Interesting Images/Stories

This little fella is raring to go, he's already won a set of medals in the Boer war :-)

Major General - The honourable Edward Montagu Stuart Wortley, CB, CMG, DSO , inspecting the 5th battalion at Loughborough market place

The next four cards have been together for over 100 years and are part of the 'Famous Fifty' (please check out the website on the 'links' page)  this goes into great detail on all of the men.  This Tiger is Pte 240619 - Charles Hatter, 1/5th Battalion, his best pal was Bill Massey - the soldier in the next image, on the 23/7/15 in trench 50, near to Hill 60, Ypres, the enemy blew up a mine under their trenches, Bill was shaken and partly buried but his best pal Charles frantically dug him out and in turn they saved others, three of the fifty were killed by the blast. In 1917 Charles felt a 'thud in the back', he couldn't move and just lay there for 3 nights and 2 days and then managed to crawl back to the trenches, he made a full recovery despite the bullet never being removed.

Pte 2512 - William (Bill) Massey, 1/5th Battalion.  Bill enlisted at Coalville in the first week of the war and after doing so he persuaded his best pal Charles Hatter to do the same. The 'likely lads' were good soldiers and were very popular, this was especially so at Luton when one or two pre-war soldiers tried 'with unnecessary force' to bully some of the fifty, little did they know that William and Charlie were very good boxers. On the 9th August 1915, Bill was on duty in trench 50, close to where he was buried two weeks previously when he was shot through the head and killed, aged just 20, his body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres.

A nice group image with Charles Hatter to the front, far right, the chap directly behind is the same soldier in the next image, as yet he is unidentified? was he also one of the 50? and who are the other Tigers with them? please do get in touch if you know. Many years after the war Charles Hatter was urged by his grandson - Michael Kendrick to tell his story, which he did and Michael turned this into a book - 'Fifty good men and true' More can be seen on the website 'The Famous Fifty' see the Links page    

Marked on the reverse - 5th Leicestershire territorials while staying in Duffield, 2nd week of August 1914

A cracking image of what I believe are trenches in the UK used for training, soldiers have Territorial badges, seated on the right is a Lieutenant, others are wearing PH hoods (gas masks) one man is pretending to throw a grenade but is holding a rock. If anybody has info as the where this was, please get in touch.


Pte 16146 - Joseph Smith, 1st Battalion - Joseph was born in 1893 in Ibstock, Leicestershire and married Isabella Bird in 1913, they had three children. On the 22nd March 1918 Joseph was taken prisoner by the Germans at Lagnicourt with a bullet wound to the leg, he was discharged from the army on 16/4/19. 
Joseph was sadly killed in a accident at Ibstock Colliery on 29/11/20 and was given a military funeral.
His wife's brother - Pte 15419 - James Bird, 2/5th Battalion was killed in action at Polygon Wood 26/9/17.
Image courtesy of Llynda Baugh, Josephs granddaughter.



5th battalion,  marked - Duffield, 15th August 1915.


Image of the 5th battalion on parade at Loughborough, 5th battalions were stationed there from August 1915 as part of the north Midland Division before moving to Luton, on close inspection you can see the Lord Nelson public house

To Miss L. Kew, of Mansfield, from 3255, Charlie Freeman, 2/5th battalion, Leic regt camp, St Albans." Arrived here today, its not as big as Luton" dated 7/8/15, I can find no trace of Charles Freeman

Card sent from Tom Preston to parents, Western Rd, Leicester, 31/08/15 from St Albans camp. Thomas Harry Preston, 3460, 2/4th Leicesters lived Western Rd, Leicester went on the become a 2nd Lieutenant with the North Staffs where he died of wounds on the 30/9/18, age 23, so close to making it through most of the war.

Britons Camp was at St Albans and this is believed to be the 2/4th battalion along with a bunch of Lincolnshire regiment soldiers, so 59th (2nd North Midland) Division

A humorous card

A cracking image entitled 'Prisoners of war' 1st Leicesters with two names to the front and named on the reverse. Card is from Cpl 5234 Ernest Lomas, others named are - 6427 Ernest W Church and 6836 Albert Coleman, all went to France on 9/9/14, all captured during the battle of Armentieres in October 1914 and all were awarded the 1914 star with clasp and roses, war & victory medals. Hannover camp, Germany

Unknown age , Christmas card - 1st Battalion to George, from Fred


Pte 13747 - Harold Chilton, 7th Battalion, KIA - 14th July 1916 in the big attack by the service battalions on Bazentin-Le-Petit wood and village, Harold was from Churchbridge, Cannock, Staffordshire.


Brothers from Barwell, Leicestershire,  left - Pte 25710 - John Thomas Peace, 9th battalion, KIA - 3/5/17 age 21 in attack on Fontaine-Les-Croisilles. Right - Pte - 20817 - Sidney Peace, 2nd Battalion, Gunshot wound to back - 9/9/18. Another brother also served - Pte 47671 - Enos Peace, Leicesters and MGC - 155256.

Pte 18857 - Thomas Charles Wright     9th battalion, KIA - 25th September 1916 in attack on Guedecourt, 189 casualties, a butchers assistant from Nuneaton.

Pte 15004 - Horace John Longhurst, 9th battalion, KIA  in the attack at Bazentin-Le-Petit - 14th July 1916. One of 5 brothers to serve, another brother also fell - William Sidney Longhurst, 1st Queens, KIA - 18/4/16. The family were from 'Coldharbour' - Dorking and were a well known family.

A great card of NCOs, bottom left is Arthur Stephen Springate who served as a NCO with the 8th battalion and won the MM (Military medal) as a serjeant, London gazette - 6/01/17, commissioned into the 2/4th battalion - 26/6/17 as 2nd Lieutenant, and was KIA near Ervillers on 25/3/18, remembered on the Arras memorial, from Chatham, Kent.


A photo of happier days, Pte 30317 - Arthur Booth and wife Bertha (Collier) married in 1914, Berthas brother - 240452 - Fred Voss Collier KIA - 25/2/17 with 1/5th Leicesters, Their son - Arthur James Booth was born in 1918 and joined the 115th field regiment, Royal artillery, Arthur sadly died in ww2 on 31st July 1944.


Cpl 241255 - Owen Francis Fred Brown, 11th battalion, (pioneers) KIA 28th May 1918, age 22. From Melton Mowbray.
Brandhoek new military cem, No:3


Pte 25420 - Alfred Ward, KIA  with 9th Essex regiment, no: 43412  -18th October 1916, age 26, Battalion were at Flers and attacked 'Bayonet trench' on the 18th. Alfred was a pawnbrokers assistant and son of Alfred and Fanny of Asylum St, Leicester.
Bienvillers Cemetery

The stunning image to the left is:  2175 - Dennis Sulliavan, 1/5th Leicesters, the image to the right, Dennis is the tall goalkeeper with arms folded, he was gassed in 1917 but survived the war, from Market Harborough

Three excellent images all from the same family, left image, seated is: 200391 , Arthur French, DCM, 1/4th battalion, citation for the DCM reads 'For devotion to duty and conspicuous gallantry during a period of three and half years active service with this battalion. He has displayed on many occasions marked courage as a patrol leader, and by is coolness and initiative in carrying out reconnaissance of this nature has obtained information of very great value'

His Gallantry also included rescuing a injured officer under heavy fire, after the war the rescued officer told Arthur that he would never go without work again and gave him a job as a night watchman.

Second image is of: 21575, James Edward Morley, 8th battalion, KIA 27th May 1918, battle of the Aisne, his body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Soissons memorial.

Third image is of another serving Leicester, same family, Pte 22606, John William Bray, 11th battalion, his wife, son and daughter, his wife wears a Tigers sweetheart badge and I believe, a Ypres brooch and his son looks great dressed up as a Tiger.

Thanks to Ryan Dunn for the images and please check out his band 'Gazelle' music video that features the Leicestershire regiment in the trenches, filmed in Kent at Andy Robertshaws  trenches, great tune to...….  https://youtu.be/DncliP311iQ

The beauty of the internet, the card on the left I have had for years and when looking through the excellent 'Rutland remembers' website I recognised the face - Pte 31941 - Thomas Henry Fenn, 7th Battalion, KIA  - 22nd March 1918, age 20,  around Epehy, 2nd day of the German spring offensive. Thomas's brother also fell - 40821 - John Percy Fenn, 8th battalion Lincolnshire regiment, KIA - 20/4/17, age 20. The photos of the brothers are from the Rutland remembers website. Ive since found the same image in Matthew Richardsons must read book - The Tigers


Another example of internet luck, I have had this  painting of this officer for years and then I found the image above on De-Ruvigny's ROH.


Lieutenant: Bertram Thomas Chesterton Gilbert, 1/4th Battalion, killed by a shell, 22/4/17 around St Laurent.

25907 Frederick Charles Cockerill

Frederick served in the great war with the 9th battalion, enlisting in 1915, he was shot in the knee at Polygon Wood on the 1st October 1917 and taken POW when the Germans counter attacked. The poem was written by a colleague describing a attack on Fontaine - Les Croiselles on 3rd May 1917, the battalion suffered 315 casualties from the 2nd to the 4th of May. Thanks to grandson Chris Cockerill.


A great image of ' A cheeky little chap ' with a 'Fag'Thanks to Martin Impey