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This page is for my grandmother Emily Mary Bury who lost her husband Richard Sanderson and her brother Herbert Bury in WWI and her only son James Herbert Grimes in WWII.
"You are listening to Battle of the Somme"

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In Memory of


Lance Corporal Richard Sanderson

254th Tunnelling Coy., Royal Engineers
who died aged 39 on Thursday, 22nd June 1916.

Lance Corporal Sanderson, Son of Richard Sanderson, of Normanton Lodge, Thurlaston; husband of Emily Mary Grimes (formerly Sanderson), of Main St., Glenfield. Leicester.

Remembered with honour
LOOS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France.

Loos Military Cemetary

Loos looking SE from Dud Corner to Lens

Richard Sanderson's Inscription

Richard Sanderson's Inscription
These graphics kindly sent by Geoff Moran of Sydney, his Gt. Uncle James Thomas Carroll rests with his fellow Anzacs down the road at the Strand Military Cemetry

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In Memory of


Private Herbert Bury DCM

2nd Bn., Leicestershire Regiment
who died aged 31 on Friday, 25th October 1918.

Private Bury, Cross of St. George, 4th Class (Russia). Son of William and Henrietta Bury, of Barwell Rd., Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.

Remembered with honour
BEIRUT WAR CEMETERY, Lebanon.

Second Leics 1914

One Hundred men of the Second Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. The photograph was probably taken at Lansdowne on the borders of the Gwarhwali District of India prior to the Battalion leaving for France where they arrived on the 13 Oct. 1914. Most of the men shown would have been killed or wounded in the battle of Loos

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

In Memory of


Private James Herbert Grimes

2/5th Bn., Leicestershire Regiment
who died aged 24 on Thursday, 2nd December 1943.

Private Grimes, Son of James and Emily Mary Grimes, of Leicester.

Remembered with honour
MINTURNO WAR CEMETERY, Italy.


In the perpetual care of
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Death of Richard Sanderson as told in 'Tunellers' by Capt. W. Grant Greive
On 22nd June, 1916, for two hours a rain of shells (including heavies, fell upon our saps, front, reserve and support lines. At 2.50 a.m. the enemy exploded a large mine, completing the destruction of two saps, wire and front line trench over a considerable distance, and inflicting losses on the garrison. To add to the confusion, a strong enemy raiding party entered our lines, but was later ejected by the remnants of the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who gallantly counter-attacked. The crater, the largest on the Givenchy front, was known as " Red Dragon," the sign of the Division to which the 2nd Royal Welsh Fusiliers belonged. " Red Dragon " is also connected with one of the most poignant incidents in tunnelling warfare. Considerable damage was done below ground when the enemy mine was fired. The main drive from Shaftesbury Shaft had not proceeded very far, and five men were in it at the time of the blow. The shock broke some of the timbers near the shaft, causing a fall of roof and cutting off the men. Relays of workers set to work at top speed to release the trapped men. After twenty-four hours a small opening was made through the soft fallen ground and broken timber. Three men scrambled through it to safety. It was then discovered that a smaller fall of roof had occurred near the face. Of the two men remaining in the gallery, one, a big man, was badly injured by the fall near the face; the other was Sapper William Hackett. The opening which the rescue party had driven through the outby fall was too small to permit the injured man to be passed through, and as there was immediate danger of further falls, Hackett was ordered to come out. Well knowing his fate, he steadfastly refused to leave the injured man, saying : " I am a Tunneller. I must look after my mate." Scarcely had he finished speaking when both men were overwhelmed by a fall of clay which filled the gallery completely. All efforts to re-open it failed. For his calculated act of courageous self-sacrifice Sapper Hackett was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.'
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.'

Private HERBERT BURY, 7919
" Pte H Bury, of the 2nd Leicesters was one of six brothers on active service.His brother Alf a private in the 1st. Btn. Northamptonshire Regt. had been posted as "missing" during the retreat from Mons in the early weeks of the war. Alf arrived in Logan Street, Market Harborough in November to be re-united with his wife. his battalion had seen a great deal of action that autumn and Alf had been wounded on the Aisne in September. In November when he arrived in the town he was still convalescent. Another brother Fred was serving with the 1st. Btn. Leicesters. Herbert Bury was a regular soldier and was with the regiment in India prior to WWI. The Leicesters were part of the Garhwali Brigade, this consisted of 1st and 2nd battalions of the Garhwali Regt., the 2nd Btn, 3rd Ghurkas and the 2nd Leicesters . The brigade was stationed at Lansdowne on the border of the Garhwali District. The 2nd Bn. arrived at Marseille on 13 Oct 1914 from India with the Garhwarli Brigade of the 7th Indian Division. During their stay in France the Brigade won 3 of the 5 VC's awarded to Indian troops, the Leicesters formed close friendships with the Garhwalis which survived long after the war.
The 2nd. Battalion The Leicestershire Regiment was involved in the Battle of Loos. They were then part of the Meerut Division of The Indian Corps. The 2nd battalion was virtually destroyed at the Battle of Loos. "There were only 2 officers and a few men who were not killed or wounded".
In the winter of 1915-16 the division went to Mesopotamia, the Leicesters were the first troops to enter Baghdad and fought against the Turks in Palestine and Syria as well.

Taken from the History of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Leicestershire Regt in the Great War.

This is an attempt to identify the action in which Herbert Bury was, for his part in it, awarded the DCM.

The Action at Shaik Saad during the advance to relieve Kut.

At 2pm on 6th Jan 1916 the Second Battalion of the Leicesters with the 51st and 53rd Sikhs and 56th Rifles (Sikhs) advanced to attack the Turks and advance to the bend in the Tigris at Shaik Saad. With sunset occurring at about 5.10 pm the decision was made to carry on the attack on 7th., at 4pm this day the Leicesters, 53rd, 51st and 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) rose and with a final dash over the last 300 yards carried the Turkish frontline trenches a second trench and 400 yds. beyond. In this final rush two of the battalion machine guns, pushing forward along a nullah, greatly assisted the advance, first by enfilading a Turkish trench and later by distributing their fire along a second trench.
London Gazette 15 April 1916
Citation for DCM
7919 Pvte. Herbert Bury 2nd. Batt. Leicestershire Regt. For conspicuous gallantry in re-organising his machine gun team under heavy fire after two men had become casualities, and keeping the gun in action, thereby greatly assisting in the attack.

London Gazette 15 May 1917 War Office May1917
Russian Decorations Awarded in July 1916 to British Forces for distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign. His Majesty the King has given unrestricted permission in all cases to wear the Decorations and medals in question.

General Headquarters, Indian Expeditionary Force "D"
7919 L/Cpl. Herbert Bury, Leicestershire Regiment

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