After the armistice, Heyshott very quickly decided to erect a permanent memorial to the village men who had died as a result of the war. In March 1919, an announcement was made that “it has been decided to erect a memorial to those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the war”.
Following a parish meeting, it was announced that a monolith would be erected in a prominent position in St James’s churchyard with the names of the (then) eleven men who had died. It was also agreed to place an illuminated Roll of Honour in the church, containing the names of all the men who served during the war.
The Roll of Honour is now on display in the village hall and includes the names of 75 men and women, of whom 56 served in the Army, 13 in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, 3 in the RAF and 3 in the Women’s Services.
The plan for a “monolith” was later changed to be replaced by a memorial window in St James’s Church, which contains the names of 14 men. The window was unveiled at a service on 30 January 1921.
The window was designed by W Morris Studios, headed by William Theodore Morris (1974–1944) (not be confused with the more well-known William Morris). He also designed stained glass windows throughout East and West Sussex, including St Michael’s at Amberley (1917) and St Luke’s at Linch (1921).
Following the Second World War, the names of a further nine men were engraved below the window.