Leslie Marshall

On May 10, 1940, the 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment was suddenly thrust onto the front lines. This date marked the official end of the "Phoney War" as Nazi Germany launched its lightning Blitzkrieg invasion of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
As part of the 138th Infantry Brigade within the 46th Infantry Division of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), the battalion had only recently arrived in France for training and labour duties.

The Chaos of May 10th

When the German invasion struck on May 10, the BEF and Allied strategic reserves immediately pushed forward into Belgium to establish a defensive line. However, the speed of the German armoured advance quickly bypassed Allied positions. The 2/5th Leicesters were swept into the frantic and disorganized fighting retreat across northern France.

Due to the immense chaos of that specific day and the initial encounters with the Luftwaffe, several soldiers from the 2/5th Leicesters—including Private Leslie Marshall (4860185), Private Philip Turner (4859940), and Private Leslie Williams (4858675) - have their official dates of death recorded as 10 May 1940 (or within a window starting on that day).

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