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Key dates over September 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 2

23rd September 1916 - DSO for Second-Lieut. Victor Noel Houseman Symons, Worcs Regt. – For conspicuous gallantry. He rescued a wounded man under enemy fire.

1st Batt: Hostile trench mortars did considerable damage.

2nd Batt: St Martins Lane and parts of the Front Line were shelled with 4.2s and a few gas shells. St Martins Lane was smashed in 2 places. C Coy worked in the night to repair the damage.

4th Batt: Football matches were held and Z Coy beat Y Coy and X beat W Coy. Capt Stokes-Roberts won the Officers` Revolver Competition with a score of 32/48.

Bright Lights: Sir, - Will you allow me to call attention once more to the brilliancy of the lamps at the corner of Bilford Lane, in the Droitwich Road, and to one or two in the Ombersley Road, and ask why it is considered necessary to have these particular ones so bright? In some towns-Birmingham and Evesham, for instance – there are no lamps lighted at all. Why should the citizens of Worcester be exposed to more risk than those of other towns? Surely travelling in Worcester is no more dangerous. RESIDENT.

Distinguished Service Order: Major (Temporary Lieut-Colonel) Philip Edmund Vaughan, Worcestershire Regiment – For conspicuous gallantry in action. After a long advance under very heavy machine-gun fire his battalion was held up by wire, but with another officer he forced his way through, got his men into a village, consolidated and held his position there, and captured over 150 prisoners and ten machine-guns.

Military Cross: Second-Lieut. Leslie Johnston, Worcestershire Regiment – For conspicuous gallantry. He went over the parapet twice in broad daylight and brought in wounded men from “No Man’s Land.”

Second-Lieut. Victor Noel Houseman Symons, Worcestershire Regiment. – For conspicuous gallantry. He rescued a wounded man from “No Man’s Land” in broad daylight, though enemy snipers were firing at him both going out and coming in. He had previously done good work bringing up trench mortars and ammunition under heavy shell fire.

Second-Lieut. Henry Jepson Paddison – For conspicuous gallantry during operations. He went over the parapet in broad daylight and brought in a wounded man, who was lying 75 yards from the enemy trenches and 150 yards from our own. The man was severely wounded, and had to be carried a few feet at a time.

There is a proposal to be put before the Poor Law Unions Association that the name and title “lunatic asylum” shall be dispensed with. Somehow each of the two words, harmless enough in itself, has come to have a kind opprobrious significance. “Insane” is better than “lunatic” from that point of view and more correct, but in fact no one epithet describes correctly the condition of all the unfortunate mentally unbalanced people in these institutions. “Lunatic” perpetuates a fable about the moon and certain forms of mental disturbance, but “asylum” is really an appropriate word apart from its recent associations. Indeed, its ancient Greek meaning is akin to “refuge.” The Dewsbury Board of Guardians has suggested the title “mental hospitals” for these institutions, and there appears no objection to it if some kindly ingenious person can find no better. In the meantime, what about erasing the word “workhouse” for ever?

Ombersley Brothers Killed: News has been received that Pte. Frederick George Wild (27), and his brother, Pte. Reginald Wild (22), the elder and younger sons of Mr. and Mrs. George Wild, of Toronto, Canada, and formerly of Fruitlands, Ombersley, have been killed in action in France. Their Commanding Officer, Capt. George Purves, says: “The Brothers Wild were killed in an action by a Minenwerfer, both meeting with instantaneous death. They were buried in individual graves, near Ypres. They died as soldiers would wish, in the front line trench.” Both the young men had been in Canada for about five years, leaving for England last April to enlist in a Highlanders’ Battalion. Another son of Mr. and Mrs. Wild, William, is in khaki, and has been wounded.

Ticket Inspector’s Fall: On Thursday, William Holder (60), a ticket inspector, entered a railway carriage at Shrub Hill Station to examine the tickets. He did not notice that the train had moved to the end of the platform, and, in stepping out, fell on the metals, suffering from injuries to the back and slight concussion. He was taken to the Infirmary, where he is progressing favourably.

Content researched by the Worcestershire World War 100 project team.