Second Lieutenant, 53rd Squadron, Royal Air Force, who died on Sunday, 11th August 1918, Aged 24. Son of Frederick and Annette Baker of Billingshurst, Sussex; husband of Daisy Emily H Baker of 194 Queen’s Road, Peckham, London. Buried in Meteren Military Cemetery, Nord France. Grave Ref. III. N.962

Extract from West Sussex County Times Death Column 31st August, 1918.

Baker. Killed in action 10th inst. 2nd Lieut. A W Baker RAF youngest son of the late Mr F Baker and Mrs Baker of South Street, Billingshurst aged 24.

Second Lieutenant 112th Siege Bty., who died on Monday 14th May, 1917 Aged 40, husband of Sarah Janet Muggeridge of 13 Chichester Terrace, Horsham, Sussex. Buried at Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les - Mofflaines, Pas de Calais, France. Grave Ref. I.B.l.

On Sarah Janet Muggeridge’s tombstone in St Mary Billingshurst churchyard (her husband is also remembered) 2nd Lieut. W. Muggeridge Killed in action France 1917 Rest in Peace.

Private 18606, 7th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Killed in action Monday 13th November 1916 during the Battle of the Somme in one of the attacks on Grandcourt. Aged 37. Enlisted Horsham. Resided Horsham. Son of Mary Parker and the late Mark Parker of Andrew’s Hill, Billinghsurst; husband of Emily Parker of 36, Park Terrace East, Horsham. Buried in Row C Grave 5 of Stump Road Cemetery, Grandcourt.

The village of Grandcourt was reached by men of the 36th (Ulster) Division on the 1st July 1916 – The First Day of the Somme – but it could not be held. It was occupied by men of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 7th February 1917 after a series of local attacks begun in November 1916 and it is likely that Ernest Parker fell during one of these attacks.

Private 25105 6th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment. 12th Division. Died 8 February 1917. Aged 24 Husband of Mrs B. A. Penfold of 48, The Bishopric, Horsham. Born in Shipley and enlisted in Horsham. He attended Billingshurst School and still has relatives in the area. Buried in Varennes Military Cemetery.

Extract from West Sussex County Times Death Column February 24th 1917

Penfold on the 8th inst. At 4th Casualty Clearing Station France of bronchial pneumonia RUEBEN husband of Beatrice Annis Penfold and the youngest son of Mrs M Penfold and the late Richard Penfold of Goldings Farm, Billingshurst aged 24.

Private 1845, 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Killed in action in France on Saturday 1st July 1916 – The First Day of the Somme. Born Leatherhead. Enlisted Kingston, Surrey. He worked on a farm in the parish where his uncle was farm manager. Buried in Plot VII Row Q Grave 10 of the Danzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France

8th East Surrey’s were part of XVIII Corps under Lieut-General W N Congreve VC and formed part of the 18th (Eastern) Division – New Army – commanded by Major-General F I Maxse being one of the four battalions making up the 55th Brigade along with 7th Queens, 7th Buffs and the 7th Royal West Kent’s.

One of the 8th East Surrey’s Company Commanders was Capt. W P Neill who was a young officer who liked to stand on the fire step each evening and shout insults at the Germans. His men were to be in the first wave of the assault near Montauban and he was concerned as to how they would behave, for they had never taken part in an attack before.

While he was on leave, Neville bought four footballs, one for each of his platoons. Back in the trenches he offered a prize to the first platoon to kick it’s football up to the German trenches on the day of the attack. One platoon painted an inscription on it’s ball:-

The Great European Cup
The Final
East Surreys v Bavarians
Kick Off at Zero

On the day, Neville himself kicked off.
“As the gunfire died away I saw an infantryman climb onto the parapet into No Man’s Land, beckoning others to follow. As he did so he kicked off a football; a good kick, the ball rose and travelled well towards the German line. That seemed to be the signal to advance”
(Pte. L S Price 8th Royal Sussex Regt.)

After the battle the winning footballers were unable to collect their prize money from their commander. Capt. Neville was among the dead.

On the 1st July the battalion lost 156 officers and men killed in action or died of wounds within the next few days.

The Danzig Alley Cemetery was named after a German Trench captured when Mametz was taken by the 7th Division on the First Day of the Somme after very hard fighting at Danzig Alley and other points. The cemetery was begun later the same month.

Private 6398814, 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action on Thursday 23rd May 1940. Resided at Andrew’s Hill, Billingshurst. Step sister is Mrs Kath Bagley of 116, Coombe Hill, Billingshurst. Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Maldegem, Oost-Vlaaderen, Belgium. Plot VI. Row AA. Grave 5.

A number of graves from various communal cemeteries and churchyards have now been concentrated in this site at Adegem.

Cecil Smith was originally buried in Woumen Churchyard, Woumen, West Flanders, Belgium and his grave was moved between June and September 1967 when the local authority in Belgium wished to widen the road in the area of the churchyard.

Cecil and his brother both joined up on the same day and were posted to the same Regimental battalion. On the day of his death they found themselves on the march, one on either side of the road. A shell landed and badly wounded Cecil. His brother went to his aid and stayed with him until he died. For this act he was subsequently court martialled. His brother survived the war and died in 1999.