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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: 15

1st November 1916 - Miners return to the pits

Rolling casualty count: 4775

1st Batt: Batt struggled back to Trones Wood through mud and drizzle.

2nd Batt: Orders to attack Hazy trench at Albert. Capt Ferguson killed a sniper near the gun pits. Attack launched at 3.30pm but Coys forced to retire back to trenches by heavy rifle and machine gun fire. There were 80 casualties.

3rd Batt: batt relieved 9th Devon Reg, 7th Division in trenches at le Touquet sector east of Le Bizet, left of Essex Farm.

4th Batt: Day spent cleaning as men very muddy from the trenches. Lewis gun carts and transport also cleaned. A draft of 2121 other ranks arrived with a conducting officer.

2/7th Batt: Batt marched from LEclair to Cuachy a laTour and billeted there.

2/8th Batt :Batt marched from Busnettes to billets at Floringham.

10th Batt: Some German snipers resulted in several casualties. Patrols reported that Desire trench was held.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Men camped at Hod Bayud and continued training.

Home Front:

Body Shields for Sir D. Haig’s Troops: Mr. Forster, Financial Secretary to the War Office, told Mr. Hazleton in Parliament on Tuesday that a report on the subject of body shields for the troops at the front had been received from Sir Douglas Haig, and steps were being taken to meet his wishes. It was undesirable to give further details.

No More Miners as Soldiers: The Home Secretary announced that, in accordance with the decision of the Government, about 11,000 men have been returned to the mines. As the output of coal is still far short of requirements, and the men have been released to assist in increasing the output, there can be no question of releasing other miners for enlistment in the Army.

Concert at Battenhall Mount: On Tuesday night, Mr. F. Lightowler took a party of his pupils to Battenhall Mount, and gave an excellent concert to the wounded soldiers. The programme was composed of songs which all the ‘boys’ knew well. Therefore they enjoyed the solos, and lustily helped in the choruses. As a result they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Almost all the songs were encored, and at the close, Mr. Lightowler and his friends were cordially thanked.

Dead Heroes of Naval Fight: The bodies of a lieutenant of the R.N.R. and that of another man, who were killed in the Channel fight, were taken to their homes by rail yesterday, the officer’s body being taken to Carlisle. The coffins, conveyed on an Army Service Corps wagon to the station, were followed by 200 officers and men of the R.N.R. A pathetic incident was that the lieutenant’s dog, which was on board during the fight, came up with the crew, and followed the cortege.

Information researched by the Worcestershire World War 100 team