When war was declared in 1914 there were many young men in New Town willing to fight for King and Country.  Many were looking for adventure, to see the world; others were looking for improved pay to support their families.  Some young men from the affluent families were already in the military, training to be officers in the Army and Navy.  Many young men from poorer families had been sent to training ships with the Navy on leaving school at the age of 14 to 16.  

No one envisaged the war would last so long.  Many man entered the military with high spirits and youthful enthusiasm.  They were not expecting trench warfare, horrific injuries and mass fatalities.  Women often encouraged men to join the services, influenced by government propaganda of the time.  

By September 1914, 138 men from the parish had already joined up; this had increased to 240 by November 1914.  Revd. William Bartlett (the second vicar of St Barnabas) kept meticulous records and listed in the monthly parish magazines the names of the men who had gone to “serve for King and Country”.  As the years went by Bartlett reported those who had been promoted, taken prisoner, wounded, died in hospital and killed in action.

146 men from St Barnabas parish died and are recorded in the War Memorial Chapel.   A further six men are listed in the Roll of Honour book for St Barnabas and an additional six men (not on the memorial) are mentioned to have died in the parish magazine.    Over 40 of the men recorded on the memorial attended Sutton New Town School. Eight of the men on the memorial attended Sutton County School (now Sutton Grammar School). St Barnabas had a Band of Hope Cadet Force established by Mr Bawtree.  He too drew up a Roll of Honour of former cadets serving in the war; 24 of these cadets were killed. In the September 1914 Parish Magazine Bartlett writes “Little did we think a month ago what August would bring us. Suddenly we have been plunged into a war to which there has certainly been no parallel in our own life time, and which seems indeed to be the greatest and most dreadful war the world has ever seen”

The backgrounds of the men that were killed in the St Barnabas parish reflect the wide diversity of the area.  The men ranged in age from just 16 to 42. Of those that died the following regiments were represented: 19 in the East Surrey, 13 in The Queen’s Royal West Surrey, 13 men in branches of the London Regiment; 7 men from the Royal Navy and 2 in the Air Force.  However, men were not only in local regiments; for example, some served in the Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Bedfordshire and Cheshire Forces as well as Welsh and Irish units. Four of the men on the memorial were in the Canadian Forces.  

The men held a range of ranks including one Captain, two Lieutenants, five Second Lieutenants, three Serjeants and five Corporals: as well as over 80 Privates.  One man was mentioned in dispatches. Some roads in the area had particularly high fatalities: Westmead Road, William Road and Benhill Road all lost 9 men. Montpelier Road, Harold Road, Constance Road, Myrtle Road and Lind Road all lost 6 or more men.  Nearly every road in New Town had men fighting at the front and by 1918 everyone in the community would have known at least one man who had lost his life. Amongst the dead there were nine sets of brothers.  

Sutton New Town clearly felt strongly about the need to remember the sacrifice of the men lost.  A public meeting was held in April 1919 to decide on a form of Memorial. The War Memorial Chapel was completed the following year: it was dedicated on the 20th December 1920.