Regiment: Norfolk Regiment, 9th Battalion, 24th Division
Service No: 15869
Date & place of birth: Petworth, Jan-Mar 1894
Date & place of death: 14 December 1915 (aged 21), in Petworth
Horace Henry Lucas is one of relatively few of the First World War casualties buried in Petworth, as he died there of wounds suffered in France. He is buried in the Horsham Road Cemetery which contains rather more Second World War graves, including those of the 28 boys and 2 masters killed in the bombing of the Petworth Boys School in September 1942.
Family background
Horace Lucas was born in Petworth, the son of Alfred and Sybella Lucas who lived in North Street. Alfred was a bricklayer. In the 1911 census Horace is working as a Baker’s Assistant and living in Lombard Street. He moved away from Petworth later as he enlisted in Norwich. Horace had two brothers, Alfred and Frederick, and three sisters, Edith, Flora and Annie.
Military service
Horace enlisted at Norwich in the Norfolk regiment, and we do not have record of where he was injured, but his battalion was involved in 1915 in various actions on the Western Front including Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Le Transloy.
Death and commemoration
Horace Henry Lucas died of wounds at home in December 1915 aged 21. He is buried in the Horsham Road cemetery.