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Key dates over December 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: 3

20th December 1916 - Boy drowns at Northwick, Worcester

Rolling casualty count: 5140

2nd Batt Two hundred men furnished for carrying parties to take material to the Brigade Dump at Aiguille. Heavy bombardment through the night but no shells fell near Batt lines.

4th Batt: The range was allotted to W and X Coys and firing was done at 3rd class figure targets and the 3rd Class disappearing targets which was not so good.

2/8th Batt: Six men were received from Base. More men evacuated sick

9th batt: batt drawn back to reserve lines of defence, including large dug-outs which became known as “Worcester City.”

Yeomanry/Cavalry: The Turks evacuated El Arish and it was then occupied by the 1st Australian Light Horse.

Home Front:

Worcestershire Casualties – Former Railwayman Mrs Sidney Firkins of 5 Sidney Street, Barbourne, Worcester, has been notified that her husband Pte Sidney Firkins, Worcestershire Regiment, has been killed in action. He had been in the army for about two years and at the front for 10 months. Formerly he was employed by the Great Western Railway in the Sheet Sheds. He leaves a wife and four month old baby. The captain of the company says “he was always reliable, devoted to duty and a great favourite with all. He will be sadly missed by the whole company”.

Boy Drowned at Northwick – An inquest was conducted at Northwick this morning respecting the death of Arthur Cyril Boughton aged 11, of 4 Northwick Road, who was drowned in Northwick Pool on Sunday. William Gummery aged 14, said that on Sunday afternoon he went with Boughton to slide on the ice on Northwick Pool. They had been on the ice about 10minutes, when it gave way and they both fell in. There was no one near at the time. Witness broke the ice and swam and continued to break the ice. As he looked behind he could see Boughton’s head above the water. Eventually witness found his feet on the bottom of the pool. He looked round, but he could not see Boughton. Mr A Allen then came along and threw out a hurdle, then Mr Allen fetched a ladder, which he put out to and he laid hold of that. Mr Allen said that he was in Northwick Road when he heard shouts and ran to the pool, where he saw Gummery struggling in the water. Witness did not see Boughton. The body of Boughton was recovered the following day.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team