Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Albert and Lydia Scott Pickard. He had been the Platoon Officer of the late William (Bill) West, late of John Street, Enderby, Leics., who had been wounded on the Somme, and survived to become a Centenarian. In the company of my late father, we visited the grave to pay Bill’s respects in the summer of 1991. The War Diary entries relating to the events from the 14th to the 17th July 1916 records the following. FRICOURT. The 110th Brigade attacked and captured BAZENTIN – LE – PETIT WOOD and village and held same. Appendix I. The action attached.
Narrative of action of the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment from 3.00am 14/7/16 to 8.00am 17/7/16.
The Battalion moved from FRICOURT WOOD via the southern and eastern edge of MAMETZ WOOD and reached the north east corner of this wood just before 3.00am. The Battalion was formed in four lines by 3.15am under a fairly heavy bombardment and lined up with the 7th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. on its left about 100 yards in front of MAMETZ WOOD. At 3.25am 1st and 2nd lines advanced on German first line, and five minutes later the third and fourth lines advanced, and, crossing first line, assaulted and took the German second line. The first German line was very much knocked about and some 25 or 30 prisoners were taken in it. The right Company blocked German first line trench on right of the attack, and also the same in the German second line. While crossing “No man’s” land the barrage was not very severe but the two right Companies suffered a good many casualties from enemy machine guns in BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD, which had not then been cleared by 7th Division on our right. There were also two enemy machine guns in the south east corner of BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD. These were charged by the third and fourth lines and the detachments killed, and the guns taken. There were not a large number of Germans in second line when it was entered. The trenches had been so knocked about that it was difficult to consolidate them. At 4.00am first and second lines, leaving small parties to deal with any dugouts, advanced to German second line, which was also being consolidated by the third and fourth lines. At 4.20am three platoons remained in German second line, and the rest of the Battalion advanced to the “one hour” line, which was reached after suffering a good many casualties from enfilade fire from the direction of BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD. Soon after this the enemy, retiring in front of the 7th Division from BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD on our right, were enfiladed from the eastern edge of the wood by our Lewis guns, and suffered heavy losses. For some time the right Company had to form a defensive flank as many of the enemy were trying to get from BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD to BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD. At 5.20am the Battalion advanced to the “two hour” line and remained there till 6.00am, waiting for the 7th Division to come up on our right. At 6.00am the Battalion was reinforced by several platoons of the 9th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. At 6.05am the line advanced against the village, and, the left of the 7th Division not being up, the whole village was assaulted and taken, and 3 officers and 200 prisoners. At 6.40am the ROYAL IRISH RIFLES entered the village and the eastern portion was handed over to them. At 7.15am the Battalion occupied and began consolidating the line from the northern end of the village, thence southwards to the north eastern point of BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD, thence along northern edge of wood halfway to the railway. An attempt to get the real objective was heavily enfiladed from a point just outside the wood near the railway. About 50 prisoners were taken in a trench along northern edge of wood. At 8.30am the enemy made a counter attack against the northern portion of village. The 7th Division who were not very strong here fell back on cemetery. The Battalion conformed and held northern edge of wood and the prolongation of same through the village. At 9.15am the 7th Division were reinforced and retook eastern portion of village, and the Battalion resumed its previous line, joining up with the 7th Division north of the village. At 3.00pm the enemy made another counter attack against northern and north eastern edge of village. Many of them reached the road running from north end of village to railway and were at once stopped by our rifle and Lewis gun fire. The Battalion held and consolidated this position on the night of the 14th and also on the 15th there was no change. At 2.00am on the 16th a party of one officer and 50 men were sent out to try to consolidate the original objective along the road. They were preceded by a party of one officer and 40 men of the YORKSHIRE REGT. The latter party got to the road and held it for some time while our party was trying to consolidate, but were heavily bombed and enfiladed from enemy post just outside wood near railway, and was forced to retire. On the night of the 16th the Battalion was relieved by the 10th KING’S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY and the Battalion went into bivouac just south of FRICOURT WOOD, arriving there at 1.00am the 17th instant. The Battalion suffered the following casualties 7 officers killed and 20 wounded. 500 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.
War Diary entry on the 16/7/16:-
6th Battalion right supported by 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. 7th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. on left supported by 8th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT.
War Diary entry on the 17/7/16:-
The Battalion marched from FRICOURT WOOD at 7.45pm and arrived at RIBEMONT at 12.30am 18th July 1916. An earlier entry from 29th June 1916 records the following events in which Donald is mentioned. The War Diary for today records. SAULTY. A raid was made on the German trenches opposite trench 90. The party moved into position at 3.55am. At 4.00am gas and smoke and artillery commenced. At 4.30am the party advanced to German lines under cover of the smoke and entered German trenches. Party A under Lt. HOPEWELL, 2 NCO’s and 15 men took a communication trench and killed 5 Germans and bombed two dugouts. Party B under 2nd Lt. PICKARD went along trench to the right, bombed three dugouts and killed 1 officer and 4 Germans. Party C under 2nd Lt. OSBOURNE went along trench to left and bombed 3 dugouts and killed 5 Germans. Many Germans were wounded or killed in the dugouts. The party returned to our lines after being in German trenches 10 minutes. Our casualties were 7 wounded and 1 missing (10956 Pte. F. J. MORGAN, C Company). Many trophies of the 73rd HANOVERIAN REGT. were brought back. The party returned to BERLES and later marched back to SAULTY.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday July 21st, 1916

LIEUT. PICKARD KILLED

We regret to learn that intimation has reached Mr Albert Pickard, of Desford, that his son, 2nd Lieutenant Donald Johnson Pickard, of the Leicestershire Regiment, had been killed in action in France. He was 22 years of age, and had been at the Front since July, 1915. Educated at Stoneygate School, and Tattenhall College, Staffordshire, he went to Western Canada, but returned in June, 1914, and being in England, at once enlisted on the outbreak of war, joining the 4th Leicesters as a private. He was given a commission in one of the new battalions of the Leicestershire Regiments on February 9th, 1915. His elder brother, Lieutenant E. W. Pickard, is serving in the Army Service Corps, in France, and another brother, Mr A. D. Pickard, is acting adjutant of the Leicester Motor Corps. The greatest sympathy will be felt for Mr and Mrs Pickard in their bereavement.

DESFORD

MUFFLED PEAL

A short muffled peal was rung on the Desford Parish Church bells on Wednesday night, as a tribute of respect to the memory of Lieutenant D. J. Pickard, son of Mr and Mrs Albert Pickard, of Desford, and Sapper Richard Sanderson, of Hunt’s Lane, Desford, who have both given their lives for their country. The following were the ringers: 1. A. G. Hornsby (conductor); 2. A. Dilks; 3. H. Dilks; 4. E. Orchin; 5. Dennis Wood, tenor; W. Sargeson.

Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby 14/10/2017