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Key dates over November 1914

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Lives lost on this day: 0

26th November 1914 - Sir John French inspects Gheluvelt heroes

Rolling casualty count: 528

1st Batt: Pont du Hem “Red Barn”: In billets.

2nd Batt: Wire received from 2nd Div informing us that the GOC in C would inspect us in our billets at 2:15pm. The Batt drawn up into 2 ranks on either side of the lower half of the Rue de la Gase with sloped arms and fixed bayonets received the C in C Field Marshall Sir John French who was accompanied by his Staff and Div. Gen. Munro. The C in C then advanced between the ranks to the centre of the Batt. And said that he was very glad to have this opportunity of addressing the 2nd WR as this he had wished to do for some time. 31 Oct had been a very critical day. At headquarters he had received a report that the village of Gheluvelt, a most important strategic position had been taken by the enemy. Matters were extremely critical. Shortly after information was sent out that Gheluvelt had been retaken by a counter attack. Since then he had caused frequent enquiries to be made as to what officer was responsible for this counter attack but had received the invariable reply that it as the Worcs Regts who carried out this attack. He had, therefore, so reported it to the Sec of State that it was the Worcs Regt who had relived a critical situation. The regt bears on its Colours the names of many famous victories, and in this war it had added fresh lustre to its former reputation. No many could say what the future had in store but that he had every confidence that in that future they would conduct themselves with the same soldierly bearing as in the past. The Batt was then called to attention and 3 cheers given very heartily for the CinC. Sir JF then took his departure and Company marched away and dismissed;

3rd Batt: Lindenhoek: In trenches. Some shelling.

A member of the Worcs Yeomanry writes to the “Daily Times” from ‘the coast’: “… Today Lord Dudley presented us with artificial pear blossom (the gift of Lady Dudley) to stick in our caps, similar to that with which she presented the Yeomen who went to South Africa. We have all sewed it in our caps, and Worcesters can now be distinguished without examination of their badges and titles. They have sold out of stamps at the village shop, so you will probably have to pay postage on this letter! Hope you won’t mind.”

The motor recruiting service will tour Chipping Campden, Broadway, Evesham, Badsey etc on Sunday afternoon. The cars will call at the Worcs Territorial Offices at 3 o’clock, and any Territorials hailing from that district who present themselves will be taken to Evesham and brought back.

1st Worcs suffering from the cold: Major Wodehouse has sent a letter to his wife – who is a sister of Mrs AW Isaac – stating the at the time of writing the 1st Worcs had been in the trenches five days, and during that time 17 men had been killed, and 2 lieutenants were among the wounded. The battalion has suffered badly from the cold, many of the men being frost-bitten. This is not surprising considering that they only recently came from Egypt. Major Wodehouse asks for warm clothing to help them to withstand the wintry conditions.

A meeting of ladies, convened by Mrs HW Spreckley, was held at the Guildhall on Wednesday afternoon, when Miss Cryan, who comes from the HQ of the Women’s Volunteer Reserve in Baker Street, gave an address on the objects of the corps. There was such a large attendance that the meeting had to adjourn from a committee room to the Council Chamber, which was crowded. They hoped to teach the women of England two very valuable lessons – first, that of self-dependence. They would learn to be self-reliant and resourceful, qualities which women possessed as much as men, though they had not the opportunities which men had. Secondly, they hope to teach women to realise the pleasure of comradeship. They wanted the movement to be a national one, to embrace all classes, politics, and religious beliefs.

Information researched by Sue Redding