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Key dates over May 1915

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Lives lost on this day: 2

18th May 1915 - Bath and West and Southern Counties Agricultural Society Meeting

Rolling casualty count: 1265

1st Batt: Brigadier visits advanced post in our lines, known as ‘Duck’s Bill; 2nd Batt: The remainder of the Battn were not relieved till after 12 midnight when it withdrew and marched to Le Touret arriving there about 5am . At 3pm the Brigade marched back to the Hinges area, the Battn going into billets at Les Harisoirs, arriving there about 7pm. The Battn was reinforced this evening by a draft of 120 NCOs and men. The weather during these operations was most disagreeable, raining most of the time making movement in the trenches most difficult but probably reducing casualties from shell fire by about half what they would have been had the ground been dry and hard; 3rd Batt: In billets at La Clytte;

There are indications that but for the general disturbance caused by the war the annual meeting of the Bath and West and Southern Counties Agricultural Society, which will be opened at Perdiswell, on Thursday, would have been one of the largest ever held by the Society. In spite of the international struggle , and the consequent strain put upon agricultural and business people by the scarcity of labour, the curtailment of transport facilities and travelling privileges, the Worcester meeting, will, given favourable weather, be a success in every way;

Silver Cinema: A picture of topical interest at the Silver Cinema was that entitled “The Sinking of the Lusitania.” Various views incidental to the disaster were shown, including one of the linter, rescuers and the rescued, also scenes at the Cunard Offices in London, and the bringing in of the dead at Queenstown;

More Wounded for Battenhall: Twenty-eight more wounded soldiers are arriving at the Battenhall Red Cross Hospital today. They will be conveyed from the station to the Hospital by members of the Worcester Voluntary Aid Detachment;

Three Months’ Hard Labour: Edward Henry Bear (25), labourer, 27 Powell’s Row, was charged, on remand, with indecently assaulting Florence, May Birbeck, a girl of ten years. The prisoner was remanded from Monday in order that he might be examined by a doctor. Dr. Crowe now said that he had examined the prisoner, and found nothing abnormal about him. He did not seem a brilliant fellow, but there was no mental defect which he could see. The Chairman pointed out to the doctor that prisoner was discharged from the Army in 1912, and it was suggested that the cause was mental deficiency. Dr. Crowe said the defendant told him that he was discharged because of weakness after influenza. Mr. W.W.A. Tree (for prisoner): “You say that he is not brilliant. Does that indicated that he is mentally defective?” Dr. Crowe: “Oh, no; we all vary, you know.” (Laughter)

Information researched by Sue Redding