Friends of Hastings Cemetery
Edgar Reginald Willis is commemorated on the grave of Raymond John Willis who died at the age of 19 on 27th July 1911 and also Thomas Walter Willis who died on 15th August 1913.
Edgar Willis was an acting Lieutenant when he was killed, aged 25, on 13th or 14th July 1916 whilst serving with the 8th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He is buried at Peronne Rd Cemetery, Maricourt.
His family came from Bath where he was born in 1890. The 1891 Census lists him living with his mother, brother, and his father Thomas Walter Willis, who was a monumental letter cutter. By 1901 the family had settled in Hastings, living at 60 Cambridge Road.
Thomas was now a monumental mason as was his oldest son Hubert. There were two other sons. The family was still living in Cambridge Rd in 1911. Edgar was now an elementary school teacher employed by Bexhill Council. He seems to have been a keen naturalist in his youth, belonging to the Junior Natural History Society.Hastings Observer of 22nd July 1916.
‘Lieutenant Edgar Reginald Wills was a member of the Officers’ Training Corps at Nottingham University where he finished his education, and took a keen interest in that branch, qualifying for a commission three years before the outbreak of the War. Then he immediately offered himself but, to his great disappointment, was medically rejected. However, on being informed that he could be made fit by an operation, without a day’s delay he arranged for this to be done. It proved much more serious than anticipated and he was not fit to be accepted until the Christmas of 1914, when he obtained his medical certificate, and was commissioned to the Royal Sussex Regiment on January 1st 1915.
He went to the Front on July 24th of last year and was promoted in October to the rank of First Lieutenant, promotion being dated back six months. He has proved himself a valuable officer, and during the whole time he has been at the front was a bombing specialist for his Battalion. He was of a bright and cheerful disposition, and won the esteem of all who knew him. He had unbounded faith in the qualities of his men and in our future, as extracts from recent letters will show.
The Commanding Officer in a letter to his parents said: “It is with the deepest regret I write to tell you of the death of your son. He was killed early yesterday morning while gallantly carrying out his duties under shell fire. He was a gallant boy, and a most promising officer, and his loss will be deeply felt throughout the Battalion.’’
Extract from a letter from a lieutenant friend: “He was killed by a piece of shell, the major being wounded by the same shell. They were leading a body of men through the trenches to a part where the Germans were pressing very heavily.’’
He was buried beside two brother officers killed about the same time, in the little cemetery of [Peronne Road Cemetery] Maricourt, near Bray-