Before the First World War he was a cinema doorman in Eastbourne‘s Old Town. On a June morning in 1916 he became one of the bravest men of his generation. Nelson Carter was awarded the Victoria Cross — Britain’s highest award for gallantry — for his heroism on the day that came to be known as “the day Sussex died”. This is his story.
An Eastbourne man
Nelson Victor Carter was born in Eastbourne’s Old Town on 6 April 1887, one of nine children of a local fisherman. A tall, powerfully built man of well over six feet, he had a soldier’s instincts from early on, twice trying to enlist in the Royal Artillery only to be discharged as medically unfit — on one occasion even signing up again under a false name before the authorities caught up with him. In civilian life he found work close to home, serving as the commissionaire, or doorman, at the Old Town Cinema, one of the first picture houses in the area. He married his wife Kitty and settled with her and their daughter at 33 Greys Road.
Lowther’s Lambs
When war broke out in 1914, Carter finally got his chance. He enlisted in September that year in the Royal Sussex Regiment, joining the “Southdowns” battalions raised across the county — famously nicknamed “Lowther’s Lambs” after Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Lowther, the Conservative MP and owner of Herstmonceux Castle, who spearheaded the recruiting drive. Carter’s earlier experience saw him rise quickly to Company Sergeant Major in the 12th Battalion. After training in England, his battalion crossed to France in March 1916.
The day Sussex died
On 30 June 1916, the Southdowns battalions were thrown into an attack on a German position near Richebourg-l’Avoué known as the Boar’s Head. Unknown to the men, it was a diversion — intended to draw German attention away from the Somme, where the great offensive would begin the very next morning. It was a catastrophe. In under five hours, the Royal Sussex battalions lost more than 350 men killed and over a thousand wounded or captured. The county’s grief was so profound that the day has been remembered ever since as “the day Sussex died”.
In the midst of that carnage, Nelson Carter’s courage stood out. Commanding the fourth wave of the assault under intense shell and machine-gun fire, he pushed into the enemy’s second line, capturing a German machine gun and turning it to cover his comrades’ withdrawal. Then, again and again, he carried wounded men back towards the British lines. He was fatally shot in the chest as he went out one more time to bring in another wounded soldier. He was 29 years old.
Please note: The Battle of the Boar’s Head cost hundreds of Sussex lives in a single morning. Nelson Carter is remembered not only for his own gallantry but as a representative of all the men of the Southdowns who fell that day.
The Victoria Cross
For his actions, Carter was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, his citation praising his “most conspicuous bravery” in leading the assault and rescuing the wounded under murderous fire. The award was announced in September 1916, and the following May his widow Kitty received the medal from the hands of King George V at Buckingham Palace. He holds a poignant distinction: he was the only Victoria Cross winner of the Royal Sussex Regiment in the Great War who was himself a native of Sussex. He was buried in France, where he rests today in a war cemetery at Laventie.
Remembered in Eastbourne
Eastbourne has not forgotten its hero. A blue plaque was unveiled in 2007 at his former home, 33 Greys Road, and in 2016 — the centenary of the battle — a commemorative paving stone was laid in the town in his honour. His name appears on the town’s war memorial and on a memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church in the Old Town, and a local Army barracks has been renamed Carter Barracks in his memory. The Greys Road plaque marks a private home, so it’s one to view respectfully from the street.
Nelson Carter VC: FAQs
Who was Nelson Carter?
Nelson Victor Carter (1887–1916) was an Eastbourne-born soldier and Company Sergeant Major in the Royal Sussex Regiment. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at the Battle of the Boar’s Head in 1916, where he was killed.
What did Nelson Carter do to win the Victoria Cross?
Leading the fourth wave of an attack under heavy fire, he broke into the enemy line, captured a machine gun and used it to cover his comrades, then repeatedly carried wounded men to safety. He was killed rescuing another soldier from No Man’s Land.
Where is Nelson Carter’s blue plaque?
At 33 Greys Road in Eastbourne’s Old Town, his former home, unveiled in 2007. It is a private house, so please view it respectfully from the street.
What was “the day Sussex died”?
It’s the name given to 30 June 1916, when the Royal Sussex Regiment’s Southdowns battalions suffered devastating losses at the Battle of the Boar’s Head — a diversionary attack the day before the Somme offensive began.
Discover more: explore the famous people of Eastbourne, the town’s blue plaques, and the historic Old Town where he lived.