Ernest Hardy

In December 1940, the 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (the "Green Tigers") was deployed in the Western Desert of Egypt, playing a pivotal front-line role in Operation Compass—the first major British military offensive of the North African Campaign.
Serving under the 16th Infantry Brigade (initially attached to the 4th Indian Infantry Division and later the 7th Armoured Division), the battalion took part in General Archibald Wavell's famous "push" of 30,000 Allied troops. This offensive completely shattered a much larger Italian army and drove them back across the Libyan border.

Hardy was killed during the Battle of Sidi Barrani (9–11 December 1940). This was the first major battle of the Western Desert Campaign, where the 2nd Leicesters charged and successfully overran heavily fortified Italian desert positions under intense artillery and machine-gun fire. Private Hardy was one of the early casualties of this intense, victorious push.

• The Advance & Secret Concentration: Early in the month, the 2nd Leicesters moved undetected through the Egyptian desert from their bases to their assembly areas. Success relied entirely on strict radio silence and night marching to surprise the heavily fortified Italian camps.

• The Battle of Sidi Barrani (9–11 December 1940): The battalion went into heavy combat during the assault on Sidi Barrani. They attacked the perimeter fortified camps, overcoming minefields, artillery fire, and harsh desert dust storms. The battle was a resounding success, resulting in the capture of thousands of Italian prisoners, though the battalion suffered casualties, including officers like Lieutenant Kenneth Goldschmidt who was wounded in the assault.

• The Pursuit into Libya: Following the collapse of the Italian lines at Sidi Barrani, the 2nd Leicesters quickly advanced westward via Buq Buq toward the Libyan border.
• The Encirclement of Bardia (Late December 1940): By the end of December, the 2nd Leicesters reached the heavily fortified coastal fortress of Bardia inside Libya. They spent the final weeks of 1940 probing the anti-tank ditches, wire entanglements, and concrete bunkers, cutting off the Italian garrison and preparing for the grand assault that would breach the fortress in early January 1941.

Conditions in the Desert

For the regular soldiers of the 2nd Leicesters, December 1940 was defined by extreme environmental hardship. The men coped with freezing desert nights, blistering days, acute water rationing (often limited to one water bottle per man per day for drinking, washing, and shaving), and fine sand that jammed weapons and fouled rations.
Are you looking into the service record of a specific relative who serve