Roll of Honour - Sussex

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

WESTHAMPNETT WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 & 2 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Chris Comber 2011

The Westhampnett War Memorial is to be found on the North wall in St Peters Church, Westhampnett and takes the form of a stone tablet flanked by pilastres; to this has been added a second plaque for World War 2. There are 8 names for World War 1 and 6 for World War 2. The memorial was first unveiled 29 June 1921 having been designed by Mr MacDonald Gill. There are also special memorials for three members of the Halstead Family.

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE
REMEMBER BEFORE GOD THESE MEN OF
WESTHAMPNETT WHO FELL IN WAR 1914 - 19

JAMES	Bertram Henry	Private PO/14365, HMS "Princess Irene", Royal Marine Light Infantry. Regular. Enlisted in Portsmouth Division RMLI in January 1906. Was serving on board the former Canadian Pacific Liner which had been converted to a minelayer. On the 27 May 1915 the ship was at anchor in the Medway off Sheerness, when her cargo of mines blew up, completely destroying the ship. 279 men were lost including 78 civilian workers who were on board. There was only one survivor. Son of Mr & Mrs S. James of 11, Westerton, Born 22 December 1888 in Westhampnett and enlisted in Portsmouth. Bertram James was 25. No known grave. Commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea. Panel 9.
LILLYWHITE	Robert John	Captain, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in a flying accident 26 November 1916 at Tadcaster. Aged 23. Born 12 April 1893 at Chichester. Son of John & Elizabeth Lillywhite of Oving Road, Westhampnett. Born in Westhampnett. Nephew of James Lillywhite the Sussex Cricketer, who captained the first English Test side to tour Australia. Captain Lillywhite was one of the first aviators to obtain a flying certificate in January 1914 and served in Egypt and the Western Front with No. 3 Observation Squadron. He was promoted to Captain and served as a flying instructor in 1916. Took his flying examination at The Grahame-White School, Hendon in a Grahame-White Biplane 1st Jnauary 1914. At the time he was an Apprentice. Included on Chichester City and Portfield (Rumboldswyke) War Memorials. Buried in St. Peter Churchyard, Westhampett, Chichester, Sussex.
PICKARD	Edwin James	Private TF/320341, 16th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (Sussex Yeomanry) 74th Yeomanry Division. E.E.F. Died of nephritis in military hospital in Palestine 25 June 1917. Aged 20. Son of James & Sarah Pickard of 4, Guilden Road, Chichester. Born in Washington near Worthing and enlisted in Brighton. Included on the Chichester City & Portfield (Rumboldswyke) War Memorials, & The Royal Sussex Memorial Chapel Chichester Cathedral, under 16th. Battalion. Buried in Deir el Belah War Cemetery, Israel (Palestine). Section D. Grave 100.
PIGGOTT	Arthur Harry	Corporal 28541, 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Killedin action 9 August 1915. Aged 21. Son of John & Eliza Piggott of 24, Westhampnett. Born and enlisted in Chichester. Included on Chichester City Memorial. No known grave. Commemorated on Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Panel 1.
ROBINSON	Frederick James	Stoker 1st Class K/10192, HMS "Irresistible", Royal Navy. One of 16 men lost when the Battleship was mined during the Dardanelles operations on the 18 March 1915. The ship finally sank but most of the crew were rescued by destroyers. Son of Mr & Mrs Frederick Robinson of 29, Church Farm, Westhampnett. Frederick Robinson was 22. Born 12 December 1892 in Chichester. No known grave. Commemorated on Portsmouth Royal Naval Memorial, Southsea. Panel 8. Togo the ship's cat lost with HMS Irresistible Photographs Copyright © William Thomas Clegg AB RN 2011
SANDERS	William Henry	Sapper 63320, 228th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Died of wounds in base hospital at Rouen 30 August 1917. Aged 26. Son of William & Elizabeth Sanders of 181, Oving Road, Portfield. Born in Stourport, Worcestershire and enlisted in Chichester. Included on Portfield Memorial in Rumboldswyke Parish Church and Chichester City Memorial. Buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France. Section P. Plot II. Row B. Grave 3B.
SPARSHOTT	Reginald Thomas	Lance Corporal SD/2790, 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. 1st. Division. Killed in action 6September 1918. Aged 24. Son of Henry & Mary Sparshott of 30, Westhampnett. Born in Hermitage and enlisted in Chichester. Formerly with the South Downs Battalions. Included on Chichester City Memorial and under 2nd Battalion in the Royal Sussex Memorial Chapel in Chichester Cathedral. Buried in Eterpigny British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Special memorial. Note: Eterpigny British Cemetery was begun by the 4th and 1st Divisions and was used from the end of August 1918, to the middle of October. One grave was brought in after the Armistice. The cemetery contains 66 burials and commemorations of the First World War. Ten of the burials are unidentified but there is a special memorial to one casualty believed to be buried among them.
STROTTON	Thomas William	Leading Seaman 224279, HMS "Bulwark", Royal Navy. Severely injured when the Battleship blew up at anchor off Sheerness 26. November 1914. He was rescued from the water but died of his injuries that day. Son of Thomas William (Bricklayer) & Sarah Strotton of Strettington. Born in Strettington. Thomas Strotton was 28. Born 12 November 1886 in Goodwood, Sussex. Buried in Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Kent. Naval. Row 14. Grave 723.
1939-1945
COLLISS	George Alfred	Lance Corporal 6407667, 1/6th. Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Killed in action in Italy near Cassino 12 May 1944. Aged 33. Son of Alfred George & Lily Colliss of Westhampnett. Husband of Kathleen Colliss of Bognor. Elder brother of Gordon Colliss. Buried in Cassino War Cemetery, Italy. Plot XI. Row J. Grave 23.
COLLISS	Gordon Victor	[Spelt COLLIS on CWGC] Boy 1st Class P/JX/162302, HMS "Hood", Royal Navy. Lost with the Battlecruiser when she was sunk in action with the "Bismarck" in the Denmark Straits off Iceland 24 May 1941. Aged 17. Son of Alfred George & Lily Colliss of Westhampnett. Younger Brother of George Colliss. Included on Chichester City War Memorial. No known grave. Commemorated on Portsmouth Royal Naval Memorial, Southsea. Panel 51, Column 3.
HAWARD	Gerard Henry Stacpoole	[Listed as STACPOOLE-HAWARD on memorial] Lieutenant-Commander, H.M. Submarine "Sterlet", Royal Navy. Lost on patrol off Southern Norway 18 April 1940. 41 crew all lost. She sank the German gunnery training ship " Brummer" on the 14th April, but was attacked by German anti submarine trawlers on the 18th. It was also considered possible that she ran into a minefield. Son of Mr & Mrs William Haward of Chichester. Husband of Diana Auriol Haward of Seaford. Lt Commander Haward was aged 30. Included on Chichester City War Memorial. No known grave. Commemorated on Portsmouth Royal Naval Memorial, Souhsea. Panel 36, Column 3.
IFOULD	Arthur John	Guardsman 2724336, 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards. Killed in action in Holland 21 February 1945. Aged 19. Son of Albert & Alice Ifould of Westhampnett. Included on Chichester City War Memorial. Buried in Milsbeek War Cemetery, Netherlands. Plot I. Row E. Grave 8.
KIMBELL	David Willoughby	First Engineering Officer, SS "Hildegard", Merchant Navy. Died and buried at home 11 April 1941.Aged 29. Son of David Kimbell, (Provision Merchant) and his wife Edith Mary, formerly of Adelaide Road, Chichester. Born in Chichester. Included on Chichester City War Memorial. and Fishbourne Parish Church Memorials. Buried in St. Peter Churchyard, Westhampett, Chichester, Sussex.
SIMPSON	Harry Charles	Craftsman 14512313, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Died at home post war 4 September 1945. Aged 38. Son of William Edward & Jessie Anne Simpson. Husband of Kathleen May Simpson of Westhampnett. Buried in St. Peter Churchyard, Westhampett, Chichester, Sussex.
BURIED IN THE CHURCHYARD Not included on the War Memorial
IDE	Frederick	Chief Stoker 276821/PO, HMS "Victory" Portsmouth, Royal Navy. Died of influenza 17 May 1919. Aged 45. Husband of Mrs Hanrmetta Ide, 18, Maudlin, nr Chichester, Sussex. Born in Bognor. Long Service Naval Pensioner. Was serving on HMS "Swiftsure" in Grand Harbour, Malta in 1911. Born 25 November 1874 in Bognor, Sussex. Buried in St. Peter Churchyard, Westhampett, Chichester, Sussex.
MEMORIAL TO THREE MEMBERS OF THE HALSTED FAMILY
HALSTED, DFC, DSC	Francis Neville	Flight Commander, Seaplane repair Base Feneraki on the Black Sea, and HMS Pegasus, Royal Naval Air Service. Drowned in a motor boat accident 2 October 1920. Aged 24. Son of Thomas Edward & Mary Lillian Halsted of Greenhithe, Kent. He was resident at "Edenholme", Reigate, Surrey. Born in Sydenham 25 January 1896. He took his flying certificate as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant, RNAS, on a Caudron Biplane at Royal Naval Flying School, Eastchurch 20 August 1915. Grandson of Mr & Mrs John Halsted of Itchenor. Originally a Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force. No known grave. Commemorated on Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton.
HALSTED	Arthur Fitzgerald	Flight Sergeant (Pilot) 1313054, 429 (Bomber) Squadron R.C.A.F, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Flying Wellington X. HE 913 Serial AL. Based at East Moor, Yorkshire. Target, Duisberg. Aircraft shot down by a night fighter near Brabant, Holland, 13 May 1943. Crew of five all killed. Son of Gerald Heasman & Muriel Kate Ada Halsted of Ipswich, Suffolk. Arthur Halsted was aged 22. Buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands. Plot 16. Row D. Grave 5.
HALSTED	Roger Hubert	Flying Officer, 463 (Bomber) Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Flying Lancaster 1 PB688. Serial JO. Based at Waddington in Lincolnshire. Target, Politz. Crashed in bad weather on returning to base 22 December 1944. Six crew killed. One survivor. Son of Hubert Elliott & Mary Moselle Halsted of Gash, New South Wales, Australia. Roger Halsted was aged 21. Buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge. Grave 15551.

Last Updated 12 November, 2019

War Memorials Trust