Roll of Honour - Sussex

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

BIRDHAM WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Chris Comber 2007

Birdham village is south of Chichester. The memorials can be found at St James Church, one on the exterior and the other in the interior. The exterior memorial is a stone cross made of rough-hewn granite set on a plint which bears the names and inscriptions. The whole is mounted ona stepped base. This memorial contains 17 names for World War 1, one more than the church; the man in question is W DAWES. The interior memorial takes the form of a wall-mounted, ornate, wooden, triptych. The centre panel is higher than the two side panels with a relief of the crucifixion in the central panel. In relief at the top of the two side panels is a winged heart with sword through centre. The inscriptions are in gold paint. A flagpole is fixed top the bottom corner, each side of the memorial. Those who served in the navy are listed on the left and those in the army on the right. There is no memorial for World War 2.

Exterior memorial:

THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919
BIRDHAM PARISH MEMORIAL
ALL YE WHO PASS BY REMEMBER WITH GRATITUDE
THE MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO WENT FORTH TO
FIGHT AND DIED FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

Interior memorial:

WHOSOEVER SHALL
LOSE HIS LIFE FOR/
Y SAKE SHALL
FIND IT
IN PROUD AND
LOVING MEMORY OF THE
BIRDHAM MEN
WHO FELL IN
THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919

ANSELL	Charles William	Able Seaman 182981 (RFR/CH/B/3025) Reservist, HMS "Hogue", Royal Navy. Lost when the Armoured Cruiser was torpedoed by U9 off the Dutch coast 22nd September 1914. Commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial
BALCHIN	James	Private 37571, 13th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. 37th Division. Killed in action 23rd August 1918. Aged 32. Son of Maurice & Anne Balchin of Hammonds Farm Birdham. Husband of Emma Eliza Balchin of "Finches" Birdham. Born in Birdham and enlisted in Chichester. Commemorated on The Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
BARNES	William	Private G/1700, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st Division. Killed in action at Loos 25th September 1915. Aged 20. Son of William & Clara Barnes of Rose Cottage, Court Lane, Birdham. Born in Birdham and enlisted in Chichester. Commemorated on The Loos Memorial
BEALE	Benjamin	Leading Stoker 282127 HMS "Queen Mary", Royal Navy. Lost with the Battlecruiser at the Battle of Jutland 31st May 1916. Aged 40. Son of George & Harriett Beale of Birdham Commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea
CHALTON	Herbert Henry	Private G/5529, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st Division. Died of wounds in military hospital at Wimereux 6th December 1917. Born and enlisted in Horsham. Included on Horsham War Memorial, Connection with Birdham, unknown. Buried in Wimereux Communal Cemetery.
DAWES	Walter	Private G/8414, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st Division. Killed in action at Ginchy 9th September 1916. Aged 34. Son of George & Emma Dawes of Webbs Farm, East Wittering. Born in West Wittering and enlisted in Chichester. Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial.
GREENFIELD	Frederick	Guardsman 6100, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. 1st Division. Killed in action on the Marne 14th September 1914. Born and enlisted in Arundel Commemorated on The Ferte Sous Jouarre Memorial
HARRIS	William Robert	Private TF/202953, 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. 18th Division. Killed in action 12th October 1917. Aged 21. Son of William & Anne Harris of Lippering, Birdham. Born in Darlington, Durham and enlisted in Chichester. Commemorated on The Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
POWELL	Walter	Private 28371, 13th Battalion, Essex Regiment. 2nd Division. Killed in action 22nd April 1917. Born in Apuldram and enlisted in Chichester Resident of Birdham Commemorated on The Arras Memorial
ROBINSON	Abraham Burchell	Stoker 1st Class K/14971, HMS "Aboukir", Royal Navy. Lost with the armoured cruiser when she was torpedoed off the Dutch coast by U9 22nd September 1914. Aged 24. Son of Henry & Emily Eliza Robinson of Birdham Commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea.
ROBINSON	Thomas William	Able Seaman 194399 (RFR/PO/1C/329 Reservist, HMS "Good Hope", Royal Navy. Lost with the Armoured Cruiser during the Battle of Coronel Islands off the coast of Chile 1st November 1914. Aged 33. Son of Henry & Emily Eliza Robinson of Birdham. Commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea.
SHRUBB	Albert Henry	Private 13003, 14th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. 39th Division. Died of wounds 30th July 1916. Aged 24. Son of Henry & Ellen Shrubb of Almondington House, Earnley. Born in Earnley and enlisted in Portsmouth Commemorated on The Loos Memorial
SHRUBB	Frank James	Guardsman 14121, 4th Battalion, Coldstream Guards. The Guards Division. Killed in action 8th January 1916. Aged 20. Son of Henry & Ellen Shrubb of Almodington House, Earnley near Birdham. Born in Birdham and enlisted in Chichester. Buried in Rue-Du-Bac-Graveyard, Laventie
TAPNER, (MM)	Arthur	Private G/1701, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st Division. Died of wounds 21st October 1918. Aged 22. Son of Thomas & Mary Anne Tapner of White Stone, Birdham. Born in Birdham and enlisted in Chichester. Awarded the Military medal (M.M.). Buried in Vadencourt British Cemetery
TAPNER	Charles	Private 9293, 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. 28th Division. Killed in action 17th February 1915. Aged 22. Son of Thomas & Mary Tapner of White Stone, Birdham. Born in Birdham and enlisted in Chichester. Commemorated on The Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium
TERRY	Ernest George	Private L/10360, 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment. 6th Division. Killed in action 19th April 1916. Aged 21. Son of George & Mary Jane Terry of Hill Lands Farm, Birdham. Born in Earnley and enlisted in Chichester. Buried in La Brique Military Cemetery No 2. Belgium
TERRY	Frederick Arthur	Private L/10361, 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment. 6th Division. Killed in action.8th July 1917. Aged 19. Son of George & Mary Jane Terry of Hill Lands Farm, Birdham. Born in Earnley and enlisted in Chichester. Buried in Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe.

Last updated 1 September, 2007

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