Remembering Worthing's fallen

Walter was born at Earlswood, near Redhill, Surrey, in 1898, one of four children born to Charles Henry, a solicitor, and Ida Maud Harrold. By 1911 the family had moved to 12 Montague Place, Worthing.
Walter joined the Royal Sussex Regiment, 13th Battalion, at Worthing, and landed at Le Havre on March 6, 1916. He was awarded the Military Medal, with the citation reading: “While our troops were leaving the parapet, Sergeant Harrold was buried by the parapet being blown down by a shell. He was extracted and although shaken he rallied the nearest men, took them over the parapet and led them into the German trench.”
Walter was one of more than 150 men from Royal Sussex Regiment killed on September 3, 1916. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, as well as the Heene and St Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church memorial.

Archibald Jordan was born in Worthing in 1895, the youngest of five children born to James Theophilus Jordan and his wife Helen.
James Jordan, a nurseryman and florist, was born in Norwich, Norfolk.
He married Helen Jackman Streeter at Broadwater Church on May 3, 1884, and the family home was at 82 Park Road, Worthing.
Archibald was a pupil at St George’s School in Lyndhurst Road and on leaving school he became an apprentice carpenter.
On September 11, 1914, Archibald enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 11th Battalion.
His attestation papers describe him as 5ft 4in tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He gave his religion as Wesleyan.
Archibald was one of the many Royal Sussex men killed on September 3, 1916.
He was buried in the Hamel Military Cemetery and is commemorated on the St George’s School war memorial and his parents’ grave in Broadwater Cemetery.

Urmston Naylor was born in India about 1879, the only son of Frederick Alexander Naylor of the Indian Police Force, and educated in England at Malvern College/.
He later followed his father into the Indian Police Force in 1896 and, in 1903, he was chosen by the government to serve in Somaliland, which he did with distinction.
Urmston was known to be a splendid athlete and excellent shot, excelling at polo, hockey and cricket.
Back in England in 1904 he married Charlotte Paterson, daughter of a wealthy East India merchant.
A son, Joseph Urmston Naylor, was born to them on May 22, 1915.
Urmston was home on leave in 1914 when war was declared, and he enlisted with the Durham Light Infantry, and was later attached to the Royal Irish Regiment.
He was killed in action at the Somme on September 3, 1916, and has no known grave. Urmston is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and on the war memorial at Heene Church, Worthing.
His medal card shows that he was awarded the Victory Medal, the British Medal and the 1915 Star.

Geoffrey, one of four children of Ellis and Alice Rowland, was born in 1894 in Cuckfield. The family lived at 21 Park Street, Horsham, but by 1911 the family had moved to Florence Villa in Wickersham Road, Horsham.
Geoffrey is described as a painter’s apprentice, aged 16, working for a Mr Glaysher who had an ironmongers and a jewellers shop in the town.
He later joined the Sussex Constabulary and was stationed in Horsham and later in Worthing.
While in the Horsham force he worked at Christ’s Hospital where German civilian internees were detained. Geoffrey moved to Worthing Police before enlisting in the Royal Sussex Regiment, 11th Battalion, at Worthing. His father, Ellis Rowland, also served in the First World War, in the Royal Engineers, at the age of 47.
Geoffrey was wounded in March 1916, but was sent back to the front after treatment and was killed in the Battle of Ancre on September 3, 1916.
He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and the war memorials at Horsham and Horsham Police Station.

Percy, one of four children born to parents John and Louisa, was born at Salvington on June 16, 1897, and christened at West Tarring Church on November 28 that year. John died in 1904 and his mother married Joseph Charman in 1909.
In 1911 when Percy was 13 years old the family was living at Chez Nous, Stone Lane. Percy attended Tarring School and later he was a pupil at Durrington School. He left school on August 3, 1911, to work as a baker boy.
Soon after the outbreak of the First World War Percy enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment and joined the 11th Battalion.
Percy was on of the many Royal Sussex men killed on September 3, 1916, near Beaucourt.
He has no known grave but is remembered on Thiepval Memorial and the West Tarring Church memorial.
It was not until May 1917 that his mother received a letter informing her that her son was killed at Beaucourt.

Charles Taylor was born in 1897 at Forest Hill, Lewisham, Kent, the second son of William Taylor and his wife Jessie. The parents and five children were living at Forest Hill in 1901 and later moved to 1 Southview Terrace, Rowlands Road, Worthing. William had his own fruit growing business, Southview Vineries, and Charles and his elder brother both worked there on leaving school.
On September 11, 1914. Charles enlisted in London with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 11th Battalion.
On June 1, 1915, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and from July 29 to August 11, 1915, he was released from his military duties to help with haymaking at his father’s business.
On March 3, 1916, he left for France and went into action on September 3, 1916, where he was one of 123 men posted missing, presumed dead.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
On November 19, 1921, Charles’ father, William, received his son’s British War and Victory medals.

Edwin Upperton was born on June 29, 1892, at 95 Albion Street, Southwick, one of 11 children born to James Upperton, a shipwright, and his wife Louisa, née Leppard.
From Albion Street the family moved to 11 Albert Road. Edwin spent all his young life in Southwick. He attended the board school there and on leaving he found employment as a general labourer at the local chemical works. On November 11, 1912, when he was 20, he joined the West Sussex Police Force and was stationed at Horsham.
On September 14, 1914, Edwin enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 11th Battalion.
He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders.
On September 3, 1916, he was in action in an attack on enemy trenches near the village of Beaumont Hamel.
He was last seen with his party guarding a dug out and was officially believed to have been killed on that day.
He is buried in the Ancre British Cemetery and commemorated on the police station war memorial at Horsham and also on the Southwick and Fishersgate war memorial.

Harry Noyes, sometimes known as Frank, was born in Kingstown, Co Dublin, on October 13, 1879, to the Reverend Henry Edward Noyes and his wife Katherine Mary, née Barton.
Harry was educated at the St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, where he was school captain, as well as captain of the cricket and football teams.
He went on to Caius College, Cambridge, where he obtained an honours degree in medicine and became a medical practitioner and later house surgeon at The London Hospital.
In 1910 Harry married Mary Graham Little and the 1911 census shows him in general practice, living in Tarporley, Cheshire, with Mary and their first child Elizabeth.
Two more daughters were born to the couple, Geraldine in 1912 and Margaret in 1915.
About 1912 Harry opened a private practice in Worthing at 104 Marine Parade.
At the outbreak of war, Harry offered his services and was posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps.
As Captain he served in the Indian Expeditionary Force, but on September 5, 1916, he died in Bombay of paratyphoid fever.
He was buried in Bombay and is commemorated on the Kirkee memorial and the war memorial at St Andrew’s Church, Worthing.

Cecil Burden was born in Paddington, London, in 1892, the only son of George Burden, a civil service clerk, and his Worthing-born wife Millicent, née Finnis.
He had one older sister born in 1882 and the family home was in Kensal Road, Paddington.
On leaving school Cecil found employment as a junior clerk in a publisher’s office.
Cecil enlisted at Kensington into The London Regiment, the Princess Louise’s 13th Kensington Battalion.
He was killed in action in the Battle of the Somme on September 9, 1916, and is buried in the Delville Wood Cemetery at Longueval.
Cecil is remembered on the grave of his grandparents, who are buried in Heene Cemetery.
A plaque contains the words: “To the proud and cherished memory of L.CPL. Cecil George Edward 13th London (Kensington Regt.) only son of George William and Millicent Burden (grandson of the late George and Rebekah Finnis) who fell in the Battle of the Somme.”

Frederick Rumbelow was born in 1891 at Lambeth.
His father, John Quantick Rumbelow, was a tailor, born in Devon, and his mother Emily came from Lambeth.
There were seven children in the family and Frederick was the fifth child and youngest son.
In 1901 they were living in Streatham but in 1904 John Rumbelow died aged 55.
His widow Emily married Joseph Clark in 1911 and came to live in Worthing.
Frederick Rumbelow enlisted with the Royal Sussex Regiment at Worthing on September 14, 1915.
At the time he was living at 3 Oxford Terrace, Pavilion Road, and was working as a baker in West Worthing.
Later his mother gave his address as 37 West Street,Worthing (demolished).
Frederick was in action during the Somme offensive.
On September 11, 1916, he was wounded by heavy trench mortar fire and died of his injuries at the base hospital at Etaples.
He is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery.

Leonard Evans was born in Worthing in 1885 to parents Evan Lloyd Evans and his wife Charlotte.
Leonard’s father had been a Corporal of Horse in the 1st Life Guards, Quartermaster in the Merchant Service, and later an employee of the London Fire Brigade.
In 1891 they were living at 2 Warwick Place, Worthing, and his father was working as a parade inspector of carriages. There were six children in the family, four sons and two daughters.
Leonard, the third son, was a pupil at The National School for Boys in Richmond Road.
Later the family moved to ‘Southdown View’, Sugden Road.
Leonard had enlisted into the Royal Navy as a young man and in early 1915 he was serving at Gallipoli.
Later in the war Leonard enlisted at London with the Grenadier Guards.
He was killed in action at Flers/Courcelette between September 14 and 17, 1916, and has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and also remembered on the memorial to the boys of The National School.

Arthur Ayling was born in Worthing in 1891, to William, a plasterer by trade, and his wife Harriett, née Parsons.
After the death of their first child in 1870, it would appear that William and Harriett then went to America as their daughter, Nelly, was born in New York in 1875.
By 1881 the family was back in Worthing and living at 97 Clifton Road (demolished), now with three children; Nelly, Alice and Alfred.
William resumed his work as a plasterer and the family continued to live in 97 Clifton Road for many years.
By 1911 Arthur had left home and moved to Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and was living in lodgings in 2 Moreton Terrace, Belle View Road, and working as a grocer’s assistant.
Arthur enlisted at London with the London Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles).
He was killed in action at Flers, on the Somme, on September 15, 1916, and has no known grave.
He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and the St Matthew’s Parish Church war memorial in Worthing.
Arthur is also remembered on his father’s headstone in Broadwater Cemetery.

John Fallowes was born in Coatham, Yorkshire, in August 1892, to the Reverend John Prince Fallowes and Agnes Katherine Vierville Champion de Crespigny.
Agnes was descended from a French noble family from Normandy and after John’s birth the family travelled to New Zealand where John’s sister Katherine was born.
They returned to England in 1895 and settled in Worthing and at Heene Rectory, 54 Manor Road, where another two children were born.
John was educated at Cambridge, where he served in the Cavalry Officer Training Corps.
He was living in Canada when war broke out and enlisted as a private in the 4th Canadian Infantry.
He was one of the first from his contingent to obtain a commission in the British Army. As a Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment he went to the front in 1915 and saw action in the Battle of Loos.
He was killed in action at Flers on September 15, 1916, and has no known grave.
His Commanding Officer wrote that he was a very good and hard working officer, full of energy and always ready for any service or danger.
He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and on the Heene Parish Church war memorial.

Charles Gardner was born at 22 Hassendean Road, Greenwich, Kent, on July 18, 1893, the eldest child of three, and the only son of Charles, a railway guard and his wife Emily, née Lee. In 1901 the family was living at 28 Alpha Road, Croydon.
Charles senior died in 1904 and, in 1911, Emily married George Mansell, a market gardener, and they set up home at 103 Ham Road, Worthing. They went on to have a daughter, Annie, born later that year.
On leaving school Charles found work as a market garden labourer. Later the family moved to 39 Howard Street.
On September 26, 1912, Charles enlisted at Brighton with the Coldstream Guards and attained the rank of Corporal.
Charles’ battalion was at Chelsea Barracks when war broke out in August 1914.
They were in action at Mons, the first Battle of Ypres and the winter operations of 1914/15, before seeing action at Aubers and Loos in 1915.
They fought on the Somme in 1916 and it was on the first day of the Battle of Flers, September 15, that Charles was killed.
He is buried in Delville Wood Cemetery at Longueval and remembered on the memorial at St Matthew’s Parish Church, Worthing.

Harry Pierre was born in West Tarring on February 18, 1895. His father, Leon Alexandre Pierre, was the licensee of the Half Moon public house in Salvington at the time.
Leon, who was born in Amsterdam, married Mary Elizabeth Walton (known as Polly), in 1878 in Brighton, and Harry was the fourth of their five children.
Harry attended Durrington School and later St Andrew’s. In 1911 he emigrated to Canada where he worked as a chauffeur.
On September 28, 1915, Harry enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On his attestation papers he was described as 6ft tall with a dark complexion, dark hair and blue eyes.
In May 1916, after his training, he came back to Sandling Camp in England.
He was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on September 15, 1916. Harry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial and on the West Tarring Church war memorial.
He is also remembered on his parents’ grave in Broadwater Cemetery.

Antony Such was born in East Dulwich, Surrey, in 1894, the younger son of post office worker Alfred Such and his German-born wife Anne Sophie, née Henzig.
He grew up in London with his five brothers and sisters.
In 1901 they were living at 47 Archdale Road, Camberwell.
At the age of 16 Antony was working as a labourer for the Post Office.
Sometime later the family moved to The Maisonette, Woodlea Road, West Worthing.
During the last week of April 1915 Antony enlisted in London with the City of London Regiment.
Antony’s birth name was Anton Henzig Such, after his German mother, but it was felt prudent to change his name to the more English sounding Anthony.
He was presumed killed in action on September 15, 1916, at Flers/Courcelette.
His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
He is also remembered on the war memorial at West Tarring Church and on his father’s grave in Broadwater Cemetery.
Three weeks later his brother Thomas George Such was killed in action.

Ernest was born in 1888, one of ten children to parents William, a farm labourer, and his wife Lucy.
The family home was Nell House, Littlehampton Road, Worthing.
At 18 years old Ernest joined the Royal Sussex Regiment.
During his service he made a wonderful piece of embroidery depicting his regiment’s badge, colours and battle honours in wool.
Ernest was discharged in 1912 as “no longer physically fit for service”.
His occupation when he enlisted was a carter.
Soon after the start of the First World War, Ernest enlisted in the 6th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, signing on at Winchester.
He landed in Boulogne in May 1915, and were soon to see action on the Western Front.
In September 1916, his battalion was involved in heavy fighting near Fler in France.
Ernest was one of the 14 men killed on September 16.
He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial and the West Tarring Church memorial, as he attended St Andrew’s Church while living in Littlehampton Road.

William Cobby was born in Worthing in 1888, to George, a general labourer, and Charlotte, née Charman.
In 1891 the family home in Worthing was at 122 High Street. Ten years later they were at 20 Lennox Road.
By 1911 they had moved to 6 Lyndhurst Terrace, Lyndhurst Road, and William, now aged 23, was working as a general labourer.
William enlisted at Worthing with the Royal Sussex Regiment, 2nd Battalion, on September 12, 1915.
He served at home until June 27, 1916, when he was posted to France.
From September 4 to 6 he was reported as missing, before being admitted to No. 11 General Hospital, Dannes, Boulogne, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was stated to be dangerously ill and permission was given for his mother to visit him.
Unable to afford the fare, she had to wait for a Government warrant which issued a single ticket to Boulogne only. She was later granted a warrant for the return journey.
William died of his wounds on September 24 and is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery.

Geoffrey D’Erf Wheeler was born in Sennaley, Palestine, about 1897, to Percy Charles Edward D’Erf Wheeler, a surgeon and missionary who was head of the English Medical Institution in Jerusalem, and Grace Blyth, daughter of the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem.
They had four children, a daughter and three sons, and in 1911 the two older sons were at boarding school at Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
Meanwhile their parents had returned to England and settled at ‘Roscrea’, 27 Church Walk, Worthing.
Geoffrey enlisted with the Dorsetshire Regiment in September 1915 and achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant.
He was killed on September 26, 1916 and has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and the St Paul’s Church war memorial in Worthing.
Geoffrey’s brother Percival also served and was killed in a flying accident at Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on July 24, 1917.
Their father also served in Egypt with the RAMC.

Arthur was born on May 20, 1884, the third child of four boys and five girls born to John, a carter at a market garden, and his wife Jane.
The family lived at Sompting and in the 1901 census Arthur is shown as working at a market garden.
In 1902 he emigrated to Canada where he worked as gasoline engineer in Manitoba.
He enlisted at Brandon on March 22, 1916, with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force.
Arthur was sent to France and on September 25, 1916, left the town of Albert for action in the front line.
The following day the battalion suffered heavy losses and Arthur was one of the missing men whose body was not recovered for burial.
He is remembered on the Vimy Memorial and also in the Book of Remembrance in the Peace Tower in Ottawa.
His parents were living at 55 Southfield Road, Worthing, when they received news of Arthur’s death.

Albert was born in 1893 to parents George, a domestic gardener, and Jane. In 1901 the family was living in Broadwater Street, Worthing – Albert was eight years old with three older sisters and a younger brother.
In 1911 Albert was working as an assistant in a boot shop and lodging at 8 Lyndhurst Terrace. His parents were now living in three rooms at the stables of Worthing Lodge, where George was now working as a gardener to Dr Millbank-Smith, who lived and practised at the lodge. The Rivoli cinema was later built on the site of Worthing Lodge.
Albert enlisted at Horsham, joining the Royal Sussex Regiment, service no. G/24513. Soon after, he transferred to The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment).
Albert was killed on September 28, 1916, and was buried in the Mill Road Cemetery at Thiepval.
He is remembered on the Broadwater Church memorial.