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Key dates over September 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 5

12th September 1916 - Shell shock soldiers at Powick Asylum burden on the county rate.

1st Batt: Batt inspected by CO in very fine weather.

2nd Batt: A Coy relieved a Coy of Lancs Fusiliers and the remainder of the batt took over Reserve position. Two officers joined for duty.

4th Batt: Batt in Firing Line with much shelling and shrapnel from the enemy. A great amount of timber was carried from Hell Fire Corner for the Batt HQ.

2/8th Batt: Men were allowed to rest.

10th Batt: Batt relieved by the 10th Royal Warwicks and took over billets at Romerin.

Powick Asylum: A large number of soldiers were now suffering from shell shock, causing temporary mental derangement. The War Office dealt with them by asking a man where he was born, and sending him to the County Asylum. They saw how this worked out in the case of a man born in Worcestershire, but who married and settled in Leicester, from where he joined the Army, and was afterwards sent to Powick Asylum, where, however, he was sent on to Leicester, as his settlement was found to be there. But 20 had been sent to Powick, and if no settlement was found they would become a charge on the rates.

On Friday His Majesty the King invested Lieut.-Colonel William Gordon, Worcestershire Regiment, with the insignia of the Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. Colonel Gordon was mentioned in despatches for his work at Gallipoli last year.

Twenty Victoria Cross awards – eight of them dead men are announced in the “London Gazette.” One is awarded to Pte. Thomas George Turrall in the Worcestershire Regiment which makes the third V.C. which has come to the County Regiment in this war. During a bombing attack by a small party against the enemy, the officer in charge was badly wounded, and the party having penetrated the position to a great depth was compelled eventually to retire. Turrall remained with the wounded officer for three hours, under continuous and very heavy fire from machine guns and bombs, and, notwithstanding that both himself and the officer were at one time completely cut off from our troops, he held his ground with determination and finally carried the officer into our lines after our counter attacks had made this possible.

Mrs. Clay, of 11, New Bank Street, Barbourne, has received information of the death in action of her husband, Pte. Alfred William Clay, or the Worcestershire Regiment. The Chaplain of the Battalion says,” Pte. Clay was in the trenches when he was killed by a shell. His death was instantaneous, and he can have suffered no pain. I am very sorry to say that, owing to the conditions there at the time, it was necessary to bury him where he fell, but you may be sure that should it become possible later to mark his grave this will be done. ..” Pte. Clay had been at the front five weeks, he leaves a widow and two children. He has five other brothers serving, James was wounded on the same day that Alfred was killed.

Content researched by the Worcestershire World War 100 project team.