The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire & Rutland
ISBN for volume 1: 978-0-9562209-0-5
ISBN for the complete set of five volumes: 978-0-9562209-6-7
Published by: Michael Doyle, Billingborough, Lincolnshire, NG34 0NL
Email: michael-at-moretti.me.uk
It is almost impossible to do justice to a series of books like these when the achievement of collating and assembling the content has clearly been such an immense task. The scale of the task beggars belief and it has been a work of research spanning some 20 years in the making. Michael Doyle and his late father have together produced a significant and worthy record of the fallen of their area in The Great War.
In August 1990 Michael and his late father Peter began their task to discover more of the background behind 66 names engraved on a memorial tablet inside St. John the Baptist Church in Enderby, Leicestershire. This initial task has turned into some 2,000 A4 pages of what is probably the most comprehensive study of the war dead of Leicestershire and Rutland, spread over five volumes.
The work is obviously of interest to local historians and family researchers since Michael and Peter have assembled a comprehensive record of each subject from all known sources.
The first entry is a simple one:
ABBOTT, A R
C. All Saint’s Church, Kimcote cum Walton, Leics.
but a few lines down:
ABBOTT, Job
Pte. 16337. 2nd Bn. Leics. Regt. Kia 25/9/15. Age 34. BC. Loos Mem., France. C. Hinckley Baptist Chapel. B. Hinckley, Leics. E. Leicester. R. 21, Spring Gardens, Hinckley, Leics. PD. Son of Job and Mary Abbott. The War Diary for today records. At 5.30am the Battn was in positions of readiness in accordance with orders in four lines opposite their objective with bombing parties, sandbag parties and carrying parties all arranged and in position. At 6.00am the first line got over the parapet quickly followed by the second, the left had to right form to get in line with the right as the trench ran back from a salient near the centre. As the first two lines went out the third and fourth filed into the vacant positions in the firing line. The gas affected a number of our men, and the smoke caused a dense fog and direction was difficult. Casualties began at once and the third line was ordered out to fill up gaps. Owing to the thick smoke it seemed likely that gaps would occur on the flanks and at 6.07am the fourth line was sent out with special instructions to maintain touch with the units on either flank. At about 6.10am the left were over the German parapet and our flag was seen flying on their lines. The left went forward with such dash that they outstripped the 2nd/8th GURKHAS and came in for a lot of fire from rifles and maxim guns from our right. This caused a good many casualties including all the officers and most of the NCO’s of A Coy which was the extreme left. Undeterred the men went on, got over the uncut wire and reached the road with parties of the 2nd/8th GURKHAS and gained their objective. In the meantime our right had not fared so well. They went forward in good line under a heavy fire till held up by the German wire. A number of our men here were collected in the ditch in front of the German wire waiting for developments. Officer casualties. Killed Capt F. H. ROMILLY D.S.O., Capt E. C. Deane R.A.M.C. Died of wounds 2nd Lt M. W. BROWNE. Wounded Lt Col H. GORDON D.S.O., Capt W. C. WILSON, Lt H. H. PHILLIPS, 2nd Lt G. W. TANNER, 2nd Lt H. H. HEMPHILL, 2nd Lt V. E. ELLINGHAM, 2nd Lt C. C. BAILEY, 2nd Lt G. W. GROSSMITH. Slightly wounded Major F. LEWIS, Capt D. L. WEIR. Gassed 2nd Lt W. WILSON. Missing and believed killed Lt W. T. PICKIN, 2nd Lt R. E. S. LODGE. Missing known to have been wounded 2nd Lt C. G. WOODBOURN. Missing and no trace 2nd Lt W. J. WILKINSON, 2nd Lt E. A. WILKINSON, 2nd Lt T. R. LONGCROFT. Rank and file casualties. Killed 72. Wounded 217. Gassed 42. Missing 96. Wounded slightly but did not quit Battn 3. What was left of the Battn were relieved from the front line by the 2nd/39th GARWHAL RIFLES at 6.30pm and moved into support and local reserve just in rear. Before the operations began the Battn worked for a week in strengthening the front line and preparing the defences behind. Four very strong lines were constructed capable of resisting the enemy’s bombardment.
A very comprehensive record on every page and totalling 12,098 names over the five volumes.
The work is a fine testimony to the scale of sacrifice and bravery in those few short years.
Sadly, Peter Doyle died in early 1993. Michael resolved to complete the work as a tribute to his late father and a fine tribute it is indeed. As Michael remarks in his introduction, it is only through works like these that a lasting memorial is sustained as so many local commemorations are suffering the ravages of time.
Michael is taking advance orders from 14 May, hoping to begin distribution in early June. All proceeds from the sale of this publication will be donated to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Reviewer: David Henderson
| File | Description | File size | Last Modified |
|---|---|---|---|
 Introductory pages from Volume 1 in the series | This PDF will give you an indication of the style of the book and the detailed contents | 45 Kb | 09/05/09 19:44 |
| Review Pages | Abbott, AR to Amatt, Joseph | 204 Kb | 09/05/09 19:45 |
