You have arrived at the Royal Sussex Regiment Memorial Garden. It was established to honour the memory of those who served in the regiment that was founded by Herstmonceux Castle owner, Colonel Claude Lowther, in the early years of the 20th century.

It's also the gravesite of Peter the Sheep, who was a favoured pet of Colonel Lowther - which turns out to be an important fact regarding the origins of this garden.

How could anything as apparently trivial as a burial plot for a pet sheep, become a much revered memorial garden for the fallen heroes of the First World War and their regimental successors?

The Royal Sussex Regiment Memorial Garden is also the burial plot and garden for Peter the Sheep. Peter was the regimental mascot of "Lowther"s Lambs", the nickname for the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Southdown Battalions of The Royal Sussex Regiments, who were active from 1914 - 1920.The simple stone slab, hidden in the middle of the garden and marked indistinctly with the name 'Peter', represents not only the memory of a beloved mascot, but also a human tragedy of much greater proportions.

Top: Peter the Sheep [BBC uncredited]. Bottom left: "The Lambs and the other lamb - one of the mascots, this is the pet of E Company". [uncredited] Bottom right: Officers of Lowther's Lambs (Royal Sussex Regiment, Battalions 11, 12, and 13 at Cooden, 1915. Peter the Sheep is at the bottom right of the photo [BBC uncredited]

Peter was a Southdown lamb born in April 1914 at Applesham Farm, in Lancing, Sussex - about 60 km west of here. Unfortunately, Peter's mother died while he was still a wee lamb, so Peter was bottle fed by a young Miss Frampton. Miss Frampton's elder brother was engaged to the daughter of Peter's owner, farmer Mr. J. Passmore.

Four months later, on 4 August 1914, war was declared. The owner of Herstmonceux Castle, Sir Claude Lowther, formed a committee to recruit a Southdown brigade of four battalions numbering 4,000 men.

In early September 1914, the first recruits joined - including Mr. Frampton, the future son-in-law of Mr. Passmore, the Lancing farmer. In November Mr. Passmore gave Peter the Sheep to the 1st Southdown Battalion as a mascot. Peter embarked on a series of recruiting tours with the battalion's band. As a result of Peter's fame, the men of The Southdown Brigade soon became known as 'Lowther's Lambs', after Lieutenant Colonel Sir Claude Lowther, who helped form the Regiment, and after Peter the Lamb – who was by that time, Peter the fully grown Sheep.

Regrettably, despite their peaceable name, Lowther's Lambs were engaged in some of the most brutal campaigns of the First World War, where they sustained exceptionally heavy casualties. On June 30th, 1916, 365 men from the 12th and 13th Battalions were killed or went missing, and over 1000 were wounded in a diversionary attack just prior to the Battle of the Somme. Other disastrous campaigns included battles in Beaumont Hamel and Thiepval, where they sustained heavy casualties. On November 17th, 1916, they moved to the infamous mud of the Ypres Salient and took part in the battle of Passchendaele, by the end of 1917 there were very few of the original "Lambs" left. The remaining two Battalions were virtually wiped out in the German offensive in the Spring of 1918.

Unlike his human battalion mates, Peter never saw active service overseas, but he fulfilled a patriotic role by helping with the recruiting efforts.

Peter lived on after the war as a mascot on the Herstmonceux Castle estate until his death in 1928. He was buried in a garden at Herstmonceux.

A full twelve years later, in 2016, Fiona saw a media report on Lowther's Lambs and their mascot, Peter the Sheep - and suddenly, the connection was made. She contacted the Royal Sussex Regiment historian David Lester, and together they resolved to restore the obscure burial plot to its rightful significance. They organized a dedication service and wreath-laying ceremony to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the war. A wooden bench inscribed in memory of all fallen comrades was crafted and dedicated by the Eastbourne branch of the Royal Sussex Regimental Association. You can see the crest of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the middle paling on the back of the bench. A perimeter fence was later erected around the garden, with plaques bearing the names of those who served.

From Elliston (1999):

"Peter, a Southdown lamb, was born in April 1914 at Applesham Farm, Lancing, Sussex, but his mother died. Peter was bottle fed by a young girl whose elder brother, Mr H L Frampton, was engaged to the eldest daughter of the farmer, Mr J Passmore.

War was declared on 4 August 1914. In the February JMHS Bulletin I told you how the new 7th Battalion of The Royal Sussex Regiment was raised and went to France with Harold, their dog mascot. Three more new battalions of the county regiment had been recruited under official arrangements before Sir Claude Lowther MP, of Herstmonceux in Sussex, formed a committee to raise a Southdown brigade of four battalions, 4,000 men. On 9th September 1914 the first recruits joined including Mr Frampton and fifty others from the Worthing area. The men of The Southdown Brigade were soon known as 'Lowther's Lambs'. They went into camp at Cooden near Bexhill.

In November Mr. Passmore gave Peter to the 1st Southdown Battalion as a mascot. Peter went on recruiting tours with the battalion's band, which was mainly formed from Salvation Army musicians.
...
Although Peter the Sheep, unlike Harold the dog, did not share the hardship and danger of active service, he did his bit by helping recruiting. He lived on until 1928 when he was buried in a rose garden at Herstmonceux. Perhaps the war saved his life. He might have become lamb chops by 1915 had he not become a mascot!

Main source: 'Eastbourne's Great War 1914-1918' by R A Elliston (whose father was one of Lowther's Lambs), SB Publications, Seaford 1999."

Regrettably, despite their peaceable name, Lowther's Lambs sustained exceptionally heavy casualties during the brutal campaigns of the First World War. On June 30th, 1916, 365 men from the the 12th and 13th Battalions were killed or missing, and over 1000 were wounded in a diversionary attack just prior to the Battle of the Somme. Other disastrous campaigns included battles in Beaumont Hamel and Thiepval, where they sustained heavy casualties. On November 17th, 1916, they moved to the infamous mud of the Ypres Salient and took part in the battle of Passchendaele, by the end of 1917 there were very few of the original "Lambs" left. The remaining two Battalions were virtually wiped out in the German offensive in the Spring of 1918.

P.S. From Elliston (1999): "A sheep may seem an unlikely mascot for fighting men and 'Lambs' an unlikely nickname for them to be proud of, but 'Lowther's Lambs' were not the first. The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), raised in 1661 to garrison Tangier, was known as Kirke's Lambs, after Colonel Percy Kirke who brought them back from Tangier, and their badge is the Paschal Lamb."

Back story:
http://royalsussex-southdowns.co.uk/

Details of Peter's story:
https://sites.google.com/site/thejuniormilitaryhistoricalsoc/peter-the-lamb

From 'South East Today' (BBC News), 2014:

"Thousands of local workers joined a South Downs battalion in World War One in response to appeals from the owner of Herstmonceux Castle.

They became known as Lowther's Lambs after Peter the sheep, who lived at the castle and became their mascot.

Hundreds died when they were sent "over the top" as decoys before the Battle of the Somme.

South East Today's Sara Smith discovers that only a handful survived the war and the loss of life touched every family in the area."

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-sussex-27683818/herstmonceux-lambs-go-from-south-downs-to-ww1-slaughter

From Sussex Express - Friday 15 July 1927:

DEATH OF LOWTHER'S LAMB.

It will interest many who joined the battalion raised and equipped during the War by Colonel Claude Lowther, of Herstmonceux Castle, to hear that the brigade mascot, "Peter," the pet lamb given to Colonel Lowther in 1914, died at Herstmonceux Castle last Saturday at the age of fourteen years. This sheep was probably the most intelligent member of its race since "Mary's Little Lamb," of nursery rhyme fame. He would "baa" on hearing Colonel Lowther's voice, and scratch the castle door in the hope of attracting the colonel's attention. Colonel Lowther feels the animal's loss most keenly. "Peter's" unusually long life was due in no small degree to the care bestowed on him by Colonel Lowther's head gardener, Mr. William Parker, and to the devotion of the steward, Mr. Bishop.

From Sussex History Forum ( http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6267.0 )

"...'Peter', the mascot of The Royal Sussex Regiment, died in July 1927 and was buried in the grounds of Hurstmonceux [sic.] Castle. The grave was marked with a 2' x 18" Yorkstone slab, laid flat, with the simple inscription of his name - "Peter". His resting place was known at that time but as the years past the exact location of his internment faded with memory.

It is only very recently that the location of Peter's grave became known. One of the gardeners at Herstmonceux, Fiona wingfield, found his resting place at the top end of the gardens, close to the current rose gardens. There is an article in the Eastbourne Herald, dated 5th August 2016 which states :

The remains of Peter the lamb, the regimental mascot of the 11th, 12th and 13th Battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment was found by gardener Fiona Wingfield who was working at the historic landmark. Fiona researched the story of Peter and contacted David Lester, the Royal Sussex Regiment historian and together they organised the service to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the Great War.

The end result is that Peter's grave is now beautifully presented and open to public view. The Eastbourne Branch of The Royal Sussex Regimental Association placed a nice inscribed wooden bench overlooking the grave, dedicated to and honouring "all fallen comrades' - and it is lovely to sit in the peace of the gardens and enjoy this unique piece of Sussex history.

In the visitor centre at Herstmonceux Castle is a display which includes "the war years" and has many pictures of Lowther's Lambs and also Peter with one of them.

...

Although Colonel Lowther did sterling work in recruiting Sussex men to the battalions, he was thought unsuitable to command the troops in France. He was suffering from liver problems (probably brought on by excessive drinking) and he had become addicted to heroin, which he used to control the pain of his illness."

Eastbourne Herald.NOSTALGIA: Discovering the last resting place of Peter the Lamb. http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia-discovering-the-last-resting-place-of-peter-the-lamb-1-7513254 (expired)

Elliston, R.A. 1999. Eastbourne's Great War 1914-1918. SB Publications, Seaford.

Junior Military Historical Society. 2013. Peter the Sheep. https://sites.google.com/site/thejuniormilitaryhistoricalsoc/peter-the-lamb (expired)

Kempshall, Chris. Undated. The First World War: East Sussex - Lowther's Lambs. http://www.eastsussexww1.org.uk/lowthers-lambs/

Readman, Alan. 2016. Sussex lambs rto the slaughter at Boar's Head, 1916. Chichester Observer, 01 June 2016. http://www.chichester.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/sussex-lambs-to-the-slaughter-at-boar-s-head-1916-1-7411333

Royal Sussex Southdowns -Royal Sussex Regiments,Southdown Battalions,Lowthers Lambs. 2017. http://royalsussex-southdowns.co.uk/lowthers-lambs (expired)

Smith, Sara. 2014. Herstmonceux lambs go from South Downs to WW1 slaughter. VIDEO - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-sussex-27683818/herstmonceux-lambs-go-from-south-downs-to-ww1-slaughter .