SD/270 Sergeant Robert Budd DCM, 11th Royal Sussex Regiment (1st South Downs) Robert Budd was born in Heathfield, East Sussex, on 15 December 1884, the youngest of three children of Robert Budd Snr, a platelayer for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. He married Florence Piper on 30 December 1905, and the 1911 Census shows Robert, Florence and their two children living at Horeham Road in Vines Cross, with Robert employed as a farm labourer. On the outbreak of war in August 1914, Robert was one of the first to volunteer for Kitchener’s New Army, and on 7 September he travelled to Eastbourne to enlist as 270 Private Budd in the 11th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, otherwise known as the 1st South Downs. Two more South Downs battalions were raised by the end of the year, and these became the 12th and 13th Royal Sussex Regiment, respectively the 2nd and 3rd South Downs. Together with the 14th Hampshire Regiment, the three South Downs battalions formed the 116th Brigade of the 39th Division. All original enlistments were given an ‘SD’ (South Downs) prefix to their regimental number, hence Robert Budd’s number became SD/270. Robert was promoted to Corporal on 29 September 1914 and again to Sergeant on 16 June 1915. The 39th Division sailed for France in the first week of March 1916. The South Downs Battalions arrived at Le Havre on 5 March and proceeded to the Fleurbaix sector of the front line for further training and instruction in trench warfare. On 19 April the 11th Battalion took over a stretch of the front line in the Givenchy sector, and for the next six weeks they alternated between duty in the trenches and rest in billets behind the front line. On 1 June 1916 the 11th Battalion relieved the 13th Battalion in the trenches at Cuinchy. On 4 June, at 20.45 in the evening, the Germans exploded a mine 25 yards from the Battalion’s parapet. The explosion caused chaos, blowing in part of the trench and burying many men, of whom 6 were killed and 37 injured. One of the men buried was Sergeant Robert Budd. Although badly bruised and shaken, Budd immediately took charge of the situation. He set to repairing and reorganising the defences, which included sending a party of bombers to occupy the near lip of the crater and commencing a sap towards it. His prompt actions almost certainly prevented the Germans from attempting a raid. He was assisted by SD/345 Corporal J Russell who, although his leg was broken and his body badly crushed by the explosion, rallied his men and crawled along the trench giving orders. Meanwhile, SD/1022 Private F Dadswell, despite a broken foot, stuck to his post on the fire step until the rescue work was completed and the defences reorganised. For their gallantry and devotion to duty, Budd, Russell and Dadswell were each awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the first such awards to the South Downs Battalions. Towards the end of June the news was received that the South Downs Battalions were to make an attack on the Boar’s Head, a salient of the German lines at Richebourg L’Avoué. The attack, which was to take place on 30 June 1916, was one of a number of diversionary operations intended to draw the Germans’ attention away from the massive assault on the Somme which was due to begin 24 hours later. The 12th and 13th Battalions were to lead the attack, with the 11th Battalion supplying carrying parties to take stores up to the front line. At 03.05 on 30 June, following a fifteen-minute bombardment of the German trenches, the 12th and 13th Battalions went over the top and, under heavy fire, attacked the enemy trenches, bombing and bayoneting their way in. They succeeded in taking the German front line trench, holding it for some four hours, and even briefly took the second line trench for about half an hour, beating off repeated counter-attacks, and only withdrew owing to shortage of ammunition and mounting casualties. Over a period of less than five hours the three South Downs Battalions lost 17 officers and 349 men killed. A further 1000 men were wounded or taken prisoner. In the Regiment’s history this is known as ‘the day Sussex died’. The 11th Battalion remained in trench routine for the next six weeks, rotating in and out of the front line in the Auchy, Ferme du Bois, Festubert and Givenchy sectors. By this time the Battle of the Somme was raging to the south, and in mid-August the 39th Division received news that it was to be thrown into the battle. The South Downs Battalions withdrew from the front line and marched to Monchy Breton for ten days’ specialist training in preparation for an attack. On 24 August they entrained for the Somme to join Lieutenant General Sir Hubert Gough’s Reserve Army, and by the 28th they were in bivouacked in Mailly Wood where they began their final preparations for an attack on the German trenches opposite the village of Hamel, on the north bank of the River Ancre. The German positions around Beaumont-Hamel had been attacked on 1 July 1916, but without success. In late August it was decided that another attempt was to be made on the enemy's front lines north and south of the River Ancre. This assault was to be carried out by the 39th and 49th Divisions of Gough's Reserve Army, north and south respectively, with the attack due to commence on 31 August. However, orders were received on 30 August that the assault was to be postponed until 3 September. Zero hour was to be set for 05.10 on the morning of the 3rd. The 39th Division would attack with the 117th Brigade on the left and the 116th Brigade on the right. Within the 116th Brigade, the two assaulting battalions were the 11th Royal Sussex and the 14th Hampshires, with the 13th Royal Sussex in support and the 12th Royal Sussex providing carrying parties. On the evening of 2 September the 11th Battalion left Mailly Wood and marched to the assembly trenches in readiness for the attack. By 23.30 all companies were in position. The Battalion War Diary takes up the story:- “5.10 am: Operations commence, artillery barrage opens. The companies left assembly trenches and re-assembled in No Man’s Land. First wave succeeded in entering enemy’s front line but owing to enemy’s barrage across No Man’s Land the 2nd and 3rd waves suffered many casualties especially amongst the officers. T/Capt Michell of the Reserve Coy saw that some disorganisation would occur to these waves without leaders, quickly went forward and rallied them and took them forward. 2/Lt Cassels greatly assisted in this work. Some of the party succeeded in entering the German 2nd line led by T/Capt Northcote and remained there throughout the day in spite of the great odds. Capt Michell took up a position between the enemy’s wire and front line parapet and consolidated a line of shell holes there. They had many casualties from shrapnel and bombs but hung on till ordered to withdraw by the CO. Capt Northcote hung on in his precarious position all day and withdrew at 6.30 pm but was killed in leading his party across No Man’s Land. One only survived of this party and he was wounded……The Battalion was relieved by the Cheshire Regiment and went into billets at Englebelmer.” The 11th Battalion suffered 299 casualties, including 109 men killed. Sergeant Robert Budd was initially listed as missing, but he was later presumed to have been killed on 3 September. His remains were recovered and buried in Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery. Robert Budd is commemorated on the War Memorials at Heathfield and Horam and on the Eastbourne Town Hall Memorial Staircase.

Lisa Budd