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Key dates over November 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

Lives lost on this day: 4

16th November 1916 - First Silver War Badges to be issued to wounded veterans

Rolling casualty count: 4928

1st Batt: Batt moved back into support at Flers in bitterly cold weather.

2nd Batt: PT before breakfast and then more drill and Fire-control in am and bayonet practice in pm.

4th Batt: Batt marched to La Briqueterie Camp near Bernafay Wood.

10th Batt: Working party of 300 men found for work with the RE.

Home Front:

Workhouse Porter Missing: Pte. Herbert Bower, who until enlisting soon after war commenced was porter at Worcester Workhouse, is reported missing. He came through the Boer War with the R.A.M.C., and came from Huddersfield to Worcester. He has been engaged by the Guardians for some years as a porter. He was in a Cyclist’s Battalion attached to the Sussex Regiment. Nothing had been heard of him for a month past till Wednesday night, when the Master of the Workhouse (Mr. R. Roberts) received a message to say that he has been missing since October 21. His wife is still portress at the Union. He has three children. [See 24th November]

The New Silver Badge: One of the first men (if not the first) in the city to receive the silver badge, to be worn by invalid soldiers on discharge, in place of the gold stripes worn on khaki, is Pte. Harry Keatley, of the Worcestershires. Called up, as a Reservist two years ago he was wounded in France after serving three months at the front. Recovering, he returned to the front, but was invalided out of the Army from the effects of illness contracted there. The silver badge is a rather striking decoration, on which appears “For King and Empire; services rendered.” Two of Pte. Keatley’s brothers are still fighting.

A Fearless Territorial: Pte. F.C. Stone, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Stone, of 108, Astwood Road, Rainbow Hill, a Worcester Territorial, has been killed in action. In a letter of sympathy to his parents, his Captain says that Pte. Stone was killed by shell fire, and was buried in the trenches, it being impossible (because of the shell fire) to remove his body. He adds: “He was acting as my orderly at the time, and I am sorry to have lost him, as I have rarely met anyone so unaffected by danger.” Pte. Stone was aged 20, and had been in the Army for about 12 months. He had been at the front for about six weeks. He was formerly employed at Messrs. Maggs’ Stores, Shambles.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team