Roll of Honour - Sussex

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

STONE CROSS WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Transcribed Janet Graves 2004

Stone Cross is a small village between Eastbourne and Bexhill, approximately 7 miles from each town. St. Luke's Church was built as a memorial to Charles William Owen who died in 1922 (please see memorial plaque) and was completed in 1929. Due to lack of support the Church was eventually closed in 1976. The Stone Cross Roll of Honour, along with other items was given for safe keeping, to St Mary the Virgin's Parish Church at Westham, some 3 miles away. In 1989, with considerable new housing having been built in the area, the Church was restored and reopened. However, the Roll of Honour was not returned to St Luke's until March of 2004. The 1914 - 1918 memorial within the Church was once part of an altar. During the various changes that have taken place the alter was moved from the main part of the Church to a side room. Access to the memorial was limited. In 2006 the alatar was moved from the sacristy of St Luke's Church (which was kept locked) into the main body of the church, immediately below the roll of honour. This has effectively turned an area - that was little more than a corridor into the new Parish Centre building - into a memorial chapel. This means both the framed roll of honour and the roll on the front of the altar are now readily available for viewing by members of the public (the church is normally open during daylight hours). The names appearing on both the memorial stone cross and the altar are marked †. As a footnote to the memorial there are two young girls, civilians, who also died. This article by Rod Barker:

The Girls on the War Memorial

We all pass the stone war memorial by the church many times every week. Next time you are passing, stop and read the names and remember those who had lived nearby and died in the horrors of the two world wars. It is a chilling thought.

Among the list of those who died in the Second World War, there are the names of two girls; Myrtle Wilkinson and Peggy Harland. Theirs is a very sad story.

On the 26th September 1940 Myrtle and her sister Phyllis had arranged to meet their friend Peggy in town. What they had not expected was a German air raid during their trip into Eastbourne. When the bombs fell Myrtle died instantly, but Peggy was trapped, had to have her legs amputated and died a few days later. Phyllis was nursed at the local hospital and survived.

It is a sad reflection that they are not better remembered. Peggy was a member of the 1st Stone Cross Company of the Girl Guides and was posthumously awarded their “Gilt Cross” for gallantry. Perhaps the Guides will attend the next Remembrance Day Service to honour their lost sister, one of only a few honoured in this way on a war memorial anywhere in England.

There is a window memorial to Alexander Campbell (WW1) and also to Charles Owen at St Mary the Virgin Church at Westham (presumably because St Luke's Church was not completed until 1929).

Within the church is to be found a Roll of Honour listing all those who served. Those who died are marked on the Roll of Honour with a red cross and R.I.P. Some names are marked with one, two or three lines (these have been marked with the appropriate number of asterisks *). The Churchwarden thought they might represent ranks - lance corporal, corporal and sergeant but we are not really sure. Not all the names appearing on the war memorials appear on the roll of honour, those omitted are marked '-'.

THIS CHURCH WAS BUILT
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN EVERY LOVING MEMORY OF
CHARLES WILLIAM OWEN
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, I.M.S., C.M.G., C.I.E., J.P.
OF THE HORNS, HANKHAM.
WHO DIED 23RD MAY, 1922, AGED 69.
ALSO OF MARY ELIZABETH, HIS WIFE
WHO DIED 11TH APRIL, 1920, AGED 63.

THE GREAT WAR
1914 - 1919
THESE DIED FOR US

†	BARBER	Alfred John	Private G/16488, 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Died of wounds 2nd November 1917. Aged 23. Born Stone Cross, enlisted Eastbourne. Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Barber, of Stone Cross, Westham, Sussex. Buried in LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot XXI. Row H.H. Grave 1.
†	BARNES	George [Albert Lelliot]	Private SD/148, 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 12th July 1916. Born Westham, Susex, enlisted Eastbourne.
	BOOTH	[Matthew] Frank	Corporal SD/391, 11th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 3rd September 1916. Born Westham, enlisted Eastbourne.
†	BOURNE	Percy	R. F.
†	BREACH	Albert	Royal Sussex Regiment
-	BURGESS	Albert	Private 12165, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died of wounds 22nd July 1916. Born Westham, enlisted Eastbourne. Formerly G/7612, Royal Sussex Regiment.
	BURGESS	George	R.S.A.
	BURGESS	Hnery [Harry] THomas	Private SD/2864, 13th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 30th June 1916. Born Westham, enlisted Hastings.
†	BURTON	George	Royal Field Artillery
†	CAMPBELL	Alexander	Sussex Yeomanry
†	CHEAL	Edward	Royal Sussex Regiment
	DANN	Robert	Yorkshire Light Infantry
-	EATON	Leslie	No further information currently
†	ELPHICK	George	P.O.R.
†	FOORD	Thomas	Royal Navy
†	FUNNELL	Ernest [George]	Private SD/1333, 12th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 30th June 1916. Born Westham, enlisted Eastbourne.
-	FUNNELL	Jack	No further information currently
†	GANDER	Fred A	Royal Sussex Regiment
†-	GEERING	Job	No further information currently
	HOBDEN	William	Canada
†	LANDER	Fred[erick]	Royal Sussex Regiment
-	LEWES	Vincent	No further information currently
	MARCHANT	Thomas	Irish
†	MILLER	Alfred	Royal Sussex Regiment
†-	PINK	Whitmore	No further information currently
†	PLUMMER	Albert	Royal Sussex Regiment
†	RUSSELL	Alfred	Scots Guards
	SCOTCHER	Edward	Royal Navy
†	SCOTT	John	M.S.P.
	SHERWOOD	Samson	Royal Navy
†	SHORT	Frank	Royal Air Force - there is an Edward Frank SHORT, Private 48218, 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Killed in action 25th October 1918. Born Stone Cross, enlisted Brighton, resident Pevensey.
	STAPLEHURST	Henry 'Harry' George	Gunner 210745, Royal Field Artillery. Died of owunds 22nd August 1918. Enlisted Herne Bay, Kent, resident Eastbourne.
	STAPLEHURST	[William] Reginald	Private G/8708, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. Killed in action 17th August 1916. Born Maresfield, Sussex, enlisted Eastbourne.
	STEVENS	Charles	Royal Sussex Regiment
†	THORPE	Frank	Royal Navy
-	TOMSETT	Edward	No further information currently
On Roll of Honour but not on either memorial
	FUNNELL	Charles	Royal Engineers
	HAZELDEN	Albert	Machine Gun Corps
	SMITH	Charles	Royal Sussex Regiment
	SYGROVE	Charles	Royal Sussex Regiment
1939–1945
	ALLEN	Charles	No further information currently
	ANDERSON	Harold	No further information currently
	BARNES	Richard	No further information currently
	BEVEN	William	No further information currently
	BOURNE	William	No further information currently
	FLY	Ronald	No further information currently
	HARLAND	Peggy Rosemary	Worked in a garden nursery at Hankam. Attended Hankham C.P. School in the 1930s. Injured at Cavendish Place when a bomb hit the garage where she was visiting a friend and died in Princess Alice Hospital 29th September 1940 after her legs were amputated. Aged 17. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Harland, of Peelings Cottages, Hankham, Pevensey. Injured 28 September 1940, at Cavendish Place. At least one other person was killed in the same incident. Listed by EASTBOURNE COUNTY BOROUGH. Buried in the churchyard at the church in Westham, East Sussex.
	HARLAND	Robert	No further information currently
	HOWELL	Harold	No further information currently
	KING	Edward	No further information currently
	KING	Frank	No further information currently
	MILES	Oswald	No further information currently
	MITCHELL	Douglas	No further information currently
	PEARSON	Robert	No further information currently
	PORTER	Reginald	No further information currently
	SMITH	Robert	No further information currently
	TAYLOR	Percy	No further information currently
	WADMAN	Peter	No further information currently
	WEST	Solomon	No further information currently
	WILKINSON	Myrtle	No further information currently

1914 ROLL OF HONOUR 1918

BRETHEREN PRAY FOR US

	ATKINS	Albert
	BANKES	Edwin	Royal Sussex Regiment
RIP	BARBER	Alfred	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BARBER	Harry	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BARKER	Edward	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BARNES	Arthur	Royal Garrison Artillery
RIP	BARNES	George	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BATTLE	Herbert	Royal Garrison Artillery
	BELL	Cyril	North Staffordshire Regiment
	BENNETT	Charles	Sussex Yeomanry
	BERRY	W
	BIDDIS	Thomas	A.P.C.
	BLACKMAN	Edward	L.O.R.C.
RIP	BOOTH	Frank	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BOOTH	Percy	Canada	*
	BOOTH	William	Royal Sussex Regiment	**
RIP	BOURNE	Percy	R.F.
	BOURNE	Victor	Royal Garrison Artillery
RIP	BREACH	Albert	Royal Sussex Regiment	*
	BROOK	Charles	Royal Navy
	BURCHETT	William	Royal Sussex Regiment
RIP	BURGESS	George	R.S.A.
RIP	BURGESS	Harry	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BURGESS	Herbert	Royal Navy
RIP	BURTON	George	Royal Field Artillery
	BURTON	Herbert
	BUTTON	Harry	Royal Sussex Regiment
	BUTTON	Walter	Middlesex
RIP	CAMPBELL	Alexander	Sussex Yeomanry
	CHATFIELD	Harry	Royal Sussex Regiment
	CHATFIELD	William	Royal Army Medical
RIP	CHEAL	Edward	Royal Sussex Regiment
	CHRISMAS	Mason	Royal Field Artillery.
	CHRISMAS	Stephen	Royal Navy
	CHRISTMAS	Edward	Royal Navy
	CLARK	Harry	Royal Garrison Artillery
	DALLAWAY	Clifford	Norfolk Regiment
	DALLAWAY	Frederick	Royal Air Force
	DANN	Albert	Middlesex
	DANN	Charles	A.F.C.
	DANN	Reginald	Royal Field Artillery
RIP	DANN	Robert	Yorkshire Light Infantry
	DEEPROSE	Victor	Royal Sussex Regiment
	DOLLOWAY	Herbert	Royal Navy
	DOLLOWAY	John	London
	DOWNEY	Leslie	Sussex Yeomanry
	DRURY	George	R.F.
	ELPHICK	Caleb	Royal Engineers
	ELPHICK	Charles	Royal Sussex Regiment
	ELPHICK	Edward	Rifle Brigade	*
	ELPHICK	Frederick	Royal Navy
	ELPHICK	Frederick
RIP	ELPHICK	George	P.O.R.
	ELPHICK	Harold	Royal Field Artillery.
	ELPHICK	Oliver	R.S.A.
	ELPHICK	Percy	Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve
	ELPHICK	Ranger	Royal Sussex Regiment
	ELPHICK	Stanley	West Yorkshire Regiment
	EVANS	Edward	Sussex Yeomanry
	FARRANCE	George	Royal Navy
RIP	FOORD	Thomas	Royal Navy
	FOX	Steven	R.N.D.
	FOX	Thomas	East Surrey Regiment	*
	FRIEND	Arthur	E.F.C.
	FULLER	Charles	Royal Garrison Artillery
	FULLER	George	Royal Engineers
	FULLER	Harry	Lifeguards
	FULLER	Herbert	Lifeguards
	FULLER	John	Royal Air Force
	FUNNELL	Alec	Surrey Yeomanry
RIP	FUNNELL	Charles	Royal Engineers
RIP	FUNNELL	Ernest	Royal Sussex Regiment
	FUNNELL	George	Royal Garrison Artillery
	FUNNELL	Martin	Royal Engineers
	FUNNELL	William	Royal Garrison Artillery
RIP	GANDER	F A	Royal Sussex Regiment
	GANDER	George	Royal Navy
	GANDER	John	Royal Navy
	GEARING	William	A.V.C.
	GEERING	Joe	Northamptonshire Regiment
	GEERING	Percy	Middlesex
	GEERING	Rezin	Middlesex
	GOOCH	Arthur	Royal Navy
	GOODALL	Wilfred	Royal Field Artillery.
	GOSLING	Frank	Royal Engineers
	GOSLING	Frederick	Sherwood Foresters	*
	GRANT	Ernest	Royal Navy
	GRANT	Herbert	Royal Sussex Regiment	*