This year’s centenary of the Battle of The Somme marks an anniversary of a great many deaths for people across the UK and here in Hertfordshire, such as Leonard George Fisher, 1892 – 1916, who died in battle 100 years ago today (Oct 12).

He is the great uncle of Jonathan Sinfield who has spent the last two years researching his relative after an unexpected discovery.

In August 2014 Jonathan’s son went with St George’s School to All Saints Church in Harpenden to ring the bell in memory of Leonard, as many other children in the school and local area did for their lost loved ones.

Following this Reverend Linda Williams contacted Jonathan to say that his great uncle was not on Harpenden’s war memorial and Jonathan says: “In my mind the challenge was set: why wasn’t Len Fisher commemorated?”

There began two years of research into his great uncle. His discoveries came from the few things his grandfather, Leonard’s brother, told his him about his great uncle, as well as from his memoir completed in 1980.

He also contacted Trustees of Redbourn Village Museum, Martin Deacon of Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service, Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, census, school and medical records on a number of family history websites.

This is what he discovered… Leonard was born in Harpenden to William and Emily Fisher, nee Chapman, and attended the school next to the Parish Church in Harpenden, now known as St Nicholas Primary School. He was one of six children. During his childhood the family moved to Linces Farm Cottage, Ayot St Peter near Welwyn.

Leonard left school at the age of 12 after completing his Labour Exams, as was the done thing at the time, but continued with night school and reportedly struggled to find work.

His older brother - Jonathan’s grandfather - William Samuel Fisher, 1890 – 1987 once told of how he decided to enlist.

“We were walking down the road one day, and I said to him ‘Why not join the Army? There will never be a war on in our time and you will have a job; much better than no work and no money’.”

Leonard did so in 1911, enlisting into the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion the Bedfordshire Regiment, also known as the Herts Militia. He was serving in South Africa when World War One broke out. He was sent to Belgium on October 6, 1914.

Leonard was hospitalised in 1915 and sent back to England to convalesce from enteric fever (severe typhoid), while home he was able to attend the funeral of his younger sister Annie who died of consumption (tuberculosis), a year previously another of his sisters, Lucy, died of the same illness.

This was the last time he would see his family. He returned to the Front in August 2016.

In the summer of that year the Anglo-French offensive on the Somme, where Leonard was situated, was designed to take pressure off the embattled French armies at Verdun. On what is known as the First Day, July 1, of the battle the British Army lost more casualties than ever before - or since - in a single 24-hour period; 19,240 out of 57,470 were killed. By October 1916, the Allied armies on the Somme had gained around seven kilometres of German trench systems and fortified villages, in return for a dreadfully long casualty list.

During World War One the 2nd Bedford’s Other Ranks lost a total of 1,322 men, over 20 percent – 270 - having been born in Hertfordshire. Eight men from Harpenden, eight from Redbourn, five from Flamstead, four from Wheathampstead and 13 from St Albans were among the fallen. William Ginger and Laurence Frederick Jackson, both residents from Flamstead, lost their lives at the Battle of Le Transloy on the same day as Leonard.

He was remembered with the Honour Thiepval Memorial, France and commemorated on the Redbourn War Memorial and on a plaque in St. Mary's church.

Of the Harpenden memorial, the War Memorial Trust says: “As the creation of war memorials has traditionally been organised locally, with there being no central government directives or funding, the question of who is or is not commemorated and the form in which their details are recorded is usually held to be a local matter.”

If you have any interesting stories about friends or relatives who fought for our country email mattie.laceydavidson@london.newsquest.co.uk.