Bibliography

Searching for information on The Royal Sussex Regiment?

The following books may be of assistance:

(If ordering books please mention where you saw them to the supplier.)

  • “The Day Sussex Died A History of Lowther’s Lambs to the Boar’s Head Massacre.”
    By John A. Baines

    As the title implies, this is a history of Lowther’s Lambs, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Southdown Battalions, or officially the 11th, 12th, & 13th Battalions, The Royal Sussex Regiment, from their formation, starting in September 1914, through training, arrival in France in March 1916, to their first major action, The Battle of the Boar’s Head, in which they were decimated, the 13th being “all but wiped out”.

    The book is the result of twelve years research (still ongoing), and was fifteen months in the writing. It is well illustrated throughout with period pictures, maps, line drawings, casualty lists etc, including eight colour pages, whilst the appendices contain many documents, both instructions and reports, directly relating to the events of 30th June, 1916.

    Published by RSLHG it is available in two editions, both of 300 pages;

    A5 (rucksack) edition ISBN 978-0-9572366-0-8
    A4 (coffee table) edition ISBN 978-0-9572366-1-5
    Priced at £9.99 and £16.99 respectively, plus postage and package at cost.

    This book is only available from The Royal Sussex Living History Group for the time being, until we can resolve the issues of account information with others such as Amazon.

    For further information and to order your copy

    Please contact us

  • An Historical Memoir of the 35th Royal Sussex Regiment of Foot

    Trimen, R. (Southampton Times Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd., 1873).
    Republished by East Sussex County Council. Believe limited availability through them.

    Now available again Published: 20 August 2008 Publisher: Bastian Books

    Format: PaperbackISBN: 9780554755953RRP: £12.99
    Format: Paperback (Large Print Edition)ISBN: 9780554755939RRP: £17.99
    Format: HardbackISBN: 9780554755977RRP £18.99
    Format: Hardback (Large Print Edition)ISBN: 9780554755922RRP: £22.99

  • History of the War Service of the 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, from 1701 to 1904
    Skinner, F. St. D. (The Royal Sussex Regimental Press, Anibala, India, 1906 Out of print.
  • A Short Record of The Royal Sussex Regiment from 1701 to 1905
    Courtenay, E. J. (Harrods Ltd., 1915). Out of print.
  • A Short History of The Royal Sussex Regiment (35th Foot – 107th Foot), from 1701 to 1926
    (Printed by Gale & Polden., 1927). Out of print.
  • A History of The Royal Sussex Regiment, 1701-1953
    Martineau, G. D. (The Royal Sussex Regimental Association, 1955). Out of Print.
  • The Royal Sussex Regiment. The Last Twenty Years, 1948-1967
    Ainsworth, J. F. (The Royal Sussex Regimental Association, 1974). Out of print
  • The Royal Sussex Regiment
    Ainsworth, J. F. (English Life Publications Ltd., 1976).
    16 pages including photographs – available from the Regimental Museum, Eastbourne.
  • A Short History of the Second Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment
    Dumbrell, J. H. (C. A. Ribeiro and Co. Ltd., Singapore, 1925). Out of print
  • Cinque Ports Battalion.
    The Story of the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment
    Fazan, E. A. C. (The Royal Sussex Regimental Association, 1971). Out of print.
  • The History of the Seventh (Service) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, 1914-1919
    Rutter, Owen ed. (Times Publishing Co. Ltd., 1934). Recently re-published by Naval & Miltary press
    Format: 2003 N&M Press reprint (original pub 1934).
    SB. xix + 347pp with eight b/w photos and 22 maps in the text plus a general map at the end ISBN: 1843426560
    Price: £ 22.00
    Product Code No: 6999
  • The Shiny Ninth,
    9th Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment 1940-1946
    Gillings, Murray. (The Pinwe Club).
    The story of a wartime Battalion, raised by Lt. Col. (later Field Marshal) Gerald Templer in the aftermath of Dunkirk.
    The Battalion was disbanded in March 1946.
  • The Sussex Yeomanry and 16th (Sussex Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, 1914-1919
    Powell-Edwards, H. L (Andrew Melrose Ltd., 1921). Out of print.
  • Two Years On Trek: being Some Account of the Royal Sussex Regiment in South Africa
    Lt.-Col. Du Moulin; preface by Col. J. G. Panton
    The story of 1st R Sussex which arrived in S Africa April 1900.
    The author served in the battalion, was killed at Abraham’s Kraal 28 January 1902.
    Recently re-published by Naval & Miltary press
    Format: SB v+323pp.,plans, maps 2002 N&MP Reprint of 1907 Original Edition
    ISBN: 1843422425
    Price: £ 14.95
    Product Code No: 6259
  • Records of The Royal Sussex Regiment – A Catalogue.
    Edited by A. E. Readman . B.A.
    Available from The West Sussex County Council Record Office, Chichester, West Sussex. The Record Office catalogue for The Royal Sussex Collection is now available and can be searched online through Access to Archives. http://www.a2a.org.uk/
  • Royal Sussex Regiment Military Honours and Awards Vol 1: 1864-1920 / Vol 2: 1921-1966
    Author: R.Buckman
    These volumes not only list every member of the Regiment who received awards, ranging from Commendations through to Victoria Crosses; but by incorporating Citations, extracts from War Diaries, newspaper reports and personal memoirs, they provide an operational record of the Regiment during these years. Photographs of many of the recipients are included.
    Volume One lists 1,596 names, volume Two lists 476 names.
    Vol 1: 1864-1920 ISBN: 1 900511 66 5 Published: 2001. HB. 358pp Price: £30 & £2.50 p&p
    Vol 2: 1921-1966 ISBN: 1 900511 58 4 Published: 2004. HB. 260pp Price: £25 & £2.50 p&p

    Available from the author at 37 Parnell Close,Edgeware, Middlesex. HA8 8YE

    A labour of love, congratulations to Richard on producing both these superb books, and our thanks to him for generously allowing us unrestricted use of the contents of both volumes.
  • WHEN THE WAR IS OVER – The war memories of William Holmes.
    A member of the Royal Sussex Regiment, William was given the order ‘every man for himself’ following the attempt to stop the German Panzers at Cassell, 20 miles from Dunkirk. He made his way to the beach to find that, along with thousands of others, he had ‘missed the boat’ and was eventually rounded up by German motorcycle troops. Over 40,000 BEF men were taken prisoner in and around Dunkirk and herded into reception centres known as Front Stalags. Soon they began a long trek into captivity. William ended up at Stalag 8B near Lamsdorf in Upper Silesia and spent four years at Mankendorf, a two day journey from Lamsdorf, working in the village sawmill.

    150 pages, softcover. The book was published in 2000 and reprinted in 2001. A few copies remain and can be obtained from:
    John Holmes, Goose Chase, 25 West Gate, Plumpton Green, East Sussex BN7 3BQ for £8 including postage.

  • RECENTLY PUBLISHED

    SLOW MARCH THROUGH HELL

    Prisoner of War in Poland 1940-45
    Douglas Swift (Royal Sussex Regiment)
    ISBN 0 907322 78 6
    A5, vi + 82pp, inc 7 photographs and 1 map.
    Perfect-bound paperback.
    £9.95 including UK postage. Add £2.00 Europe, £6.00 outside Europe.

    Arcturus Press, The Manse : Fleet Hargate : Lincolnshire : PE12 8LL 01406 423971 : Fax 01406 422191

    The gripping and harrowing personal account of a young Eastbourne Corporation gardener’s forced march through eastern Europe as a POW while his Nazi captors fled the Russian advance during the harsh winter of 1945.

    Douglas Swift, of the Royal Sussex Regiment, was captured near Amiens in 1940. He and his scandalously ill-equipped comrades had bravely tried to withstand General Guderian’s Panzers as they made their lightning advance through retreating French troops. Shipped off to Poland with the few remaining survivors of his unit, Douglas Swift endured the hardships and brutalities of several Stalags, before the notorious Death March.

    A remarkable first-hand account of endurance.

    Poster 1

    Not Forgetting the 9th

    Contrary to military orders Sgt Cyril Grimes kept diaries during 1944 and 1945 when he served in India, Burma and Malaya with the 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Rgt. He kept their existence a secret. But, falling ill after engagement with the enemy in the Arakan, he shared his lengthy convalescence with Sgt.Jim Harris who realised what he was doing. The men became close, but after the war lost contact for many years. Jim told his daughter about the diaries, and after both men had died, she discovered that Cyril’s family had kept them safe so had them published. These rare accounts provide an insight into the trials of soldiering with “The Forgotten Army”. Well written, the reader can follow descriptions of training, long train journeys through India, the effects of combat, and life in the infantry in a difficult climate. Many photos, maps and a Roll of Honour add to the pleasure of the book, which will be enjoyed by readership beyond that of the military enthusiast.

    Sylvia Fox