Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
Herbert’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, all that is known of his military service is that he enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment, during the latter part of 1914, being allotted the service number 16577, and was posted as a Private to that Regiment’s Depot for training, subsequently being posted to the 2nd Battalion. It cannot be confirmed that this was the Battalion with which he embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on the 4th May 1915. It is known that on the 10th September 1915, he was admitted to the 4th Stationary Hospital suffering from influenza and was discharged to duty on the 23rd September 1915, and two days after his discharge from hospital he was officially recorded as being killed in action on the 25th September 1915, while serving with the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial to the Missing in France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. There is a note in the Medal Roll Registers that all his medals were returned unclaimed under King’s Regulations 1743 (12). This means that at the end of 10 years if they still remain unclaimed they will be sent to the Deputy Director of Ordnance Stores, Royal Dockyard (Medal Branch) Woolwich, to be broken up under A.O. 402 1913.
The War Diary records: 25 Sept-15 - At 5.30am the Battalion was in positions of readiness in accordance with orders in four lines opposite their objective with bombing parties, sandbag parties and carrying parties all arranged and in position. At 6.00am the first line got over the parapet quickly followed by the second, the left had to right form to get in line with the right as the trench ran back from a salient near the centre. As the first two lines went out the third and fourth filed into the vacant positions in the firing line. The gas affected a number of our men, and the smoke caused a dense fog and direction was difficult. Casualties began at once and the third line was ordered out to fill up gaps. Owing to the thick smoke it seemed likely that gaps would occur on the flanks and at 6.07am the fourth line was sent out with special instructions to maintain touch with the units on either flank. At about 6.10am the left were over the German parapet and our flag was seen flying on their lines. The left went forward with such dash that they outstripped the 2/8th GURKHAS and came in for a lot of fire from rifles and maxim guns from our right. This caused a good many casualties including all the officers and most of the NCO’s of “A” Company which was the extreme left. Undeterred the men went on, got over the uncut wire and reached the road with parties of the 2/8th GURKHAS and gained their objective. In the meantime our right had not fared so well. They went forward in good line under a heavy fire till held up by the German wire. A number of our men here were collected in the ditch in front of the German wire waiting for developments. Officer casualties. Killed Captain F. H. ROMILLY D.S.O., Captain E. C. DEANE, R.A.M.C. Died of wounds 2nd Lieutenant M. W. BROWNE. Wounded Lieutenant Colonel H. GORDON D.S.O., Captain W. C. WILSON, Lieutenant H. H. PHILLIPS, 2nd Lieutenant G. W. TANNER, 2nd Lieutenant H. H. HEMPHILL, 2nd Lieutenant V. E. ELLINGHAM, 2nd Lieutenant C. C. BAILEY, 2nd Lieutenant G. W. GROSSMITH. Slightly wounded Major F. LEWIS, Captain D. L. WEIR. Gassed 2nd Lieutenant W. WILSON. Missing and believed killed Lieutenant W. T. PICKIN, 2nd Lieutenant R. E. S. LODGE. Missing known to have been wounded 2nd Lieutenant C. G. WOODBOURN. Missing and no trace 2nd Lieutenant W. J. WILKINSON, 2nd Lieutenant E. A. WILKINSON, 2nd Lieutenant T. R. LONGCROFT. Rank and file casualties. Killed 72. Wounded 217. Gassed 42. Missing 96. Wounded slightly but did not quit Battalion 3. What was left of the Battalion were relieved from the front line by the 2/39th GARWHAL RIFLES at 6.30pm and moved into support and local reserve just in rear. Before the operations began the Battalion worked for a week in strengthening the front line and preparing the defences behind. Four very strong lines were constructed capable of resisting the enemy’s bombardment.