Harold and Sam Gibbons - 1/5th Leicestershire

[Guest]

Hi I'm hoping somebody might be able to help...

I'm researching my grandfather and great-uncle Harold and Sam Gibbons who served as privates in the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment throughout the First World War.

Harold was born in 1896 and Sam in 1892/3.

I've done a fair bit of research already but I think their service records must have been the ones lost during the German bombing in 1940.

What I have found so far is that they joined in 1914, first went to France in February 1915, and were demobbed in January 1919.

Harold had the regimental number 1690 and his brother Sam was 1691, although both were renumbered in 1917 to 240240 and 240241 respectively.

They both got the Victory and British medals, and the 1915 Star.

Both have four chevrons on their right cuffs in 1919 photos, while Harold appears to have a single chevron on his left cuff in a 1916 picture.

This is where I come to a blank. I would love to know what battles the 1/5th fought in, if and when they ever came home, and if anyone's relatives knew them, wrote about them or has pictures of them??

I think it's amazing that two brothers who fought side by side for nearly four years both survived the war and came home physically unscathed, if somewhat emotionally damaged.

[ian turner]

Seems they were part of the 46th (North Midland) Division. See here: http://www.1914-1918.net/46div.htm

Maybe a check with he regimental museum would give you more info, or see the battalion war diary at Kew.

PS - Welcome to the forum!

[Jim_Grundy]

It's worth picking up a copy of 'Trench Fever' by Christopher Moore. It tells the story of a member of 1/5th Leicesters.

[Steve Bramley]

Hi,

The official history (re-print) is available:

Here

It is IMO an excellent book and will tell you almost all that you need to know.

If you like the look of it, why not come back to the forum and use the amazon link at the top of the page, this will donate a small amount to the GWF

Regards,

Steve.

P.S. With those 4 digit numbers the brothers were almost certainly pre-war members of the TF.

P.P.S. Try typing Hohenzollern Redoubt into the forum search engine, should provide som more background info' for you.