New names for Horsham War Memorial

After 70 years of being absent, the council is now honoured to announce that those who died in service to their country will be added to the memorial in time for the Remembrance Day commemorations in November this year.

The discovery of the 40 names comes after years of research by military historian Gary Cooper, who after publishing his monumental book Horsham Heroes (1914-19) featuring World War I, then began to research World War II.

Today, we might find it strange that names should be missing, but as World War II ended in 1945, Horsham put up a small plaque in front of the Memorial saying ‘Also in memory of those who gave their lives in World War II 1939-1945’, but no individual names were included.

In 1919, a similar plaque was suggested, but public opinion demanded that those who fell should be individually named, so separate plaques were created in 1921 when the War Memorial was unveiled.

In 1946, when Britain was in dire financial straits, it would appear that no names were added, though fund raising took place to enable this. In 1992, when the War Memorial was moved to its present location, names of those who were known to have died during World War II were added.

Recently, thanks to Gary Cooper’s research, the town added the missing names from World War I and now, for the 70th anniversary of the Second World War, Horsham District Council will be adding the final names.

At the end of World War I, there was no central database of names of men who died and where they came from, but for World War II, many of the fallen were brought home for burial.

However, Gary Cooper has discovered that lists that were drawn up were not complete and it was only by detailed research in national archives, local and national papers and tracking down various leads that the missing names were identified.

Gary will be publishing a book at the end of 2015 with detailed biographies of all those who fell during World War II that have a Horsham connection.

It is intended to start the work on the named plaques in September, after the VJ Day celebrations and have the work completed in time for the Remembrance Day commemorations on 11 November 2015.

Horsham casualties not named on the town War Memorial:

* Definitely entitled to be commemorated on the memorial.

** Roffey addresses. Note. 42 Roffey names on original Horsham War Memorial.

39 definitely established as eligible for names to be included with those already on the Memorial, including Roffey and one died in 1946.

1940 *RN. Harold Nelson Baker. Horsham family address

*Mer N. Charles Bloom. Horsham family address

**Arm. Frederick George Boniface. Roffey address. Originally Southwater

*RAF. George Henry Brooks. Horsham family address

*RN. Charles Frederick Burt. Horsham family address

*Arm. James S. Cassels. Lived at Horsham wife’s family address

*Arm. Wilfred F. Holmwood. Horsham family address.

*Arm. Gordon Alan Lintott. Horsham family address.

**Arm. Robert Henry Street. Roffey family address

1941 *RAF. Henry Eric Fortescue. Horsham family address.

Arm. Charles F.T. Knight. Horsham born, family address not known

*RAF. Henry Gilbert Knight. Horsham family address

Arm. Stanley Martin. Fam address Storrington. Buried Hills Cemetery, Horsham

*Mer N. Ronald H.S. Pacey. Horsham family address.

Arm. Stanley Tye. Stationed Horsham? Buried Hills Cemetery

1942 **Mer.N. George Blaber Griffin. Roffey family address

*RAF. Ronald Arthur Bowker. Parents Horsham family address,

*Arm. Frederick Thomas George Burchell. Horsham Family address

*RN. Frederick Robert Charman. Horsham family address

*RAF. Douglas Dean Gardner. Horsham family address

*RAF. J.W. Nightingale. Horsham family address

*RAF. Nathaniel Paterson. Horsham family address

*RAF. William Charles Pearson. Horsham family address

Arm. James Douglas Richards. Horsham family address

Arm. Joseph Roche. Married local girl

*Arm. Ernest Alwyne Stanford. Horsham family address

RAF. Albert Victor Woolgar. Married Roffey girl

1943 *Arm. Alfred Agate. Horsham family address

*Arm. William Blackiston. Horsham family address

*RAF. Alexander Victor Bone. Horsham family address

Arm. Stephen Thomas Brashill. Horsham Hills Cemetery

Mer N. Derrick George Dawson. CWGC Horsham

RAF. Ralph George Hall-Catherall. Lodged in Horsham. Hills Cemetery

Arm. Ernest Karl Kenway. Lodged Horsham. Hills Cemetery

Arm. Peter William Samuels Collyers. Horsham address not found

1944 Arm. Thomas Adams. Bomb disposal. Hills Cemetery

*Arm. James Horace Garman. Horsham family address

*Arm. Albert George Humphrey. Lived with wife’s parents. Horsham

*Arm. Charles Albert Lipscomb. Horsham family address

*RAF. Harold Clifford C. Nightingale. Lived with wife’s parents. Horsham

Arm. Herbert Leonard Davis. Canadian married local Horsham girl

RAF. Stanley Payne. Horsham Hills Cemetery

*Arm. Denis Frederick Charles Peel. Horsham family address

*RAF. Howard Arthur Frederick Smith. Horsham family address

Arm. John Edgar Smith. Horsham address not known

*Arm. William Aldus Williamson. Lodged with Horsham teacher at Oxford Rd

Arm. Alfred Jason Woodward. Bomb disposal. Hills Cemetery

1945 Arm. Harvey Edgar Artress. Canadian married local girl from Roffey

*Arm. Horace Amos Bannister. Lived at wife’s parent’s Horsham address

*Arm. Joseph Richard Harris. Horsham family

*Arm. Leslie William Kefford. Horsham family

*Arm. Cyril Lloyd. Horsham family address

RAF. Ian James MacGregor. Horsham

*RAF. Richard Charles Rivaz, DSO, DFC. Collyers teacher, lived in Horsham

*Arm. Patrick Talbot Scott Sadler, MC. War time Horsham address

1946 *Arm. Frederick Albert Lily. Horsham family

* Basil Barry Duke. Horsham family

There were also nine civilian casualties from Horsham.

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