On arrival in Langham, a photograph was taken in the same spot as the original
snapshot before the parade proceeded to Langham Village Hall for refreshments. In
spite of heavy rain a good number of Langham villagers turned out to support the
march which was filmed by the BBC and will form part of their coverage of the
battles of Ypres in which the 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment played such an
important part and where many lost their lives.
Langham Village History Group ~ © 1996 - 2022
World War I - 5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment Oakham TF
It began with a snapshot taken with a Box Brownie camera on 6th August 1914 and
ended with a commemorative march on 2nd August 2014 as part of Lord Lieutenant’s
commemoration of the Great War.
The tiny snapshot came to light in a Nourish family photograph album and was added
to Langham Village History Group’s archive. (Three members of the Nourish family
belong to LVHG.) The picture showed a group of soldiers, with an accompanying band,
taken on the Melton Road at Langham. At first, the History Group could only
speculate on the date and occasion but, after enlargement and enhancement, the
picture was thought to bear a similarity to one taken in Oakham on 6th August 1914.
On 2nd August 1914, the Oakham Company of the 5th Battalion Leicestershire
Regiment Territorial Force had set off by train for Bridlington to take part in the
annual two week training camp. However, events overtook them when war was
Click photographs to enlarge
declared on 4th August and, within forty-eight hours, they
found themselves back in Oakham. On 6th August, they
matched out of Oakham for Loughborough, their route taking
them through Langham and Melton Mowbray to an overnight
stop in Asfordby School and on to Loughborough, later to
take their places in the trenches in France and Flanders.
When the suggestion of a re-enactment march was made to
the Rutland Remembers Group it was received with
enthusiasm and organised for Saturday 2nd August 2014.
Those taking part were: B Squadron (Leicestershire and
Derbyshire Yeomanry) Royal Yeomanry; E Company
Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Army Cadet
Force and F Squadron Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and
Rutland Army Cadet Force. They were led by Col. Robert
Boyle, chairman of the Rutland Remembers Group, and
accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant, Dr Laurence Howard,
who took the salute. Other group members taking part
included the High Sheriff, Air Commodore
Miles Williamson-Noble, Cllr Adam Lowe in 1914 military
uniform, Cllr Martyn Pocock and Patrick Boyle.
The Oakham Company on Melton Road Langham
Marching in Loose Formation later on the 6th August 1914