Army
George E Cox
Rank: Drummer
Regiment: 3rd / 7th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
Parents: Mr & Mrs Cox
Brothers: H C Cox, A E Cox & William Albany Cox
Address: 16 Sandown Road, Ore
Other Info: Killed in Action. According to CWGC, George died on 2nd March 1916. He is remembered at the Loos Memorial on panel 69 to 73.
Published: November 1914 & April 1916
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Army
John Hubert Quaife
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifles
Mother: Mrs M Quaife
Address: 13 St Peter’s Road, St Leonards
Other Info: Missing as of November 1914. According to CWGC, John died aged 27 on 14th September 1914, and possibly only identified in 1925. He is remembered at the Chauny Communal Cemetery, British Extension, grave reference 6.B.1.
Published: November 1914
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Army
Wallace Butler
Rank: Private / Sergeant
Regiment: 8th Battalion, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
Wife: Mrs Ethel Butler
Parents: Mr John J & Mrs Mary Butler
Address: 47 Bohemia Road, St Leonards
Other Info: According to CWGC, Wallace was killed in action on 3rd September 1916 aged 36. He is remembered at the Thiepval Memorial, Pier and Face 5d. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
The Friends of Hastings Cemetery website provides this additional information from the Hastings Observer; “In our last issue we referred briefly to the death of Sergeant W. Butler, second son of Mr J. J. Butler of Hastings which took place while in action. An officer, in a letter to the widow, says he was sniped crossing an open space. ‘’He was’,” says the writer of the letter, ‘’largely responsible for the splendid attack we made that day. I cannot speak too highly for the splendid work he has always done, whether in the trenches or behind the line. In a previous attack some three weeks ago he was very strongly recommended for bravery in the German trench, and was certainly responsible for the capture of a machine gun and several prisoners. We shall never forget him, and my great fear is that we shall never replace him. He died most nobly, and was buried with due honours, and a cross was erected to his memory near the spot where he fell.’’
Published: October 1914 & January 1915
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Army
Joseph (Joe) Herbert Gale
Rank: Corporal
Regiment: Canadian Naval Reserve / 39th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Parents: Mr & Mrs Joseph Gale
Wife: Mrs Ada Mary Ann Gale
Brothers: A Gale , Frank Gale & G Jones
Brothers-in-Law: Frederick John Henry Sargent & William Hewitt
Nephew: Fred Sargent
Parent’s Address: 94 Manor Road, Hastings
Home Address: Albert Street, Cobourg, Ontario
Other Info: Of the old Hastings Navals. Machine Gun Instructor. Killed in action. According to CWGC, Joe died on 11th June 1916 aged 31. He is remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, on panel 24 – 26 – 28 – 30.
You can view Joe’s CEF enlistment papers for free here.
An article in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer dated 1st July 1916 reads:
“Hastings Corporal Killed. We regret to hear that Corporal J. H. Gale, of a Canadian Machine Gun Section has been killed in action.
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Gale of 94 Manor Road, Hastings. He has been Canada for some years, but returned to England. <text unclear> he made a second trip to Canada, and soon after the outbreak of war joined the Colours, going to the Front in January.
His wife is a native of Hastings, and at the present time is residing with the late Corporal’s parents. She is left with three children. Two sons-in-law of Mr & Mrs Gale are on active service, and two sons are undergoing training and another will join up shortly. One grandson is training in Canada.
Mrs Gale received a sympathetic letter from a lieutenant, who says the late Mr Gale was ‘a fine man and a fine soldier. One cannot say any more for a man these days. I am sorry, but it is the fortune of war, and our womenfolk have a hard part to bear in this War. Their task is harder than ours, and it is the way that they keep cheerful under the strain that keeps us going”.
Published: October 1914, March 1916 & October 1916
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Army
Frederick Edward Boxall
Rank: Private
Regiment: 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
Parents: Mr Albert & Mrs Annie Boxall
Address: 11 Mount Street, Battle
Other Info: According to CWGC, Frederick died aged on 1st July 1916 whilst with the 8th Battalion, RSR. He is remembered at the Thiepval Memorial, pier and face 7C.
More information about Frederick can be read here.
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Percy George King
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves
Mother: Mrs G King
Brothers: W R King & Henry King
Address: 77 Southwater Road, St Leonards
Other Info: According to CWGC, Percy died on 15th March 1917 when his ship SS Bray Head was attacked by German submarine U-44 and sunk with the loss of 21 lives. Percy is remembered at Portsmouth Naval Memorial, panel 28.
Published: October 1914
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Army
Sidney C Tingle
Rank: Gunner / Corporal
Regiment: 1st/1st (North Riding) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
Father: Mr Thomas Tingle
Brothers: William A S Tingle & John H Tingle
Address: 23 Newgate Road, Bohemia, Hastings
Other Info: At the Front. According to CWGC, Sidney died on 4th July 1917. He is remembered at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension Nord, grave reference III.D.171.
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Frank Usher
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment: Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves
Parents: Mr Charles John & Mrs Constance Caroline Usher
Sister: Mrs Alice M Blissett (later Helsdown)
Brother: Harry Usher
Brothers-in-Law: Thomas Blissett & William Blissett
Address: 11 Woods Passage, Hastings
Other Info: Was at the defence of Antwerp. Died of wounds at Malta. According to CWGC, Frank died of wounds aged 19 on 17th July 1915. He is remembered at Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, grave reference: M.10.
Published: October 1914, August 1915, August 1917 & November 1917
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Army
George E Surman
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment: 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
Mother: Mrs Surman
Address: 104 Saxon Road, Clive Vale, Hastings
Other Info: At the Front. According to CWGC, George died on 9th November 1914. He is remembered at Poperinghe Old Military Cemetery, grave reference I.M.56.
Published: October 1914
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Army
Ernest Martin
Rank: Driver
Regiment: 138th Battery, Royal Field Artillery
Mother: Mrs Martin
Address: 17 Duke Road, Silverhill
Other Info: At the Front. Died on 8th March of wounds received in Action. According to CWGC Ernest is remembered at Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, grave reference J.21
Published: October 1914
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