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Key dates over May 1915

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Lives lost on this day: 66

16th May 1915 - Major losses at Festubert

Rolling casualty count: 1255

1st Batt: Brigadier visits the trenches; 2nd Batt: Before dawn what remained of the boys in front were withdrawn to breastworks. At daybreak the Battalion was ordered back to ‘B’ Line and later to the breastworks running east near Windy Corner. Casualties: Lieuts McCormick and Scott, 2/Lieuts Foswell, Hart and Temple wounded, other ranks wounded 95, missing 127, wounded and missing 10. One of our Machine Gun sections under command of Lieut Biscoe was attached to the 2/Grs and Bucks. LI on 16/17th, this officer being severely wounded and died the next day, several of the Machine Gunners also being killed and wounded. The Battalion spent the night 16/17th in billets near Windy Corner; ;3rd Batt:Relieved by R.I. Rifles and marched to billets at La Clytte;

Sermon on the War: On Sunday evening, the Roman Catholic Church was crowded on the occasion of a visit by the eminent Jesuit Father Bernard Vaughan. The first part of the service consisted of the reciting of the Rosary, which was led by Father Blount. Father Vaughan then preached on “From Warfare to Victory;”

St. Barnabas’ Boys’ Sunday School: The boys attending the School took part in a cross-country run this afternoon. They started from the Iron Room. Two routes were taken, one for the seniors, and the other for the juniors. The race resulted as follows: Seniors: K. Greenway, (Fountain Pen); Juniors: H. James (Cricket bat);

Photographic Competition: In the recent lantern slide competition, open to all members of the Midland Photographic Federation, Mr. William Hodson, of the Worcestershire Camera Club, was awarded the second prize.

Information researched by Sue Redding