Artifacts

Cap Badges

Standard Bi-metal badge and a all brass version.

Territorial Cap Badges (no scroll)

Territorial Cap badges, 4th, 5th Battalions,  standard Bi-metal and a all brass version.

Officers cap badge set

Officer cap badge and collar dog set.

T4 Shoulder Titles

4th Territorial Battalions.

T5 Shoulder Title

5th Territorial Battalions.

Shoulder Titles

Top - Standard titles - other battalions, below - once a T4 set, I guess the owner transferred from a territorial to a regular/service battalion.


Memorial Plaque -  Issued to the next of kin of the soldier that died in the great war, This example is in a post war produced frame by Wright & Sons.

Great war medal Trio, Star, War medal and Victory medal, often referred to as 'Pip, Squeak and Wilfred' names taken from a British cartoon published by the Daily Mirror from 1919 to 1956, This set is to a casualty.

Tunic Buttons

This set is matching but different spellings on the scroll are encountered - 'Hindoostan' and Hindostan'

Sweetheart Badges

Many different 'sweetheart' badges can be found, note: top middle is a 'Old Comrades Association' badge.

1/4th Pin badge

A hard to find 1/4th Territorial btn pin.

2 Personal items

Unrelated items, the first a Leic reg button with a photo clipping on the reverse, the other a Leic soldier, does anybody recognise this man?

2 Personal items, reverse

The reverse of the Leic reg button surprisingly has a photo of a Yorks reg officer, I guess he served with the Leicesters at some point, does anybody know who this officer is? The reverse of the Leic reg soldier I guess is his sweetheart.

Trench cap

Other ranks soft Trench cap, with ribbed peak, Territorial badge.

Silver war Badge

Issued to British and commonwealth service personnel who had been honourably discharged through wounds or sickness

Trench art matchbox cover

Made by Pte 49402 Harry Dent, 1/4th Leicesters, Harry survived the war.

The front adorned with a enemy button and two bullet projectiles

Various trench art

Leicestershire regiment trench art, the trench art term being used loosely as not only were items made by soldiers but also  during the war by civilians and after the war commercially

This piece is a simple bit of wooden sheet with a rough cut leather star nailed to it with a boot lace looping through the buttons and shoulder titles to hold them in place.

A typical Soldier bring back and a favoured souvenir, the German picklehaube


Another bring back souvenir, the enemy belt buckle


A selection of identity tags, the pressed cardboard was standard issue (along with another round green one) the others would of been private purchase, soldiers were worried that if they fell the standard tags would quickly deteriorate (which they did) and they wouldn't be identified so private purchase was the other option.


Two trench art Lighters, one named to H. Dent - 49402, Harry Dent , Leic reg.


This may be a plain old badge but it has had its lugs removed and had a pin/clasp fitted, I would imagine a sweetheart or a mother having this converted to wear with pride that their husband/son is away serving, or that they had fallen in battle,


Princess Mary tin that was delivered to troops at the front, contained typically, one ounce of tobacco, a packet of cigarettes, a lighter, pencil, a Christmas card and photo, sweets and chocolates, there was some variation as to what was inside

Some of the standard issue equipment of the British and Commonwealth soldier, a SMLE - short magazine Lee Enfield rifle, this one being of 1918 manufacture and deactivated,  complete with bayonet. Also a Brodie helmet, this one being a first pattern model, designed in 1915 and entered service in small numbers in late 1915, by the summer of 1916 they were issued to all troops.


Another favoured soldier bring back souvenir, the German helmet, this one still has its remains of camouflage paint.


A British flare gun and cartridge, this one made by Wolseley in 1917 and has some wear and tear , notably the hook to the cocking mechanism has broken off, maybe from wartime use, cartridge is made by Eley, London and is of course empty.


"Active Service" Testament 1916
Pte 5887 - Sidney George Fitch, 2/4th battalion,                          born 1893, residence - 12 Brook Bank, Syston, attested - 9/12/15, posted - 27/1/16, discharged - 12/10/16 through ill health, succumbed to sickness - 1/11/18 and named on the Syston war memorial. "A gift from Dublin" the 2/4th battalion had been sent to Ireland in April 1916 to quell the troubles there.


A charming but emotive locket with a cut out photo and entitled on the reverse "Our darling boy"                                                                   Pte 13238 - Oliver Henry Pratt, 8th Leicesters, Died of wounds - 1st January 1916, age 21, son of Oliver and Fanny Pratt of Hugglescote, Leicester, Native of Donington-Le-Heath, Leicestershire.                                                                                                                      Olivers parent were notified that their son had died of his wounds on new years day from wounds received in action on the 27th of December, Oliver was hit in the back by a shell. Buried - Beauval Communal Cemetery

These two images are of Lee Enfield rifle but discs, both to the 2nd battalion, note the poor spelling on the right image.

This a officers dress cap named inside to AK PURDY, 2nd Leiutenant - Arthur Kershaw Purdy served with the 1st Leicesters and was  Killed in action during the attack on the Hindenburg Line on 20.11.1917, aged 23, note - the slight indentation in the peak, this is from Purdys thumb from lifting the cap off and putting it back on again.  He is buried at Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, Villers-Plouich, Nord, France.      Many thanks to Tim Thurlow for sharing........ UPDATE...... I have managed to purchase a few items to Arthur Purdy, one of which is a image of him, possibly the only one left, he is wearing this cap and the indentation is there to be seen