Roll of Honour - Sussex

Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget

The Royal British Legion

CLAYTON WAR MEMORIAL

World War 1 - Roll of Honour with detailed information
Compiled and copyright © Transcribed Chris Comber & Alan Seymour 2004
World War 2 and Falklands by Ron James 2025

The research behind the memorials was carried out by Alan Seymour and the research of the men by Chris Comber. The names of the men from World War 2 & the Falkland Isles have not been included currently.

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist		Church
The church with a nave, chancel and a wooden bell-turret containing 3 bells, dates from the c.1100 and was restored in 1893. The Rector at Clayton during the Great War was Henry C. Bond.		The fame of this church lies in its nave wall paintings. These paintings that show the story of the 'Last Judgment' are really frescoes - painted on the wet plaster - and they date from about c.1140. At the south-east corner of the nave is a small stained glass window with the following two inscriptions:- Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends and *To the memory of Frederick Charles Waterfield 21st May 1915.* On the wall next to the window is a oval brass plaque with the following inscription:- *This window is erected to the Glory of God and in beloved memory of Frederick Charles Waterfield Capt. 45th Rattray's Sikhs I. A.* (Indian Army) who served in the China Expedition 1900, North West Frontier of India 1908 and carried out valuable exploration work on the borders of Tibet 1912-13. Born 22nd Sept 1878 he died of wounds at Bethune on the 21st May 1915 while serving with the Indian Expeditionary Force in France. The following report appeared in the 'The Mid-Sussex Times' of 21st December, 1915:- CLAYTON - Military Memorial This week the Parish Church (Clayton) is being enriched by the addition of painted glass to the easternmost window of the south side of the nave. It is the gift of Mrs. Waterfield , in memory of her husband, Captain F. C. Waterfield, 45th Rattray's Sikhs (attached to the 15th Sikhs), who died at the end of last spring from wounds received in action in France. The erection of this window has been approved at a vestry meeting. The glass is from studios of Messrs. C. E. Kempe and Co., and the inscription will read:- "Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. To the memory of Frederick Charles Waterfield, May 21st, 1915."
Lych-Gate
The churchyard, and the church, is entered through the lych-gate. The gate appears to be of great age, but was actually not constructed until 1921, as a Parish War Memorial to the men of Clayton who fell in the Great War 1914-1918. On the Centenary of Clayton Parish in 1994, the Lychgate was refurbished. On the wooden cross beams under the roof is the following inscription:- North side - This gate is erected to the Glory of God and in thankful remembrance to the men of this parish who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914-19 - South side I am the resurrection the life come Lord Jesus come quickly Also inscribed on the beams are the names of the eighteen men of Clayton who fell in the Great War, and on the eastern upright a metal plaque records the names of the eleven men who gave their lives in the Second World War and one name from the Falklands Islands conflict of 1982.
Churchyard
There are no war graves located in this churchyard and no inscriptions noted on family graves.

1914-1918

ATTRE	Horace	Able Seaman Z/2776, Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. 63rd Royal Naval Division. Taken prisoner and died in captivity in Germany 29th April 1918. Aged 29. Son of William & Mary Attree, of 7, Wolsey Grove, Esher, Surrey. Buried in Hamburg Cemetery, Hamburg, Germany.
AVERY	Israel Charles John	Private 27651, 9th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. 12th Division. Killed in action on the Somme 4th.August 1916. Aged 23. Only son of Israel & Patience Avery, of 2, Stanford Avenue, Hassocks. Born Hassocks, enlisted Brighton. Keymer W.M. Buried Serre Road Cemetery No 2. F.1890/2
BELL	Alexander Herbert	[Listed as 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles on memorial] Captain,. 5th Infantry Brigade, (British Columbia Regiment). 2nd Canadian Division. Died of wounds near Ypres 16th March 1916. Aged 28. Son of Major A. Bell (Late 48th Foot) and Mrs Bell. Husband of Mrs Ethel Bell of 'The Hillside,' Hassocks. Buried in Loker Churchyard, Belgium.
BROAD	Richard Blunsom	Major, Royal Artillery. Western Front Anti Aircraft Units. Died in military hospital at Le Havre 6th November 1918. Aged 26. Son of Horace & Kate Broad of 'The Ham'. Hassocks. Native of Hurstpierpoint (Hurstpierpoint W.M.). Buried in Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre F.85.
GEARING	George William	Leading Seaman. 85451, H.M.S. 'Europa', Royal Navy. Base Depot Cruiser, Mudros. Died 22nd October 1916. Aged 38. Son of George &. Caroline Gearing of Ovingdean. Husband of Ellen Zilpah. Gearing of 91,Goring Road, Shoreham. Buried in East Mudros Military Cemetery, Lemnos, Greece.
GEARING	John Ambrose	Private G.1085, 7th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. 12th Division. Killed in action near Loos 4th March 1916. Born in Beddingham and enlisted in Hurstpierpoint. Hurstpierpoint Memorial. Commemorated on The Loos Memorial MR.19.
GOLBY	Arthur Hugh	Second Lieutenant, 1/4th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment attached to an unknown Battalion in Belgium. Died of wounds near Ypres 13th August 1917. Aged 30. Husband of Mrs G. M. Golby of Villa Holois, Boulevard. Deguane, Arcachon, France. Native of Clayton. Buried in Mendingham Military Cemetery, Proven, Belgium B.18.
JOHNSON	Thomas Willard	[Listed as Thomas William on CWGC and SDGW] Rifleman 46001, 13th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade. 37th Division. Killed in action near Romieres 23rd October 1918. Aged 19. Son of Thomas & Esther Johnson, Friars Oak Cottage, Hassocks. Born in Henfield and enlisted in Chichester. Buried in Romieres Communal Cemetery Extension. F 206.
MEAUTYS	Thomas Gilliat	Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment. 6th Division. Killed in action on the Aisne 22nd September 1914. Aged 25. Son of Major Thomas & Mrs Ellen Meautys of Hammond Place, Burgess Hill. Husband of Nora Nell Meautys who remarried and moved to Bradworthy in Devonshire. Brother of Paul and Denzil. Burgess Hill W.M. Buried in Vendresse British Cemetery F.1329.
MEAUTYS	Paul Dashwood	[Listed as Paul Raymond Meautys on CWGC and SDGW] Captain, 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (Indian Army). Killed in action 16th June 1917 while attached to a Western Front Battalion. Aged 26. Son of Major Thomas & Mrs. Ellen Meautys of Hammond Place, Burgess Hill. Brother of Thomas and Denzil Meautys. Burgess Hill W.M. Buried in London Cemetery, Neuville-Vitasse F.118.
MEAUTYS	Denzil Hatfield	Lieutenant, 12th Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment. 31st Division. Died of wounds in Base hospital at Etaples on the 7th May 1917. Aged 19. Son of Major Thomas & Mrs Ellen. Meautys of Hammond Place, Burgess Hill. Brother of Paul and Thomas. Burgess Hill War Memorial. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery F.40.
PARSONS	Ernest Henry	Lance Corporal 24772, 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. 3rd Division. Died of wounds 15th December 1917. Born in Clayton and enlisted in London. Buried in Mory Abbey Military Cemetery, Mory. F.614.
SMITH	Douglas Charles	Rifleman 3747, 1/5th Battalion, The London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade). 56th London Division. Killed in action near Mont St. Eloi 1st September 1916. Aged 22. Son of Charles John & Edith Gertrude Smith of Kingston on Thames, Surrey and of Hove and Clayton in Sussex. Enlisted in London. Buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont St.Eloi F.68.
WATERFIELD	Frederick Charles	Captain, 45th Battalion, Rattray's Sikh's, Indian Army. Indian Expeditionary Force, Flanders. Died of wounds 21st May 1915. Aged 36. Youngest son of Major General H. I. Waterfield and Mrs Emily. Scott Waterfield. Buried in Bethune Town Cemetery F.80.
WINTER	Thomas	[Listed as Private 7th Royal Sussex] Private G.20309, The Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Formerly Royal Sussex. Died of wounds received in France 2nd January 1919. Aged 26. Son of Richard & Rosa Winter of West Town Cottages, Hurstpierpoint. Keymer Parish Memorial. Buried in Hurstpierpoint Cemetery.
WOOLLER	Albert Sydney	Private G.1078, 7th Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment 12th Division. Killed in action at Ovillers 7th July 1917. Aged 21. Son of Mrs Abigail Wooller and Mr.Wooller of Whitelands Cottage Keymer. Born in Clayton and enlisted in Hurstpierpoint. Included on Keymer Parish Memorial. Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial MR.21.
1939-1945
BELL	Arthur Douglas	Major. Royal Engineers. S/N 53652. He died 27th November 1942 Aged 30. He was the son of Alexander & Ethel Bell, and husband of Kathleen Bell of Durban, Natal, South Africa. He is buried in the El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt. At the time of his death his home address was Hillside, Hassocks, Sussex.
BENNETT	Robert Sidney	Flight Sergeant. RAF Volunteer Reserve. S/N 335173. 170 squadron. He died 7th January 1945 Aged 19. He was the son of Sidney & Emily Bennett of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in the Dornbach War cemetery, Germany. His squadron was part of the Second Tactical Air Force, and flew Lancaster Bombers.
DONNER	John Harry	Lance Sergeant. Royal Corp of Signals. S/N 2572014. He died 17th October 1944 Aged 24. He was the son of Frank and Rose Donner of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in the Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery, Kolkata, India.
HILL	Christopher St George Sundius	Lieutenant. Royal Marine. HMS Barham. He died 25th November 1941 Aged 21. He was the husband of Karen Hill (nee Rose). His name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Memorial. HMS Barham a battleship, was sunk off of Egypt by a German submarine U331. He was one of 862 of the crew who lost their lives.
JANMAN	Thomas William	Gunner. Royal Artillery 272 battery, Heavy Anti-aircraft regiment. S/N 14397076. He died 19th July 1944 Aged 34. He was the son of George & Harriet Janman of Hassocks , Sussex, and husband of Gladys Janman of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in Clayton, St John the Baptist churchyard.
KEY	Peter	Signalman. Royal Corp of Signals, 18th division. S/N 2595680. He died 4th October 1943 Aged 23. He was the son of Thomas & Hilda Key of Clayton, Sussex. He is buried in the Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand, formerly Siam.
LYNN	Peter Walter	Captain. The Corp of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. S/N 178705. He died 10th April 1945 Aged 30. He was the son of Walter & Elizabeth Lynn of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in the Faenza War Cemetery, Italy.
McLEAN	Alistair Iain Grant	Sergeant. RAF Volunteer Reserve. 38 Squadron. S/N 754363. He died 14th February 1941 Aged 21. He was the son of Archibald & Gwendoline Mc Lean of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in the Rhodes War Cemetery, Greece. At the time of his death the squadron were flying Wellington bombers on sorties from their base at Shallufa in Egypt.
MEDHURST	Gordon Francis	Sergeant Air Gunner. RAF Volunteer Reserve. 218 Squadron. S/N 132588. He died 27th August 1942 Aged 20. He was the son of Francis & Elsie Medhurst of Hassocks, Sussex. He is buried in the Bergen –Op- Zoom War Cemetery, Netherlands. At the time of his death the squadron were flying Stirling bombers out of their base at Downham Market, Norfolk.
NORMAN	Robert Charles Francis	Ordinary Seaman. Royal Navy. HM Motor Gun Boat 335. S/N P/SX 323216. He died 11th September 1942 Aged 18. He was the son of Roland & Victoria Norman of Clayton, Sussex. He is buried in the Caister Old Cemetery, Norfolk. His ship was sunk by gunfire from a German surface vessel in the North Sea.
PITHERS	Reginald Arthur	Lieutenant Commander. Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve HMS Tennyson. He died 1st October 1944 Aged 30. He was the son of Reginald & Elizabeth Pithers and the husband of Joyce Pithers of Westcliff-on-sea, Essex. He is buried in the St Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France. His home address at the time of his death is recorded as Queens Drive, Hassocks, Sussex.
1982 FALKLAND ISLANDS
MIDDLEWICK	Richard William	Private. Army catering Corp, attached to Welsh Guards 1st battalion S/N 24442460 Died 8th June 1982 Aged 20. Born 10th June 1961. He was one of the 48 that died on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Sir Galahad when it was bombed in San Carlos Bay, Falkland Islands.

Last updated 8 April, 2026

War Memorials Trust