Civilian William Pryce Tomley, aged 54, was born 1889 at Sydney, Australia, the son of Pryce and Emma Tomley.

The 1911 the census records him living with his 52 year old widowed mother, Emma, a boarding housekeeper, at Raubon, Avondale Road, Seaford. William aged 22, was employed as a monumental mason.

The following year he married Ada Langman at Hendon in January 1912.

William served with the army in the First World War. His Medal Index Card records him as a Sergeant, service number 2127, with the Royal Sussex Regiment, (he served with the 12th Battalion), going to France on the 4th of March 1916. He obtained a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant with The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and was later promoted to Lieutenant. His address is given as that of the 1911 census.

When the Second World War broke out, he became an Air Raid Warden and was killed by enemy action at Fairholme, Sutton Park Road on the 25th October 1942. At the time of his death his home was at 44 Salisbury Road, Seaford.

Seaford was attacked in the late afternoon, Sunday the 25th of October 1942, about 5.30pm when an enemy aircraft came in low over the sea and flew north-easterly over the town firing its machine guns and dropping five high explosive bombs; the first hit a shop in Broad Street, occupied by Miss Gale and Miss Lower. Miss Gale and her father were killed whilst Miss Lower and her father were injured. The next bomb dropped at the junction of East Street and Sutton Road and a third fell on 39 Vicarage Walk, a house occupied by Mr G Borrisow, killing him and Mrs Andrews, Miss K Borrisow, Miss F Hart Buck and Miss M Hart Buck, Miss Clara Smith and Mrs Willis. Nos 37 and 41 were seriously damaged; Miss Holcombe and Mr Farnes were killed in no.37 and later on Mrs Agnes Robinson died of hospital after being rescued from that address. Miss Catherine Meeson in no.41 were also killed. The dead were buried in a mass funeral and a memorial service was held on the bomb site. Eighteen people were slightly injured and to add to the chaos, the phones were knocked out for 45 minutes which also hampered the rescue effort.

The aircraft responsible for the attack was probably a Junkers Ju88 as several other incidents in the Friston and East Dean areas involving these aircraft also occurred at this time.

William and Ada also lost two sons whilst serving in the Royal Air Force - Flight 565434 Sydney Pryce Tomley of 48 Squadron died on the 31st July 1940 and also buried at Seaford and F/Sgt 924204 Maurice John who was killed in action on the 31st of July 1942 whilst flying with 201 Squadron, Coastal Command, he has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.