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- 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment



   2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment were in India when the Great War broke out in August 1914. They proceeded to France with the Garhwal Brigade, 7th (Meerut) Division in September and saw action on the Western Front until late 1915. They transferred to the Middle East and saw action in Mesopotamia and Palestine.

4th of February 1915 Chicken Sentries

23rd Feb 1915 First Aid under Heavy Fire

24th Apr 1915 In the Trenches

15th May 1915 Night attack

15th May 1915 Attack Made

17th Aug 1915 Instruction  location map

19th Aug 1915 Working Parties & Instruction  location map

22nd Aug 1915 Instruction  location map

23rd Aug 1915 Instruction  location map

24th Aug 1915 Instruction  location map

5th Nov 1915 Courage to the End

7th Jan 1916 Casualties

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment?


There are:5242 items tagged 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Belcher Walter Rose. Pte.
  • Best Alfred. Pte.
  • Emery Albert E.. L/Cpl. (d.9th Nov 1914)
  • Haigh James. Pte. (d.7th May 1916)
  • Jobber Albert Earnest. Pte. (d.24th Nov 1914)
  • Jones John Joseph. L/Cpl. (d.23rd April 1917)
  • Mee Charles Arthur. L/Cpl. (d.14th March 1915)
  • Needham Albert. Pte. (d.6th Feb 1915)
  • Robinson Percy. Pte. (d.11th Mar 1915)
  • Stenson Bernard. Pte. (d.7th Jan 1916)
  • Stenson Bernard. Pte. (d.7th Jan 1916)
  • Taylor Harry. L/Cpl. (d.25th Sep 1915)
  • Worley William. Pte. (d.15th July 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment from other sources.


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      World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
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  L/Cpl. Harry Taylor 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.25th Sep 1915)

Harry Taylor served with the 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment in WW1. He died 25th of September 1915 aged 30 years and is remembered on the Loos Memorial in France. Son of Job and Mary Ann Taylor of 279 Grassmere St., Leicester, husband of Emily Taylor of 2 Framland St. Cottages, Leicester.

Tony Maxfield






  Pte. Alfred Best 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers

Alfred Best volunteered in December 1914, he lied about his age as he was too old. Served in France. He was declared missing in December 1916 but was Hospitalized at Wimmeraux with Acute Inflamation of the Kidneys after being gassed. He later served as Batman to Lt. Horridge and also as a Cook. He was demobbed in April 1918 being no longer fit for service.

He volunteered as ARP in WW2 and passed away in March 1945

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Alan Best






  Pte. William Worley 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.15th July 1917)

Private Worley is buried in the Kharagpur Cemetery in India, Plot 6615.

S Flynn






  Pte. Percy Robinson 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.11th Mar 1915)

Percy Robinson was born in the June quarter 1887 in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, the son of Benjamin (farm labourer) and Mary (n�e Hopkinson) Robinson. About 1890 the family moved to 14 Providence Square, Sleaford. (1891 Census RG 13/2578) Percy had an older sister, Florence, and two younger brothers, Walter and William. Ten years later (1901 Census RG 13/3048) saw the family much enlarged with the births of Joseph, George, Frederick, Mary A., Harold and Alfred, and a move to Knipton Houses, Ruskington. Another 10 years (1911 Census RG 14/) saw a further 4 children born to the family � Albert, Clarice Eveleyn, Arthur Edward and Ethel. The Census record of that year shows that Mary had borne 17 children, 3 of whom had subsequently died. By then, though, Percy had left home to join the Army in 1909. At that time he stood 5 ft. 3� ins. [1.61 m] tall, had a �fresh� complexion, grey eyes and fair hair, and weighed 10 st. 2 lbs. [64.4 kgs].

Percy was a serving soldier at the outbreak of the war, having enlisted in the 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment, in Lincoln, on 8th June 1909, aged 22. From that date to 6th December 1910 Percy trained with his battalion, before being posted to India, where he gained his 3rd and 2nd class certificates of education. In August 1914 the 2nd Btn. was in Ranikhet, part of Gharwal Brigade, Meerut Division of the Indian Army. Like several other battalions, fears of a rising among the native Indian population meant that it was not at once dispatched to France. However, mounting casualties among the BEF, and the growing realisation that this was to be a long war, prompted the Indian Government in September 1914 to offer an Indian Corps for service in France. The offer was accepted, and on 20th September the battalion sailed for France. On 12th October 1914 the Division arrived in France and by the close of the First Battle of Ypres, the Corps was in the trenches.

For the next twelve months, as part of the Meerut Division, the 2nd Btn. endured hardships of cold and enemy fire as it fought at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915 (where Private William Buckingham gained a Victoria Cross, the first for the Regiment since the Crimea). Percy's Medal Index Card shows that he arrived in France with his battalion on 12th October 1914.

Percy's service papers record his death as between 10th and 13th March 1915, which was the period of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. The Garhwal Brigade of the Meerut Division, Indian Corps attacked with all four battalions on a 600 yards (550 m) front, from Port Arthur to Pont Logy.

On the right, the attack quickly collapsed, both companies losing direction and veering to the right. The attack confronted a part of the German defence not bombarded by the artillery and before the mistake was realised the two support companies followed suit. The Indian troops forced their way through the German wire and took 200 yards (180 m) of the German front trench, despite many casualties.

During the battle the 2nd Btn. had 92 Officers and men killed in action. Only 19 have a known grave, the remainder, with Percy, are commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. In total Percy had served 5 years 269 days with the Colours.

Graham E Conway






  Pte. James Haigh 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment (d.7th May 1916)

James Haigh was born in 1892 in Womersley, Yorkshire West Riding and first served with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (reg no 25355). How he came to serve with the Leicestershire Regiment is unknown.

He married Florence Oliver in 1910 and they had two children - Ethel born 1911 and James R born 1913. Jim was killed in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) on 7th May 1916 and is buried in Basra Cemetery.

Joy Smith






  Pte. Bernard Stenson 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.7th Jan 1916)

Bernard Stenson died on 7th January 1916 and is commemorated on the Basra War Memorial in Iraq.

s flynn






  Pte. Albert Earnest Jobber 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.24th Nov 1914)

Albert Jobber was the favourite brother of my grandmother. He was meant to be returning to the UK in the summer of 1914, but his battalion was re-routed to France and he died near Givenchy. I still have the letter my grandmother wrote to him in February 1915 which was returned undelivered.

Alan Bennett






  Pte. Walter Rose Belcher 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment

Walter Rose Belcher was a coal miner, but joined the army and served as batman to Lt-Col Ernest Clive Atkins during the First World War.

Caroline Payne






  Pte. Bernard Stenson 2nd Btn. Leicestershire Regiment (d.7th Jan 1916)

Bernard Stenson served with the 2nd Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment during WW1 and was killed in action on the 7th January 1916. He is commemorated onthe Basra War Memorial in Iraq.

S Flynn






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