Major Samuel Musson was 39 when he died on 2nd June 1917. Major Musson was born in Jamaica and this well travelled man was an Officer in the Indian army during the Great War. It is likely he died in Leicester after being wounded in France and receiving treatment at the General Hospital.

			Indian war memorial at Neuve Chappelle in France.

Over 3,750 men from the forces of the undivided India died in France and many are commemorated in special Indian cemeteries reflecting the sacrifice they made. Records from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission show that Major Musson was just one of 160,000 Indian Army men who gave their lives in both World Wars. They served in battlefields across the world as far apart as Algeria, Thailand and Mozambique.

Indian soldiers were not considered for the Victoria Cross until the First World War. The first Indian to be awarded a Victoria Cross was Subadar Khudadad Khan.

Black soldiers fought for The Commonwealth in both wars and gave their lives.

Cemeteries across the world also reflect the losses by British forces made up of men from the West Indies and East African Regiments. Fighting was particularly bloody in East Africa during the second World War and there are memorials and cemeteries in Kenya and Malawi which show the extent of this "forgotten" battle between British and German "guerrilla" forces.

Each one of these graves is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and on their website you can see photographs of the memorials and search for details of your family heroes.

BBC Leicester would like to hear your stories of family members who fought for the British or Empire forces in either of the two World Wars.

If you now have a connection with Leicestershire then BBC Leicester would like to celebrate the contribution made by your family in the shaping of our modern world.