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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: 6

27th May 1916 - Yeoman writes home to tell of action at Qatia

Rolling Casualty Count: 3190

At the Front:

2nd Batt: batt preparing to relieve the 1st Middlesex Reg but orders received that all reliefs were cancelled.

9th Batt: The unhappy end to the long struggle of the relief force to hold Kut was a severe blow to the Tigris Corps. Three Divisions were lost with over 23000 casualties The Batt lost 450 men of all ranks.

On the Home Front:

Local Notes: A discussion is taking place in the “Observer” on the impropriety of alienating Church plate from its sacred uses; and Mr. Arthur F.G. Leveson Gower, of the Society of Antiquaries says: “In Worcester Cathedral two solid valuable flagons are placed with their lids off or open and filled with flowers. To the ecclesiastical authorities of Worcester, no doubt, this is very right and proper, but to the ordinary lay mind it appears of the nature of sacrilege to use sacred vessels for such a purpose.” The Dean of Worcester comments: It is extraordinary what absurd objections are made by persons who consider themselves antiquarian authorities. These flagons are of no great antiquity. The belong to the Georgian era, and are constructed to hold at least two quarts of wine, and therefore too cumbersome for ordinary use, and to what better purpose could they be put than that for which they are now used…”

The following letters from a Yeoman who was in action at Katia, east of Suez, on Easter Sunday, have been received by relatives and friends: Trooper A.L. Levi, Worcestershire Yeomanry, of Amblecote: - “Every man who got away from that had need to thank God every day for his life. It was only my horse that saved me, as we had about 20 miles to gallop. Everyone who got through was in a terrible state, as we had no water or food for nearly three days. I shall never forget Easter Sunday as long as I live. It was only by the merest stroke of luck that things are as they are.”

Information researched by the WWW100 team.