Tarring Road.
By 1911 the Churchers had moved again to 28 Tarring Road and Edward was still living at home and working as a draper’s porter.
The following year Edward married Winifred Shoulders and they made their home at 15 Howard Street.
Two children were born to them, Nellie in 1913 and Edward William in 1914.
On August 5, 1914, Edward enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner.
He was wounded in action at the Somme and died of his injuries on October 2, 1916.
He is buried in the Dartmoor Cemetery at Becordel-Becourt and remembered on the St Matthew’s Church war memorial in Worthing.

Charles White was born in Shoreham in 1871, the youngest son of George, a former seaman, and Emily White. In 1881 he was living with his parents at 41 London Road and his father was employed as an assistant innkeeper. Charles later worked as a general labourer and gardener.
On January 17, 1891, he married Annie Slater at Broadwater Church and a son, Charles Thomas, was born the following year.
In April 1900 Annie gave birth to another son who lived only seven hours. Annie died three days later and is buried in Broadwater Cemetery.
The 1901 census shows Charles living at 61 Newland Road with his son Charles Thomas.
Charles moved in with Daisy Annie Goodwin, daughter of the licensee of the Nelson Inn, Chapel Road, and between 1902 and 1911 four daughters were born to them, before they married in 1912.
His son, Charles Thomas, joined the Rifle Brigade in 1908 and served in Egypt and in France during the First World War, dying from wounds received in May 1915.
This may have caused Charles James to enlist in August 1915 with the Royal Engineers as a Pioneer with the 1st Labour Battalion.
Charles died of wounds on October 4, 1916, and is buried in the Guillemont Road Cemetery.

Thomas Such was born at East Dulwich, Surrey, in 1890, to Alfred and Anne Sophie Such.
Alfred worked for the Royal Mail as a parcel sorter at the Mount Pleasant sorting office, and Anne Sophie was born in Germany, near Saarbrucken.
Thomas grew up in London in a family of six children.
In 1911 Thomas was working as a warehouseman for a seed merchant and the family home was at 2 Sunnyside Villas, Canterbury Road, Leyton, Essex.
Later they moved to Worthing to ‘The Maisonette’, in Woodlea Road.
On May 14, 1915, Thomas enlisted at Sun Street, London, with the City of London Regiment.
He was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on October 5, 1916, and has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and on the West Tarring Church war memorial.
His brother Anton (Antony) Such was killed just three weeks earlier.
Both sons are remembered on their father’s grave in Broadwater Cemetery.

Ernest was born in 1893 at Ford, near Arundel, one of eight children born to Henry, a farm foreman and Ellen, née Mant. Soon after Ernest was born the family moved to Chippers Castle at Goring.
By 1911 they were living at 4 Glebe Road, Worthing, and Ernest is described as an apprentice at a men’s outfitters.
Ernest enlisted on October 5, 1915, at Worthing in the 7th Battalion of The Royal Sussex.
They were soon in action on the Somme battlefields and during this time Ernest gained promotion to Lance Corporal.
In late September 1916 they had a few “rest days” near Arras but on October 1 were back, for the third time, to the front line on the Somme.
During the next few days the battalion’s positions were shelled by the Germans.
Attempts to gain any ground were hampered by the heavy shelling and almost continuous rain.
Ernest was one of 20 men killed during the bombardment on October 5, 1916. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and the West Tarring Parish Church war memorial.
His parents were still living at 4 Glebe Road when they received news of his death.

John Bunting was born in Worthing in 1888, to George, a butcher, and Fanny, née Newman.
There were three children in the family and John was the youngest.
He grew up in the Heene area of Worthing where the family home was at 29 Thorn Road.
Later they moved to 8 Providence Terrace, Lyndhurst Road.
On leaving school John followed his father in the butchery trade.
In January 1916 John enlisted at Purfleet into the Middlesex Regiment (The Duke of Cambridge’s Own).
He saw action in September 1916 during the Battles of Guinchy, Flers-Courdelette, and Morval.
On October 7, 1916, he was killed on the Somme and has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and the Heene Parish Church war memorial.
The Bunting family also lost John’s older brother George Lewis Bunting, who had joined the Royal Fusiliers, and was killed a couple of months before John on August 4, 1916.

Reginald Waller was born in April 1897. His place of birth was given in the 1901 census as Polegate, but crossed out and Worthing inserted.
However the General Register of births gives Hailsham as his birthplace.
He was one of eight surviving children of Robert Hatton Waller, a journeyman butcher, and his wife Louisa Kate, née Lindup.
In 1901 the family was living at New Windsor, Berkshire, but by 1911 they had moved to 5 Southdown Terrace, Lyndhurst Road, Worthing, now number 158.
Reginald enlisted at Worthing on May 10, 1916, with the Royal Fusiliers. He had formerly been with the East Surrey Regiment.
He was killed in action on October 7, 1916, on the Somme and is buried in the Grevillers British Cemetery.

William Aldred was born in Worthing in 1889, the second of four children born to William Aldred, a cabman, and his wife Lola, née Collyer.
The first child in the family, Beatrice, died in 1898, aged ten.
At the time of William’s birth the family home was at 2 Lyndhurst Terrace, Lyndhurst Road. Later they moved to 16 Gloucester Place.
In 1911 William was working as a porter at the Bazaar – this could have been part of Walter Brothers establishment in South Street as their shop sign included the word ‘bazaar’.
William first enlisted with the Royal Sussex Regiment as G/7352. Later he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment, part of the 29th Division.
In 1915 the 29th Division saw action at Gallipoli.
They were evacuated to Egypt in January 1916 and went on to France, arriving at Marseilles in March, andwere soon in action on the Western Front.
William died from wounds received October 16, 1916, and is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, and commemorated on the St Paul’s Church war memorial.

Edgar was born in St Saviours, Jersey, in about 1895, to Philip, a tailor and draper, and Isabel Le Blancq.
The family had lived on the Channel Isles for many years and in 1901 the family was still living at St Saviours, Jersey, but in 1911 they had moved to Guernsey.
When Edgar was 12 years old his mother died leaving Philip to bring up four children.
Three years later Philip married Alice and they had two more children.
Philip continued to work as a tailor and Edgar began work as a draper’s assistant.
It is not know if the whole family or just Edgar came to Worthing sometime after 1911, but Edgar enlisted in The Royal Sussex Regiment.
The 12th Battalion trained at Maidstone and Aldershot and landed at Le Havre on March 6, 1916, and were soon in action and fought at the battles at Ancre and Thiepval Ridge. On October 17 the battalion took heavy casualties in the battle for the Schwaben Redoubt, losing five officers and 156 other ranks, including Edgar.
He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Lawrence was born in 1898 at Kings Norton, Worcestershire, to Thomas Frederick, a retired brush maker, and his wife Louise.
Thomas died in 1902 – the marriage had been his second, his first wife having died in 1893. Louise did not remarry and died in Worthing, aged 94, in 1963.
In 1911 Lawrence and one of his brothers were at Kent House School in Stavely Road, Eastbourne.
His mother was living in Worthing at Calthorpe Lodge, Wordsworth Road, with two daughters.
Lawrence joined the 12th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment in October 1915.
The 12th suffered heavy casualties at Richebourg in June 1916. There was an urgent need for officers and Lawrence was made a 2nd Lieutenant at the age of 18.
On October 17, 1916, the battalion came under heavy and prolonged artillery bombardment. The shelling lasted from 3pm to 8.30pm, and in this action 30 men of the battalion were killed, including Lawrence.
He is commemorated on Heene Parish Church war memorial and the war memorial at Eastbourne College, where he was educated, and buried in the Mill Road Cemetery at Thiepval.

• Thanks to Chloe Bolton of Davison School for her research

Murray was born in 1875 in Lancashire, one of ten children of William, a bank official, and his wife Mary.
He was educated at the William Hulmes School and is remembered on the school memorial.
The 1881 and 1891 census show the family living at Moss Side, Lancashire.
By 1901 the family had moved to Bayswater, London, and Murray is recorded as being an accountant.
In 1911 Murray, although in this country living at Alderly Edge, is recorded as being a missionary with the China Inland Mission.
Murray first joined the King’s Royal Rifle Corps as no.20613 but later transferred to the Rifle Brigade with a new number.
His family received a field card from him on October 5, 1916, but soon after this he was reported as missing.
Later reports show he was wounded near a German trench on October 18.
A stretcher bearer reported that he saw his body and recognised him by his bald head.
He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.
In his will Murray left his assets of nearly £150 to his brother Drummond Fraser.
Although he has no apparent Worthing connection the Baptist Herald reported his death with the headline: “Killed in France – Worthing Soldier”.

Sydney was born at Paddington, London, in 1887 to Albert and Annie. Albert died when Sydney was only five years old and the next year Annie remarried to Jessie Willmer. The family moved to 10 Broadwater Street, Worthing, in 1891, although four-year-old Sydney was staying with his grandparents at Steyning.
In 1901 the family was living at Elm Grove and by 1911 they had moved again to Alpha Cottage, Tarring, and Sydney was described as a brickmaker. At the outbreak of the First World War Sydney enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment and joined the 12th Battalion.
On October 17, 1916, the British trenches were shelled and the 12th Battalion took heavy casualties, including Sydney who was wounded and died the following day. He is buried in the Varennes Military Cemetery and remembered on West Tarring Church war memorial.

Bernard Colbourne was born in Lancing on March 10, 1881, the sixth son of nine born to John and his wife Mary Jane, who ran a grocery business at 192 North Road, Lancing.
On August 19, 1899, Bernard joined the Royal Navy and served on the ‘Australia’ at Portsmouth. Also in 1901 he married Kate at Catherington in Hampshire. By 1911 he had bought his discharge and returned to Worthing with his wife and three-year-old daughter Brenda Kathleen, where he was now a butcher at 114 Montague Street.
On June 1, 1915, Bernard enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment and went to France with his battalion in August 1916.
He was killed in action on the Somme on October 19, 1916 and has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and his parents’ grave at the church of St James the Less, North Lancing.

Sydney Cullen was born in Bombay, India, in 1898, the only son of Thomas Cullen, who had served in the military in India, and his wife Emma.
His sister Edith had also been born in Bombay, two years earlier.
On Thomas’ retirement from the Army the Cullen family returned to England and settled in Worthing at 9 Woodford Terrace, Pavilion Road, later moving to 1 St Andrews Villas, Clifton Road.
On leaving school, Sydney worked for the West Sussex Education Office.
Sydney was underage when he enlisted at Horsham with the Royal Sussex Regiment on April 1, 1915.
On October 21, 1916, he was killed in action on the Somme in an attack on an enemy trench.
Sydney has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and on St Andrew’s Parish Church war memorial.

Basil Jones was born on March 28, 1897, at Stone Cross, Lindfield, one of five children born to Colonel William Henry Dawes Jones of the Indian Army, and his wife Emily Georgina, of 12 Park Crescent, Worthing.
Basil was educated at Springfield Park, Horsham, and Haileybury College, Hertfordshire, until 1914, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He enlisted in the Welsh Regiment and soon rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He went to France with his battalion on April 29, 1915, but was soon severely wounded in action near Ypres. He returned to the front on February 10, 1916, and in September 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross for his gallant conduct with Lewis guns.
He was killed in action on October 23, 1916, on the Somme, and has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and the St Paul’s war memorial.

Ernest Jones was born in Worthing in 1897 to parents William and Fanny Jones.
William worked with horses as a driver and groom.
There were 11 children in the family and in 1901 they were living at 43 Cranworth Road. Later they moved to 30 Cranworth Road.
Ernest’s father William died in 1907 and his mother took work as a charwoman to support her family.
Ernest enlisted with the Royal Sussex Regiment at Chichester, and went to France with the 11th Battalion.
On October 21, 1916, he was in action in an important attack on an enemy trench.
The assault was over quite quickly and the trench was taken, but there was heavy loss of life on both sides.
Ernest was one of 209 men killed in the attack, including another Worthing man, Sydney Cullen (above).
Ernest has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Robert Perham was born in Yeovil, Somerset, on April 19, 1897, the eldest child of four, and the only son of William Henry Perham and his wife Eliza Mary, née Warr.
William, a farm labourer, married Eliza in Yeovil in 1896 and the family moved to Henfield soon after Robert was born. By 1901 they were at Fullers Cottage, Salvington, and later Ivy Cottage, also in Salvington. Robert attended Goring School and later Durrington School, which he left on April 13, 1911, to work in a market garden.
Robert enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment. On October 21, 1916, his battalion was in action in an attack on a German stronghold.
The enemy trench was taken but there were heavy casualties on both sides, including Robert.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and West Tarring Church memorial.

Henry Wilkinson was born in Marylebone in 1893, the eldest of three children and the only son of Henry Wilkinson, a postman, and his wife Florence.
He grew up with his two younger sisters at 22 Gray’s Inn Lane, St Pancras.
On February 18, 1914, Henry joined the Police Force and became a member of the West Sussex Constabulary, stationed at Horsham.
Henry enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 11th Battalion.
On February 9, 1916, he married Ethel Kate Whent at St Luke’s Church, Bermondsey.
By this time he had been promoted to Lance Corporal.
Before his death on October 30, 1916, he had risen to the rank of Sergeant and had been awarded the Military Medal for bravery.
Henry died of wounds and is buried in the Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension and commemorated on the war memorial at Horsham Police Station.

Born at Goring in 1889, George was one of nine children born to John, a foreman railway platelayer and his wife Elizabeth.
John and Elizabeth had two sets of twins, all boys, and George was the twin brother of John Thomas Holland. In 1911 George was employed as nurseryman working as a fruit grower.
On moving from Goring to Worthing the family lived at 1 Railway Cottages, South Street, Tarring.
George enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment, serving in the 13th Battalion.
He married Elsie Standing in early 1916, but was soon back at the Western Front.
In late October the Allies’ trenches were shelled and George was one of eight men killed on the 31st.
He is buried in the Contay British Cemetery and remembered on the war memorials at West Tarring and St Matthews churches in Worthing.