Patcham Memorial Hall – One Hundred Years On

Patcham Memorial Hall was opened in 1924 to commemorate the 29 men from Patcham who gave their lives during The Great War. As several of those named on the Roll of Honour served in The Royal Sussex Regiment, the Brighton Branch of the Association decided to fully support the 100th  anniversary celebrations, which took place on Saturday 3rd February 2024 with a display of artefacts from the Regimental Collection. It was interesting to note that over a third of the men on the Roll of Honour died in the last year of the conflict. Everyone has heard of the Battle of the Somme and Passchendaele and the casualties incurred. However, very few people know about the last 100 days ‘advance to victory’ which ended in victory for the allies. Nor do they realise that this final advance cost Britain and the Dominions more casualties than the Somme battles. A glance at the Roll of Honour indicates the scale of the sacrifice for local communities. Two of the families had each lost three members to the conflict. A telling reminder of the sacrifice required if you don’t prepare for war during peacetime. Seen here are Association Director, Alan Bernhem-Parter with Brighton Branch Chairman Colin Steer.