Names Inscribed on the War Memorial at the Parish Church of St Nicholas, Worth

In St Nicholas’ Church, there is a war memorial that commemorates 47 men from the parish who lost their lives in the war.  On closer examination, it’s not entirely obvious on what basis they were deemed to be ‘men of the parish’.  Some did indeed live locally, others were the children of local residents, but in some cases, it is difficult to determine the tenuous links which see them listed on our war memorial, and in fact, some are commemorated elsewhere as well as at Worth.  Nevertheless, they all made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and deserve to be remembered, local men or not.

The Worth Church Bellringers have been commemorating the anniversary of death of each of these individuals, by ringing a half-muffled quarter peal for each of them on or as near as possible to the 100th anniversary of their death.  Half-muffled ringing is the sign of mourning.  We ring to commemorate, rather than celebrate, as we do every year on Remembrance Sunday.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 2018, we will be ringing at last in celebration of the hundred year anniversary of the end of the war.

A great site for information is http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Sussex/Worth.html

Those shown on our memorial are listed below:

1914 – 1918

  • Corporal Percy H Abbot   Queen Victoria Rifles
  • Sapper Joseph Berry   Royal Engineers
  • Private A H Broadhurst   Tank Corps
  • Corporal Walter Charman   Royal West Kent
  • Corporal William Cheal   Labour Battalion
  • Private Charles A. Cook   Royal Sussex
  • Private Cecil Denman   North Staffordshire
  • Driver Albert A. Everest   Royal Fleet Auxiliary
  • Sergeant H. Evans   Essex
  • Sergeant Major George S. Feist   Australian Imperial Force
  • Captain A. Alec Geddes   Royal Army Service Corps
  • Captain W. Murray Geddes   Wiltshire
  • Corporal Alfred Goring   Royal Warwick
  • Gunner W Heasman   Royal Fleet Auxiliary
  • Private Albert Hole   Royal Sussex
  • Gunner Alfred Holman   Royal Fleet Auxiliary
  • Private Herbert Holman   The Queen’s
  • Private William Holman   East Surrey
  • Able Seaman Herbert G. Hopkins Royal Naval Reserve
  • Sapper Arthur Howe   Royal Engineers
  • Corporal William E Humphrey   Lancashire Fusiliers
  • Sergeant J. Johnson   East Yorkshire
  • Private W Johnson   East Yorkshire
  • Private George W. Jupp   Royal Sussex
  • Private Alfred Lee   Royal Sussex
  • Private George I. Lee   Royal West Kent
  • Private Ernest E. Maynard   Labour Corps
  • Private Alfred G. Moore Royal Fusiliers
  • Private Stanley T. Moore   The Queen’s
  • Private Alan Parsons   London
  • Private Douglas G Parsons   East Surrey
  • Private William P. Parsons Loyal North Lancashire
  • Private W. Payne   Royal Grenadier Guards
  • Major The Honourable Francis G. Pearson   Royal Army Service Corps
  • Private Ralph Penfold   Royal Sussex
  • Private Frederick Ralph   Post Office Rifles
  • Second Lieutenant W. Godfrey Rapley Middlesex
  • Private William J Stanford   The Queen’s
  • Sergeant W. V. Stanford   King’s Royal Rifle Corps
  • Sergeant John George Sumner   Royal Sussex
  • Private Harold Sumner   Royal Sussex
  • Private A. Thompsett   South Wales Borderers
  • Private Raymond Thompson   Royal Sussex

1939-1945

  • Able Seaman Kenneth George Constable   Royal Navy
  • Sergeant Gordon Ernest Heaysman   Royal Air Force
  • Private Leslie Baker    South Wales Borderers
  • Wing Commander Hugh Gordon Malcolm V.C.   Royal Air Force