The Fifth Leicestershire

A vivid chronicle of a county regiment’s journey from the moment Britain declared war in 1914 to the hopeful return home in 1919, this volume follows the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment through the trials of the Great War. Drawing on the regiment’s own war diary, the author weaves together official reports, personal letters and photographs to capture the daily life of soldiers—both seasoned veterans and fresh recruits—as they prepared, mobilised and first stepped onto foreign soil.

Beyond the battlefield, the book highlights the deep bonds of brotherhood that held the unit together, from the senior officers who guided them to the youngest volunteers eager to serve. Readers gain insight into the regiment’s early training, the camaraderie forged in camps, and the initial encounters that shaped their wartime experience, all presented with a straightforward, respectful tone that lets the men’s own voices shine through.