The Famous Fifty

The "Famous Fifty" (pictured left in Hugglescote), or the "First Fifty" as they were originally known were all from the North West Leicestershire district and a number of them appear on the War Memorial at St John the Baptist. All these young men volunteered for service in the 1/5th Territorial Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment based at Loughborough. The fifty were all recruited between August and September 1914 and on the 30th October 1914 they departed from Coalville Midland Railway Station to join the rest of the Battalion in Luton. The fifty had been selected to bring the 5th Battalion to full strength before departure to the continent. The 5th Battalion began landing in France on 26th February 1915 and as part of the 46th North Midland Division they were the first full territorial division to arrive in France. Consequently the "Famous Fifty" were the first of the August 1914 volunteers to set foot in France.

An excellent book by Michael Kendrick entitled "Fifty Good Men and True" details the story of the "Famous Fifty" and is a fascinating and moving account of the bravery and fortitude displayed by these young men.