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Key dates over May 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: 2

1st May 1916 - Partial cessation of hostilities after surrender of Kut

Rolling Casualty Count: 3103

At the Front:

2nd Batt; Men in working parties in Annequin. At 8pm ordered to send up a Coy to support the Scottish Rifles. A Coy moved up into Factory Trench at 10.39 pm.

3rd Batt: Batt near Vimy Ridge was relieved by 10th Cheshire Reg and marched back to billets by Mont St Eloy.

4th Batt: Batt at Engelbelmer. CO and party of officers visited trenches preparing for relief on our front.

9th Batt: Batt moved forward to Bait Isa trenches. As part of the terms of surrender of Kut, it was stipulated that the wounded should be handed over to the British care. Arrangements took time to complete so there was a partial cessation of hostilities. Dead on both sides were buried.

SMD RFA: At Bayencourt, artillery inactive.

On the Home Front:

United Service at the Cathedral: Though the war makes it impossible for the Worcestershire Musical Competitions to be held, the choirs and choral societies who usually take part in them are provided by the Committee with opportunities of musical study, and this year and last they have assembled in the Cathedral and given a joint performance of the work chosen for practice. This year the performance was part of Handel’s “Samson,” and it was sung in the Cathedral by choral societies from all over Worcestershire and members of the Worcester Festival Choral Society…Mr. John Booth sang the music of Samson with high artistry. He gave a very beautiful rendering of the recitative and air “Total eclipse, no sun, no moon,” expressing pathos with feeling…There was a large congregation and a collection was taken in aid of the Hospital at St. Bonaventure, Haute Marne.

A Position of Uncertainty: At a meeting of the County Committee of the Worcestershire Branch of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families’ Association Col. Stringer explained that he had received letters asking what was to become of them after June 30 (when all payments to the womenfolk of soldiers would cease to be paid through the agency of the Association, but would be paid by the new Committees set up under the scheme of the Naval and Military War Pensions’ Act). He could only reply that they were “as you were.” Since the war began they had been making the payments to the women under the National Relief Fund. That work and that only was to be taken out of their hands after June 30. The other work of the Association would still go on.

Dog Show: At Nottingham Championship Fox Terrier Show, Mr. A.E. Bishop of the Tything won 2nd and 3rd prizes.

Meat Still “Up:” At the Worcester Cattle Market today, Messrs. Bentley, Hobbs and Mytton sold a fat bull, sent by Mr. J.P. Powell, of Mathon, for £53 15s., and another, sent by Mr. W. Pope, Leigh, for £51. A bullock, from Mr. W.S.Fisher’s farm, Hallow reached £50 15s. At the corresponding sale two years ago the highest price in the market was £28.

Old Malvernian Lost: Acting-Lieut. T.E.L. Marsh, Royal Marines, who lost his life in the sinking of HMS Russell, aged 19, was the second son of Fleet-Surgeon and Mrs. Marsh, of Liss, Hants. He was educated at Malvern College, whence he passed into the Royal Marines just before the outbreak of the war, and was appointed to HMS Russell in April, 1915.

Prayers for Colwall Men: As there are more than half a dozen Colwall young men in the Worcestershire Yeomanry, considerable anxiety has been felt for their safety, and at the Parish Church on Sunday the Rector (the Rev. Dr. Harris) offered prayers on their behalf.

Lord Selborne, the President of the Board of Agriculture has agreed to attend a conference of county agriculturalists next Saturday week. His lordship has approved of the programme, which will include short speeches from half a dozen farmers in distinct phases of the labour problem and other agricultural questions. These farmers will represent the views of the dairy farmers, the general farmers, the hop and fruit growers, and the market gardening industry. Lord Coventry (the Lord Lieutenant of the county) will preside.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.