Other
Cicely Evelyn Bray
Rank: Nurse
Father: Mr John Bray
Siblings: John Bray & Ethel Bray
Address: Collonade, St Leonards
Other Info: At the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich. Much more information about Cicely can be read here.
Published: September 1914
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Army
James Larkin
Rank: Driver
Regiment: Royal Field Artillery
Parents: Mr & Mrs Larkin
Address: 37 Percy Road, Ore
Other Info: Wounded in October, now again at the Front
Published: October 1914 & March 1915
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Army
Edric Ernest Websdale
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment: E Company, 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade
Mother: Mrs Alice Healsdown
Stepfather: William J Healsdown
Brothers: Charles Cecil Websdale, Herbert Stanley Websdale & G H Websdale
Address: 77a Clifton Road, Ore
More Info: Reported missing on 26th August. Prisoner of War.
Published: September 1914, October 1914 & September 1915
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Army
P F Holliwell
Rank: Bandsman
Regiment: 5th Royal Sussex Regiment
Address: 9 Lennox Street, Halton, Hastings
Published: September 1914
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Army
A Cruttenden
Rank: Gunner
Regiment: Royal Horse Artillery
Father: Mr T Cruttenden
Address: 44 St Paul’s Road, St Leonards
Other Info: In the fighting line
Published: September 1914
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Army
Ernest Penfold
Rank: Saddler
Regiment: 4th Dragoon Guards
Parents: Mr & Mrs Penfold
Brothers: Archibald Penfold, Arthur Penfold & Bert Penfold
Address: 34 Old London Road, Hastings
Other Info: A prisoner in Germany. Wounded.
Text from the top image reads: ‘This photograph was sent home by Ernest Penfold, a prisoner of war in Germany. It was forwarded to us by his Mother, Mrs Penfold, Mount House, Old London Road, Hastings. Penfold is the Englishman in the centre of the back row’.
Published: September 1914, August 1915 & November 1915
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Army
William John Elliot
Rank: Private
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
Parents: Mr John Robert and Catherine Mrs (Kate) E Elliott (Nee Bolingbroke)
Parents-in-Law: Mr James William & Mrs Eunice Beney
Brothers-in-Law: James George Beney, Ernest Beney, Percy Beney, Arthur Beney, Frederick George Paine & George Holder
Wife: Mrs Eunice Elliot
Address: Old London Road, Ore
Other Info: Wounded.
An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer dated 3rd October 1914 reads: “Private William Elliott, of the Royal Sussex, whose relatives are at Carlisle Villas, Hastings, has been shot in the knee, and is at present at Cambridge.
Private Elliott was about 12 yards away from Captain Slater when that popular officer was killed, and he was wounded in the same battle.
In a letter from the hospital at Trinity College, Cambridge, he says: “I am getting on a well as possible but am still very weak yet, after the terrible times I have been through. God only knows how I came through such an ordeal. A fortnight ago today I never thought I should get back to dear old England again.
I have got some awful news to tell you when I do meet you again, about those brutal Germans but, thank God, I have the pleasure, the honour, of killing at least ten of them with my dear old rifle. It did please me to see the drop dead shot by us British boys.”
Mr Elliott’s knee has been very painful, but is better. It will, however, be some little time before he is able to return to Hastings. In his previous letters he described is experiences in the field, and how often being picked up he and his wounded comrades were brought away from the front in trains that ‘nearly shook them to pieces’ which was unavoidable but very painful in their wounded state.
Mr Elliott is a reservist, who served three years with the Colours. He has only been away eight weeks.
Published: September 1914 & January 1915
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Army
Michael Pankhurst
Rank: Private
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
Mother: Mrs Pankhurst
Brothers: T Pankhurst & J Pankhurst
Brother in Law: J Lee
Address: 47 Percy Road, Ore
Other Info: Wounded at the Battle of Aisne
Published: September 1914 & March 1915
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Army
W Jones
Rank: Private
Regiment: E Company, Royal Sussex Regiment
Address: 94 Manor Road, Hastings
Other Info: Wounded in the left arm, which subsequently needed to be amputated. Recovering in hospital at Chatham.
An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer on 14th November 1914 says: “A young Hastinger, Private W Jones, 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment, of 94 Manor Road, has had the misfortune to lose his hand in the Battle of the Aisne.
‘We had been in the firing line about two hours, and it was getting a bit warm, and one of the German officers showed his handkerchief on a sword for surrender.’ said he. ‘We took their rifles and ammunition from them, when the German Artillery opened up on us. Of course, everybody scattered. A piece of shell caught my rifle and another piece struck my hand. I was a bit dazed and did not know at first that I was wounded.’ Luckily, a comrade bandaged his hand and arm, and he got back to the village hospital.
This was on the 15th September, close to a village called Vailly. Private Jones had been in action once before on the 10th. Vailly is about 3 1/2 miles from the Aisne.
Private Jones described how the Germans would sometimes leave their trenches and run behind haystacks for cover. He shares the opinion of many that the mass formation of the Germans is largely due to the fear that their officers would not otherwise have control of the men, and that too many would surrender. ‘Our Artillery have done good work, and so have our Lancers.’ The cavalry appeared to have been very unselfish on occasion when they would get off their horses and let infantry ride if they were tired out.
‘They are very kind-hearted people’ said he, speaking of the French. ‘They will give you anything’.
Private Jones’ hand and wrist were amputated on the boat, during his voyage back, as it was feared that mortification would set in. Since coming back to England he spent some time as his colonel’s place, at Teston, near Wateringbury.
Published: September 1914
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Army
Ernest L Kerswell
Rank: Private
Regiment: 2nd Seaforth Highlanders
Father: Mr H J Kerswell
Other Info: Mr H J Kerswell was Headmaster of Sandown School, Ore.
An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer on 17th October 1914 reads: “Private E. L. Kerswell, of the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders, A, Lower Ward, Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Gosport, and son of Mrs Kerswell, Devonshire Road, Hastings, writes: – “I have read one or two experiences of local men serving in France in the ‘Observer’ so I thought I would like to relate one of mine.
This occurred on the 14th and 15th of last month. We had a good long march, and arrived at the place where we were to take up position at about 2:30 a.m. We were then told to entrench ourselves. As it happened, I and five other men and an N.C.O. were sent out on covering patrol. Our duty is to keep a look out in case of surprise while the entrenching is going on. On completing the trenches we were called in, and naturally, see that each man had only made sufficient cover for himself, we commenced to entrench ourselves, but were told to leave off at once, and get in where we could between other men. We had only just time to do this before over came a shower of German shells.
I was in the most awkward of position I have ever been in. On my right a drummer had dug a deep hole, and was well down into it, On my left the ground was rather higher and I kept rolling down on to the drummer. I had no cover, so began to scratch up some earth with my hands and so just managed to make a small heap, enough to cover me from view, but not nearly enough to stop a bullet.
Well, the shelling went on the whole day right up until about about 8 p.m., and we were very thankful for the darkness that came, and we were relieved, and put in reserves for the next day. We lost our Colonel, and in our platoon, six dead and several wounded.
The whole regiment lost heavily that day. The following day, being in reserve we had it fairly easy, although shells were whistling overhead all day. In the afternoon I got a very nasty hit in the right arm, and was conveyed to Le Mans Hospital, where they took out my arm a piece weighing 3 ozs. Recovering sufficiently, I was sent home and I hope to see dear old Hastings once more”.
Additional name information from the Lives of the First World War website.
Published: September 1914, October 1914 & October 1915
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