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BEXHILL ON SEA WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 and 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Transcribed Janet Graves, researched Martin Edwards and Chris Comber 2004
extra information Dave Hatherell and Bexhill Museum

The memorial stands on the sea front on the Promenade, Marina, Bexhill, Rother, East Sussex. It takes the form of a three-stepped base surmounted by a plinth and an obelisk. The memorial lists the names of the those who died in World War 1 in the top most panels and those who died in World War 2 in the lower panels. The names are listed by the service they served in and then the division within that, e.g. Regiment, ship. The listing within these sections are by rank then alphabetical order. For the purpose of these pages the details have been split into World War 1 and World War 2 in alphabetical sequence. The memorial was first unveiled 12 December 1920 by Brigadier General H. O'Donnell. See also Bexhill Museum War Memorials & Commemorations

Extract from Bexhill-on-Sea Chronicle - Saturday 18 December 1920, page 3:

Bexhill War Memorial.
IMPRESSIVE UNVEILING CEREMONY.

Bexhill paid homage to the memory of its fallen sons at the unveiling of the War Memorial on Subnday. The occasiosn was a very solemn one, abnd a huge crowd gathered in the open spaces around the memorial to await the procession, which started from the Town Hall. The order was as follows:— Town Band, under Bandmaster F. Deeprose; Coastgaurds, under Chief Officer Simmons; 6th Sussex Battery, R.F.A.(T.), under Major R. Mayer; No. 2 Field Co., H.C.R.E., under Capt. Shirley; Cadets (Holmwood), under Lieut. Bryan; Ex-Service Men; Volunteers, under Hon. Lieut. J. R. de Lannoy; Women's V.A.D., Sussex No. 24. under Commandant Miss E. M. Wilson, M.B.E.; Women's V.A.D. No. 38, under Commandant Miss Bennett. M.B.E.; Men's V.A.D., Sussex No. 83, under Quartermaster H. F. Freeman; St. Peter's Sea Scouts, under Mr. C. F. King; All Saints, Sidley, Scouts, under ScoutmasterElliott; Girl Guides, under Commandant Mrs. Battine; York Lodge, A.O.D., under Mr.Challon; Court De La Warr, A. O.F., under Mr. Pratt; R.A.O.B., under Mr. Honeysett; Equitable Friendly Society, under Mr. Burgess; Salvation Army and Band, under Ensign Fraser; Fire Brigade, under Capt. F. G. Wise; Leaders of the Christian Science Society; Clergy; J P.'s; The Sculptor, Mr. L. F. Roslyn, R.B.S.' The Hon. Treasurer of the War Memorial, Councillor F. W. Vane, I.S.O.; The Hon. Secretary, Mr. C. von Berg, I.S.O.; The Mace Bearer; The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Town Clerk; The Aldermen; The Councillors; The Superintendent of Police and 15 members of the Bexhill Ambulance Brigade under Supt. S. Shorter, also accompanied the procession. The total number taking part was 750. Councillor F. B. Bending kindly acted as Marshal, and Brig-General O'Donnell the directed the dispositions at the memorial.

Among the clergy present was the Rector (the Rev. H. W. Maycock), the Rev. E. Mortlock, the Rev. J. Osborne, the Rev. T. Carey Knox, and the Rev A. Rothwell Gregory. The Municipal party included Mayor (Ald. J. Gibb). the Deputy Mayor (Ald. J. Rogers), the Town Clerk (Mr. T. E. Rogers), Ald. G. H. Gray, Ald G. Coppard, Councillors J. E. Stevens, J. F. Ash, T. Bodle, S. Baker, T. J. Walters, F. W. Tidd, T. Davis. R. C. Hampton, R. C. Sewell. A. Goodsall Miller, E James, H. Cockett, F. W. Vane, I.S.O., Mr. C. D. Greenwood (Borough Treasurer), and the officials, including: Mr. S. T. Hill, Mr. A. Flint, and Mr. G. Ball. There were also present: Ex-Alderman J. A Paton, C W. Perrins, (ex-Mayor of Hastings) and Councillor Meads (of Hastings.). Representatives of the Magistrates including Admiral E. H. M. Davis and Mr. W. R. Dewing.

The servive opened with the singing of the hymn, “O God, our Help in agespast,” the Bexhill Musical Society under Mr. Alan H. Thorne, leading. The Rector led the Lord's Prayer, after which Ald. Gray said that it was with very great regret they heard that His Worship the Mayor had had a telegram from Lord Leconfield, saying that he had been prevented from coming by the state of the roads, and he thought that it was the wish of the people to ask Brig.-General O'Donnell to unveil the memorial in his place.

Brig.-General O'Donnell said that he thanked them cordiallty for having asked him to perform the unveiling. It had taken him by surprise, but he would do his Best.

Addressing the public, Brigadier-Genera O'Donnell said that he had been called upon suddenly to unveil their memorial without any preparation whatever, and they must excuse him if what he said was not to their taste or explicit or lucid. They were there on a very solemn occasion to unveil the memorial to those men who laid down their lives for them. He had served with the men whose names were on the tablets, and many others like them. They sent out nine millions of soldiers, out of which three millions five hundred thousand were casualties, and out of those over six hundred thousand were killed. It was a glorious record for any country. He had served in the trenches with men such as those when there was no training and no discipline, for they had no time, but it was determination, grit and endurance that won the war. He had seen the men marching out to bombardment and marching back after going out eight hundred strong with only forty or fifty, and dropping with fatigue. They shouted “Are we downhearted?” and the answer always came back, “No.” “ Can we stick it?” Yes.” It was the spirit of the men, grit, determination, and endurance, which were characteristic of the British nation.

The General then unveiled the memorial, a salute of nineteen guns being fired, and “Last Post” was sounded by Coastguard Bradfield. A silence of two minutes followed, and Mr. Charles King, late of the Cameronians, sounded the Reveille.

The hymn, “Ten thousand times, ten thousand” was sung, and Ald. G. H. Gray(C'hairman of the Committee) said that, as Chairman of the War Memorial Committee, his duty, now that the work was almost completed, was to hand it over to the Chief Magistrate of the Borough. The committe had worked for many months on that great and lasting memorial. and had had anxious times owing to circumstances which it was outside their power to cope with. With the assistance of generous friends who had come forward they now had the pleasure of handing the memorial over to them as the War Memorial of the Borough of Bexhill.

The Mayor accepted the memorial on behalf of the town, to reverence, protect, and maintain, and he trusted that before long they would be in a position to make the surroundings more in accordance with the memorial.

The Mayor then placed a wreath on behalf of the Corporation, and other public representatives also laid flowers After the singing of the National Anthem the public covered the base of the monument with flowers.

Very succesful photographs have been taken of the memorial and also of the tablets before erection, the being to provide the necessary material for a memorial card which is gto be issued later to the families of all the men whose names appear on the memorial. A sufficient supply will be prepared so as to enable copies to be purchased by those who so desire.

Photographs Copyright © Janet Graves 2004
Picture above from an old postcard
Unveiling of Bexhill War Memorial. 12. December 1920
Credit https://twitter.com/bexhillmuseum

1914 - 1918
IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE
MEN AND WOMEN OF BEXHILL WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES IN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

The memorial, because of its size has been split into alphabetical sections.
Click on the appropriate letter or section to see the relevant page

Surnames A Surnames - J Surnames - O Surnames B Surnames - L Surnames C Surnames D Surnames - K Surname - R Surnames E Surnames F Surnames - Q Surname P Surnames G Surnames - V Surnames H Surnames - S Surnames - Y Surnames I Surnames M Surnames - W Surnames - N Surnames T Surnames - U There are no surname starting with X There are no surname starting with Z

Click on the image for World War 2 details

Last updated 28 April, 2024

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