Stoker 1st Class K/10637, H.M.S. "Hogue", Royal Navy. Drowned when his ship was sunk by torpedoes 22 September 1914. Aged 23. Born 29 June 1892. Son of William and Minnie C. Burton, of 2, Marine Terrace, Southwick, Brighton; husband of Janet Burton, of 5, Gloucester Rd., Littlehampton, Sussex. No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. Panel 4.

Note: HMS Aboukir, an old 1st Class armoured cruiser, was part of Cruiser Force C, in an area of the North Sea known as the Broad Fourteens (HMS Eurylus, HMS Cressy and HMS Hogue were the other three cruisers). HMS Eurylus had technical problems and returned to port. Early on September 22nd 1914 the German submarine U9 under the command of Commander Otto Weddigen sighted the Cressy, Aboukir and Hogue steaming NNE at 10 knots without zigzagging. Although the patrols were supposed to maintain 12-13 knots and zigzag the old cruisers were unable to maintain that speed and the zigzagging order was widely ignored as there had been no submarines sighted in the area during the war. HMS Aboukir was hit by a torpedo first and rolled over within half an hour of the attack. HMS Hogue was picking up survivors when she was hit by two torpedoes, sinking within 10 minutes. HMS Cressy had stopped to pick up survivors, but got underway, before she was hit by a torpedo and damaged. Shortly afterwards, a second torpedo hit her and she sank within 15 minutes. 837 men were rescued but 1459 men were killed in total

Lieutenant, 8th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Artillery. Killed in action 13 March 1916. Aged 22. Son of Dr. and Mrs. Grune, of The Hall (49, The Green), Southwick, Brighton. Buried in VIS-EN-ARTOIS BRITISH CEMETERY, HAUCOURT, Pas de Calais, France. Plot XI. Row A. Grave 1.

Lieutenant Acting Captain, 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Killed in action 21 September 1917. Aged 26. Born 16 July 1891. Baptised 9 August 1891 in Southwick. Son of Edwin and Esther Keys, of Morley House, Southwick, Brighton. Attended Southwick Green Council School (Manor Hall) in 1896. Awarded the Military Cross (M.C.). Buried in MAROC BRITISH CEMETERY, GRENAY, Pas de Calais, France. Plot II. Row L. Grave 20.

Extract from de Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1918, Volume 5, Page 100:

KEYS, JOSEPH DOUGLAS NICHOLAS, M.C., Capt., 11th (Service) Battn. The Essex Regt., s. of Edwin Keys, of Morley House, Southwick, Brighton, by Ills wife, Esther, dau. of Daniel Brazier ; b. Southwick, co. Sussex, 18 July, 1891 ; educ. York Place, Brighton ; was engaged on the staff of Mr. Flowers, Solicitor and Clerk to the Steyning Board of Guardians; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. The Essex Regt. 5 Nov. 1915 ; promoted Lieut. March, 1917, and Capt. July, 1917 ; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from July, 1916, and was killed in action at Lens 21 Sept. 1917. Buried at Maroc. Brigadier-General F. E. Spring wrote : "As your boy served under me for so long when I was in command of the 11th Essex Regt., may I send you a line to say how very, very sorry I was to hear he had been killed, and to send you and his relations my real sympathy. He had been with the battalion so long, and we all knew hint so well. He was a fine young officer, always cool and collected, no matter how bad things were. He was looking so well when I last saw him -- in fact, if I remember right, he only recently went home on leave. I am so glad he did," and his Chaplain " I am so very sorry to tell you that your son, Capt. J. D. N. Keys, of this battalion, was killed in action yesterday. He was in command of a company at the time, which was holding a front-line trench, and was hit by a piece of shell, which burst somewhere near him. He had been a long time with this battalion, and was one of the best known and most capable of the officers, and will be greatly missed ; he was so reliable under all circumstances. His body was buried by me to-day in a British cemetery behind the lines." A brother officer also wrote : "Your son and myself have been working together in the company for nearly a year and when he was killed he was commanding it, as they were giving me little rest behind. Your son was one of the bravest men I have come across and always so cheerful ; the worse things were, his spirits seemed to go up. He was immensely popular among the men, which I always think is such a criterion. His place can never be filled in the company, and I do want you to know that no one has ever died in a more soldierly way than he did. He was killed instantly, and consequently did not suffer at all, and is buried in the little cemetery close behind. I am sorry I cannot tell you the name of the village, but may be able to later. My thoughts are so much with you at this time, and I wish I could do anything in any way to lighten the load. My deepest sympathy and best thoughts at this time." He was awarded the Military Cross [London Gazette, 24 March, 1917], "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He kept his men under perfect control, and led them to their objective. Later, he assumed command of the second wave, and supervised the operations with marked ability." He was at one time associated with the Boys Brigade work, and was assistant organist at St. George's Church, Worthing ; unm.

Private G/1173, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 25 September 1915. Aged 18. Born Southwick, Sussex. Son of Nathaniel and Martha Short, of 9, Adur Terrace, Southwick, Brighton, Sussex. Enlisted in Hove. Buried in DUD CORNER CEMETERY, LOOS, Pas de Calais, France. Plot VI. Row H. Grave 8. See also Portslade.

Photograph Copyright © Bev Pook 2018

For more details see "A Letter from the Front"

Gunner 901107, "A" Battery, 26th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Died 22 October 1918. Aged 26. Husband of Alice Willmot, of 24, Mill Rd., Fishergate, Portslade, Sussex. Buried in SOUTHWICK (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD, Sussex. Plot/Section/Area XEI. Row F. Grave 7.