WW1 Roll Of Honour

Leslie, S R

26th June 2021
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S R Leslie

Rank: Corporal

Regiment: 2nd Battalion, London Yeomanry

Wife: Miss Elsie Willett

Other Info: The text reads: ‘A khaki wedding took place at Christ Church, St Leonards last Saturday. The bridegroom was Corporal S R Leslie, 2nd London Yeomanry. The bride was Miss Elise Willett, daughter of Mrs Willett, of Eastbourne, late of Hastings. Private Middleton, 2nd London Yeomanry, was the best man.

Published: April 1915

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Navy

Grant, E

19th June 2021
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E Grant

Rank: Steward

Service: Royal Navy

Ship: HMS Duchess of Devonshire

Other Info: The article reads: ‘Officers’ Stewards and cooks on board HMS Duchess of Devonshire, somewhere at sea. The centre figure is the chief steward, MR E Grant, who was the steward of the St Leonards and East Sussex Golf Club, and volunteered his services for the duration of the War.

The Duchess of Devonshire was a passenger vessel that was converted into an armed boarding vessel in 1914. More about her history can be read here.

Published: April 1915

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Army

Jones, W W

12th June 2021
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W W Jones

Rank: Private

Regiment: Nigerian Land Force Contingent

Father: Mr W Jones

Brother: F E Jones

Father’s Address: 14 Battle Road, St Leonards

Other Info: The article states ‘W W Jones will be remembered as the Trades Council representative on the Hastings Education Committee before taking up an appointment under Government at Lagos, West Coast of Africa.’

Published: April 1915

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Army

Jones, F E

12th June 202112th June 2021
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F E Jones

Rank: Staff Sergeant

Regiment: 2nd Home Counties Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Father: Mr W Jones

Brother: W W Jones

Father’s Address: 14 Battle Road, St Leonards

Published: April 1915

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Army

Favard, Thomson

5th June 2021
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Thomson Favard

Rank: Sapper

Service: East African Engineers / Southern Rifles

Grandparents: Mr & Mrs H Horscroft

Grandparents’ Address: Hastings

Other Info: Tom Favard, whose clever achievement in the capture of a rebel leader in the Cape Rebellion (possibly the Boer Rebellion of 1914?) was related in the Observer on March 20th.

The report in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer reads: “… A letter from Uitenhage describes the affair. A report came to the camp at Kimberley that the rebels were in the neighbourhood, so a party of the Southern Rifles, to which Mr Favard is attached, went in pursuit. There was a sharp fight with the rebels and two horses were killed. The main body had been stationed at likely spots for the rebels to trek through near the Vaal River; but Lieutenant Duthrie, with three men and Mr Favard captured eleven rebels and thirteen horses, and among the rebels was Commander Conroy, the last active rebel leader active in the Union of South Africa.

Mr Favard had taken a revolver and joined the combatants. The four or five were stationed on a high plateau, and Favard was relieving guard at 3am, when the sentry reported that he saw a small native boy herding sheep. Mr Favard fetched the boy and questioned him in Dutch as to whether he had seen any armed or mounted men, and the boy said there some behind behind a farmhouse about a mile away.

So the went to the spot and the Lieutenant called upon the rebels to surrender, which they did, and they were made to come one by one and give up their rifles. They were frightened and begged for their lives, and looked as if they would feint. Conroy gave Mr Favard his rifle and revolver, telling him to keep them, and asked him where the remainder of his men were. And his surprise can be imagined when he found that his party had surrendered to four or five lads. Some of the prisoners were handed over to another party to take into town as they could not deal with them all.”

Published: April 1915

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Other

Culver, Thomas

29th May 2021
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Thomas Culver

Service: Unknown

Address: 51 Vicarage Road, Hastings

Other Info: The text reads: ‘… who was going to the Gold Coast on the “Falaba” when that vessel was torpedoed. He swan for three quarters of an hour, and was picked up by the trawler “Ellen Emma”. He is a man of fine physique.’

The SS Falaba was sunk near the Pembrokeshire coast by German U Boat U-28 on 28th March 1915. Of the 242 on board, 104 people died in the incident. The vessel had come to a stop on the orders of the U-28, and the Captain was ordered to abandon the ship before it was torpedoed. The U-29 fired a torpedo before the evacuation was complete. The ship sank within 8 minutes of being hit.

The water was freezing and a number of passengers who made it off the ship succumbed to hypothermia. This puts Mr Culver’s feat into some perspective.

The sinking of the Falaba is notable for being the first unarmed passenger ship to be sunk during unrestricted German submarine warfare. One of the casualties, Leon Thrasher, was the first US citizen to die in these attacks. This incident, and the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915, were contributory factors in the USA declaring war against Germany.

An excellent article with more detailed information and, remarkably, photographs of the incident both from the deck of the Falaba and U-28 can be seen here.

Published: April 1915

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Army

Fathers, Edward

22nd May 2021
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Edward Fathers

Rank: Quarter Master Sergeant

Regiment: 8th Battalion, South Wales Borderers

Other Info: The text reads: ‘Group photograph sent by Mrs Breeds, Providence House, Tackleway, Hastings. The soldiers shown in the picture were billeted with her. The are: Quartermaster-Sergeant Jas. Wright, age 55, service 38 years; Quartermaster-Sergeant C. Spillman, age 50, service 32 years; Sergeant Major E. Fathers. age 57, service 33 years. They belong to the 8th Battalion, South Wales Borderers, and have all passed fit for the Front at any moment. The sender of the photograph asks: “Can this be beaten in any one billet in Hastings?”.’

Additional name information from the Lives of the First World War website.

Published: April 1915

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Army

Spillman, Charles W

15th May 2021
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Charles W Spillman

Rank: Quarter Master Sergeant

Regiment: 8th Battalion, South Wales Borderers

Additional name information from the Lives of the First World War website.

Published: April 1915

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Army

Montague, Archibald

8th May 20218th May 2021
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Archibald Montague

Rank: Private

Service: 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Parents: Mr Edward & Mrs Susanna Montague

Home Address: 7 Manor Road, Hastings

Other Info: Archibald Montague died aged 24 on 9th September 1916. He is remembered at the Thiepval Memorial, pier and face 7C. He is also remembered on a family grave at Hastings Cemetery. He is not named on Hastings War Memorial.

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Army

Jinks, Alfred Newman

1st May 2021
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Alfred Newman Jinks

Rank: Gunner

Service: 138th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Parents: Mr William N & Mrs Sarah Jinks

Other Info: Alfred Jinks died aged 20 on 29th May 1916. He is buried at Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, British Extension, grave reference I.A.2. He is also remembered on a family grave at Hastings Cemetery.

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