Lives of the First World War
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The Day Sussex Died - The Dead, Missing, and Wounded
The Day Sussex Died - The Dead, Missing, and Wounded
The 11th, 12th and 13th Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment, consisting of approximately 4,500 men, were known colloquially as “Lowther’s Lambs”. This was a reference to local MP Claude Lowther, who had taken personal responsibility for raising the battalions. The 12th and 13th Battalions, supported by the 11th, were sacrificed in a diversionary raid on the Boar’s Head salient at Richebourg on 30th June 1916 in an attempt to draw German attention away from the main Somme battle area further south. The Battle at Boar’s Head lasted less than five hours, but the Southdowns Brigade lost 17 officers and 349 other ranks. Over 1,000 men were wounded or taken prisoner, and the 13th Battalion was all but wiped out. June 30th 1916 was subsequently known as “The Day Sussex Died”. This community remembers the lives of those men of the South Downs Battalions who died, or were reported as missing, wounded, or taken prisoner on that day. More information about the battle is available at http://www.royalsussex.org.uk/richebourg.htm . There is also an excellent book called "The Day Sussex Died", by the late John A Baines, which has been used as a major source of information about the men in this community. ( I've also set up separate communities for each of the 3 battalions, which include those who served and survived, as well as those who were killed or wounded ... 11th Battalion: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/2855 ... 12th Battalion: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/2856 ... 13th Battalion: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/community/2857 )
Created by: , Yvonne27542
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Born 1891
Died 1916
British Army SD/3486 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 13th (3rd South Downs) Battalion
More about Hubert Winchester -
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Born 1884
Died 1916
British Army SD/2958 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
More about Mark Longhurst -
Died 1918
British Army SD/438 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
More about George Longley -
Born 1896
Died 1917
British Army SD/2819 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 13th Battalion
More about Leonard West -
Born 1894
Died 1916
British Army SD/1333 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th (2nd South Downs) Battalion
More about Ernest George Funnell -
Born 1895
Died 1916
British Army 5580 Private Royal Fusiliers 20th Battalion
British Army Second Lieutenant Royal Sussex Regiment
British Army Second Lieutenant Royal Sussex Regiment 12th Battalion
More about John Beaumont Salberg -
Born 1890
Died 1918
British Army SD/1199 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
More about Arthur John Miller -
Born 1898
Died 1916
British Army SD/3734 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 13th Battalion
More about Percy John Belcher -
Died 1916
British Army SD/2035 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th Battalion
More about Percy Alford -
Died 1916
British Army SD/3770 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 13th Battalion
More about Ernest Samuel Gumbrell -
Born 1898
Died 1916
British Army SD/3785 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th Batallion
More about Ernest James Honeybun -
Born 1893
Died 1916
British Army SD/3129 Corporal Royal Sussex Regiment
British Army SD/3129 Lance Sergeant Royal Sussex Regiment 13th Batallion
More about William A.k.a. Willie James Harding -
Born 1893
British Army R/394352 Private Army Service Corps
British Army SD/1332 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th (2nd South Downs) Battalion
More about Frederick James Fuller -
Born 1892
Died 1916
British Army SD/1377 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th (2nd South Downs) Battalion
More about William Charles Irons -
Born 1896
British Army SD/605 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 11th (1st Southdowns) Battalion
More about Robert Jarvis -
Born 1895
Died 1916
British Army
British Army SD/2223 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 12th Battalion 2nd Southdowns 39th Division
British Army
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More about Ernest Wooller -
Born 1898
Died 1916
British Army SD/4065 Private Royal Sussex Regiment 13th Battalion
More about Richard George Patching -
Born 1874
Died 1916
British Army SD/3364 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
More about Robert Hargreaves -
Born 1881
Died 1918
British Army SD/2206 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
British Army G/6696 Private Royal Sussex Regiment
More about Albert Holland