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Key dates over January 1916

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Lives lost on this day: 3

4th January 1916 - Dust storm hits the Yeomanry in the desert

Rolling Casualty Count: 2654

10th Batt: Marched to relieve the 9th Cheshires at Neuve Chapelle. Trenches in front line in better condition with less water and mud.

Yeomanry: Experiencing dust storm for 24 hours.

11th Batt: Batt in bivouac camp constructed in the gullies and hollows behind the line and out of view.

SM RFA: GOCRA inspected the wagon lines.

On the Home Front:

Found, 10s Treasury Note. Owner please apply personally at Alston’s, High Street, Worcester.

Have YOU a relative or friend at the Front? We stock a splendid selection of suitable goods. We will pack free for him anything you purchase. Shuter & Flay’s Stores Limited, 51 and 52 High St., Worcester. Tel 211.

Commission for County Land Agent: Mr. E.W. Hill, Land Agent for the Worcestershire County Council during the past 5 years, and previously Land Agent under the Herefordshire County Council, has been given a commission in the 3/7th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment. He is a son of Mr. John Hill, of Croome.

Soldier’s Speech Restored: A remarkable instance of a soldier’s speech being restored occurred at Liverpool on New Year’s Eve. Corporal Joseph Freckelton, aged 24, was rendered deaf, blind, and dumb by the explosions of a “Jack Johnson” at the battle of Festubert in the summer. Five weeks later he recovered his sight and hearing, but still remained dumb. Last week he had a few days’ leave in Liverpool, and on the last day of the year attended two weddings, one of them in the capacity of best man. In the evening there were singing and dancing. About half past eleven Freckelton, tired out, threw himself on the sofa. There he yawned, and to his surprise ejaculated a long drawn “Oh.” It was the first sound that had escaped his lips since Festubert. He called out to a friend and found that his voice was completely restored.

Lieut. A.J. Coombe Unwell: Lieut. A.J. Combe, the well-known Worcester cricketer (son of Mr. J. Combe, of the Pack Horse Hotel), who has been abroad with the R.F.A. for some months, has been admitted to the Canadian Hospital at Salonika suffering from jaundice.

Spirits Commandeered for Explosives: Whisky Shortage: The Government, we understand, are commandeering 20,000,000 gallons of spirits per annum for the purpose of making explosives. No substitute has as yet been discovered to take the place of spirits in their manufacture…Sir Thomas Dewar, the well-known distiller, stated that there would undoubtedly be a shortage of whisky, and, in fact, of all spirits, and the public must also be prepared for a further increase in prices. “The price of whiskey,” he said, “is rising daily owing to the measure which was passed to prevent the release from bond of spirits until they reach three years’ maturity. It is one of the best temperance measures ever introduced. The pubic are getting through it a better beverage than they were before. It is only a few, however, who have whisky of the age to comply with the Order, and even in their case the supply is limited.”

A New Elgar Suite: When “The Starlight Express” was produced a week ago, the desire was expressed that Sir Edward Elgar’s beautiful music should be reproduced in suite form, for use in the concert room, because it is said to be extremely beautiful and entirely characteristic. The publishers have it in hand. The three beautiful songs for the tramp organ-grinder are to be issued almost at once, and a suite is being arranged for both pianoforte and orchestra, and will be published as soon as possible.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.