1st / 8th Bn XX The Lancashire Fusiliers

UK-BEF-Dunkirk-UK

1940 - 1942




We believe he served with 1/8th., France to Kohima!

Born 16 July 1916

He was commissioned 12 March, Army number 176083. We understand that he joined as a Private and served as such in France and the Dunkirk evacuation.

I have been through the pictures on the site, rather annoyingly (!) he is not named in any of them!

On leaving service (at rank of Captain) he took up a position as Manager of tea plantation in Assam, so he appears to have de-mobbed in India, where his son and my friend Patrick Brigg was born.

His Father was Killed on the first day of the Somme, 1 July 1916, Lance Serjeant Herbert Brigg, 20005, 22nd. Bn. Manchester regiment in the fighting at Mametz.

As ever any information would be most gratefully received.

Yours in anticipation

Neil Palmer
REGULAR ARMY.
EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS (CADETS).
The undermentioned Cadets, from Sandhurst
and I02nd O.C.T.U.'s, to be 2nd Lts.,
except as otherwise stated, ist Mar. 1941.


Take a look at the Sgt James McDonald feature
1st / 8th Bn Lancashire Fusilier
through out WW2 served in Burma and was at Dunkirk includes war diaries news paper cuttings and citations

This is our biggest feature to date over 4 weeks work by us to put it on site
Heaven knows how long James had been working on it.
There is a Burma silk map in the pack which the Fusiliers Museum is getting preserved as it is quite delicate



Click here to go to Major John Wilfred Jones DSO MM 1st 8th LF Burma Feature Page

Fusilier (Later Captain ) Robert Day

Fusilier (Later Captain ) Robert Day was called up in April 1939 and did basic training at Wellington Barracks Bury.

He embarked for Cherbourg in France with the BEF and was soon fighting a rearguard action with the 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers all the way back to Dunkirk.
He sustained severe almost fatal wounds from a bomb burst and was left for dead.

Fortunately,someone spotted that he was still alive and got him to the beaches and onto an evacuation ship.

Robert has no memory of this, the last thing he remembers just after the blast was hearing someone say"Leave him, he is dead "

Robert woke in a Birminham hospital and was nursed back to health, but with much of the shrapnel still embedded close to his heart which could not be removed (he often sets the alarm off when going through Tesco checkouts !)

Robert transferred to the RAOC , spending the rest of the war fighting in North Africa and Damascus.

He was highly amused when 500 Italians surrenderd to him and two mates in North Africa

After the war ,Robert took a Captains commision into the TA, with the 366 vehicle workshops Derby.

He went on to become a Director with the British National Paper group and later to own his own publishing company.

Robert is a great pal of Spike and Brian Macey, which is how I came to hear of him.

His daughter Ambie is the manager of the Yehudi Menuhin Hall.


The pic is of Spike Macey of 1LF fame and Robert .

Left to right.
Robert Day, Grandaughter Camille (21) , Daughter Ambie , Grandaughter Eloise (17) and Ambie's husband