This now and then image shows a military funeral procession of William Henry Edmunds as it passes the Fishmarket in Hastings Old Town.
The Hastings & St Leonards Pictorial Advertiser dated 14th October 1915 quoted “Deep sympathy is extended to Mr & Mrs H Edmunds and family of Gladstone House, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings in the sad loss they have sustained by the death of their eldest son Lance Corporal William Henry Edmunds at the early age of 20. The funeral took place at the borough cemetery with full military honours, with the Rev H C B Foyster of St Clements officiating. A large number of friends and sympathisers assembled at Rock-a-Nore and along the route. The coffin was dressed with the Union Jack and the deceased hat, tunic and bayonet along with Captain Holman’s Wreath. Lance Corporals Stevens, Philpot, Dennett, Hilder Wheel and Towner, the deceased’s cousin, acted as bearers.”
A firing party was furnished from the 2/2nd Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers under Sergeant Major P F Edwards. The Band of the 2/5th Royal Sussex Regiment under Sergeant Drummer Pratt was in attendance and a contingent of about a hundred and seventy men from the 2/2nd and 3/2nd Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers under the command of Captain W J Ticehurst”.
A photograph of William and his brother can be seen on my other website here, and below is a photograph of his grave stone in Hastings Cemetery.
The two photographs used to create the image, and the final combined image are below. You can view the top image full size on my Flickr page by clicking on it.
This image is part of a continuing series of Then and Now images I’ve created for East Sussex Council’s World War 1 commemoration website. The website is focused on the contribution that the men and women of East Sussex made towards the war effort.
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