Exploring the Battle of Boar's Head with a new podcast from Worthing Schoolchildren

Worthing schoolchildren are taking centre stage in sharing the stories of our casualties in an education project marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Boar’s Head.

Organised by Education Officer, Sarah Nathaniel, the initiative has seen pupils from three local primary schools research and record a four-part podcast sharing the stories of Worthing men who died in this key First World War battle for the county of Sussex. Funded by the Lawson Trust and supported by historian and Old Front Line podcaster Paul Reed, the project will also contribute research to the For Evermore stories portal.  

Whilst all eyes are on the Somme in France and the 110th anniversary of the beginning of that battle on July 1st, in Sussex, just as important is the town of Richebourg and what happened there on the 30th June, 1916 – just a day before the Somme.  

The Battle of the Boar’s Head holds particular significance for Sussex communities.

Often referred to as “The Day Sussex Died,” the assault, intended to provide a diversion from the attack planned on the Somme the following day, involved the Royal Sussex Regiment and resulted in devastating losses, with 366 men from towns like Worthing killed and over a 1000 wounded or taken prisoner in just a few hours. The scale of loss had a profound and lasting impact on local communities, shaping collective memory and identity across the region. 

The children have developed skills in research, teamwork and storytelling, while building empathy and a deeper understanding of how the war shaped their community. CWGC have collaborated on this with the SHINE Worthing project, which aims to support children across all backgrounds in new and meaningful experiences.

Many of the young people involved come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the project designed to boost confidence, aspiration and a sense of belonging through engagement in community projects. 

Alongside the creation of the podcast, pupils from Bramber and Homefield Primary Schools have also created artwork, poetry and information about their soldiers to go on display for the town in an exhibition to be held at the Town Hall in Worthing. Younger pupils from Springfield Infant School have also been involved this year, with children from Reception through to Year 2 contributing artwork for the exhibition too.  

Highlights have included the young people interviewing Paul Reed and handling the medals of the Blaker brothers—local soldiers they had researched—creating a powerful, personal connection to the past.  

The podcast will launch alongside this exhibition at Worthing Town Hall on 29 June at 2pm, with all episodes available from the same date. The community is warmly invited to attend. 

Listen to the podcast trailer on Spotify here

As part of the commemorations, the children will also attend Worthing’s annual memorial service on 30 June at Beach House Park, ensuring that the stories of local sacrifice continue to be remembered by future generations in line with our education strategy.