Five men on the Ibstock war memorial served in the 8th Leicesters: Private 13070 Arthur Henry Houghton; Private 13147 Alfred Sleath; L/Cpl 13209 George Riley; Private 16131 Joseph Satchwell and Private 203426 John Howitt Wright.

Arthur Houghton and Alfred Sealth were amongst Ibstock's earliest volunteers. Ibstock born miner, Arthur Houghton was 27 years old and single when he volunteered on 3rd September 1914, his family home was at 297 Melbourne Road, Ibstock.

Alfred Sleath (spelt Sleith on the memorial) was born in Burton and his family had lived in Ibstock for at least ten years before the outbreak of the war. Alfred was a collier, aged 20 years and single, when he volunteered on 8th September 1914, and gave his address as 38 Chapel Lane, later known as Chapel Street. Alfred's parents had both died before the war and his next of kin was his brother John William Sleath.

On the day Arthur Houghton was posted to the Bourley camp at Aldershot, George Riley volunteered at Coalville, it was 24th September 1914. George Riley was another Ibstock miner, 21 years old and single, his family address was 19 Leicester Road Ibstock.

It would be two more months before Joseph Stachwell volunteered on 23rd November 1914. He was a single collier aged 23, and gave his address as 38 High Street, Ibstock.

All four were with the 8th Leicesters when they first embarked for France on 29 July 1915. The Battalion are in trenches near Monidcourt from late August 1915 until early 1916. There is hardly a break from the work of improving trenches and defences. New machine gun emplacements are built, shelters are bombed proofed, trench boards added to firing bays, support and communication trenches cleaned and drained, new fire bays added, and grenade stores sandbagged and bombed proofed, trip wire added near listening posts and wire entanglements maintained. All this, while the enemy snipers and shelling takes a steady toll of casualties. On the 6th February the war dairy notes:

The man killed was Private 16131 Joseph Satchwell, he is buried at U. 2. Berles-au-Bois Churchyard Extension.

Some time in the Spring of 1916 Arthur Houghton hears the sad news of his mother's death. The “normal” trench warfare continues for several months with tit-for-tat artillery exchanges, Lewis gun training, firing on enemy working parties, small (but always risky) patrols, new trenches dug and overflown by enemy aeroplanes. By early July they were on the move in preparation for the 110th Brigades attack at Bazentin on the Somme. The 9th July war dairy notes:

On 14th July at 3.25am “D” coy leads the attack preceded by the Battalion raiders and “D” coy bombers. At 4.25am. “C” Company and 1st waves of “A” and “B” Companies advanced over the 450 yards of no man's land toward Bazentin le Petit Wood. Villa trench is taken, but heavy casualties are sustained and as the enemy counter attack Aston and Villa trenches at round 5.00am the Commanding Officer Lt. Col. J.G. Mignon is killed along with Lt. Alexander. The 8th Leicesters hold their position until relived on 17th.

Leonard Lovat and Arthur Price of Ibstock had been killed whilst serving in the 7th Leicesters, and on the long list of wounded was Arthur Houghton. He passed down the evacuation chain via 34 CCS to no.2 SH at Harve by 16th July 1916. He recovers well and returns to his unit on 30 August 1916. But there is little respite in the Somme offensive and the 110th Brigade is again used in a major attack on 25/09/1916 at Guedecourt.

Zero hour was At 12.30pm on the 25th, assaulting troops had 1,000 yards of no man's land to cross to their first objective. As successive waves followed, the enemy's tremendous artillery barrage and machine guns wrought terrible havoc The village was finally taken after hand to hand fighting. The 8th Leicesters came out of the action on 1st October stopping at Bernafay Wood before marching on to Dernacourt. Once again, they had suffered heavy losses.

Recently wounded Arthur Houghton survives this action. But almost two years to the day after volunteering, George Riley was wounded in the head on 25th September 1916, he is treated at no.12 General Hospital Rouen. But the casualty list also contains another name to be added to Ibtock's war dead. Private 13147, Alfred Sleath was killed in action at Guedecourt, and with no known grave is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial.

Soon after George Riley rejoins on 28th October 1916, the Battalion has moves north to the Hohenzollern sector in November. There time here is marked by several incidents of concerted mortar bombardments and sniper activity. Christmas 1916 passes, and the Battalion remains in the same sub-sector. The war diary notes:

In an incident that is unrecorded Arthur Houghton is killed in action on the 16th February 1917. Possibly by sniper fire or trench mortar. In order to receive Arthur's plaque and scroll, his elderly father Charles signs the Army form w.5080, which is countersigned at the Ibstock rectory on 30th June 1919. Arthur Houghton is buried at V. C. 43. Vermelles British Cemetery.

Early in April 1917 the Battalion moved forward and occupied the outpost line on the Henin – Croisilles Road. The enemy are retiring to the Hindeburg line. On May 3rd an attack is made on the attack on the village of Fontaine-les-Croisilles in conjunction with both the 6th and 9th Leicesters. Two tanks attached to the brigade broke down making no useful contribution in the attack. It is another costly action for the 8th Leicesters whose total casualties amount to 11 officers, 291 other ranks.

It's around this time that back in Ibstock Private 203424 John Howitt Wright joins. He appears to have been in a group of May 1917 recruits that were first assigned to the 1/4th Leicesters (TF), some of which had attested in December 1915, or in early 1916, but were put on reserve. It's not known when he was first sent to France, but it's likely to have been around late August or early September 1917.

In the intervening period the 8th Leicesters, after some days on relief at Berles au Bois, had returned to Croisilles. On 15/6/1917 there was an unsuccessful night attack on Tunnel trench. When they move from this area, it is to the Ypres Salient and the “Battle of Polygon Wood”. For John Howitt Wright, who could only have just joined the Battalion, the atrocious conditions in the Salient and the ever present threat of death must have been a traumatic experience for some one without prior combat experience. After the action of the 1st and 2nd of October 1917, the Battalion rests for two days at Scottish wood, before moving to Railway Dug Outs at Zillebeke, as the war dairy states:

In an incident that receives no comment, Private 203424 John Howitt Wright is killed in action on the 6/10/1917 and with no known grave is commemorated on Panel 50 to 51. of the Tyne Cot Memorial.

But survivor George Riley escapes the war briefly. He gets leave and on October 26th 1917 marries Alice Warden at the Glen Parva Parish Church.

The 8th Leicesters move to Hasebrouck in late October and after more front line duties move to Middlesex camp, Heudicourt in early 1918, and by March 1918 were in the front line at Epehy. At 4.30 am on the morning of the 21st March 1918 the entire Divisional front is subjected to a heavy bombardment on both high explosive and large quantities of gas shells. Mustard gas is used and all ranks wear their box respirators for around three hours. Daylight comes around 6am but visibility is poor because of a thick mist. At around 9am the enemy artillery lifts and their infantry are first seem at around 9.30am, the initial attacks are driven off. Later in the day the Battalion withdraws to the east of Epehy as their flanks are threatened. Over the next four days the battalion was forced to make a series of withdraws under the weight of the enemy offensive. It re-grouped at Vadencourt on 28th/29th March and the nucleus of the Battalion moved to Allonville on 30/3/1918. The war diary entry for the 31/3/1918 makes for salutary reading:

Amongst the dead, wounded and missing is L/Cpl 13209 George Riley Killed in action on 21/3/1918 and with no known grave is commemorated on Panel 29 and 30. of the Pozieres Memorial along with Richard Foster and Frank Gray of Ibstock. Alice Riley re-marries in 1921.