All who have been pupils at Hurst are aware of the sacrifices made by OJs in the two World Wars whose names are not only read out by the Headmaster every Remembrance Sunday, but also are recorded for posterity on the simple but effective War Memorials in the Chapel. The College possesses a comprehensive record of the details of those who took part in the First World War. This was very largely the work of H.B.I.Pocock, who was a master from 1908 to 1954, and historians of the College owe him a great debt. Apart from a number of incomplete lists in the Hurst Johnian no such record was compiled for the Second World War.

Over the past few years or so enquiries have therefore been made of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in order to ascertain both the dates of death and the final resting places of those OJs who died in their country's service. As a result the College now possesses details of graves and memorials for more or less all those whose names are on the War Memorial.