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Key dates over January 1917

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: 2

21st January 1917 - Inducements to grow oats to local farmers

Rolling casualty count: 5221

War Front: 2nd Batt: It was a cold, frosty day and men went for a short run and then cleaned up the camp.

4th Batt: Cleaning up am. 100 men went to Montauban Baths pm

2/7th Batt: D Coy in billets at Domvast. Church parade am.

9th Batt extended trenches towards the Hai Salient, Mesopotamia

10th Batt: Batt was relieved from the trenches and moved billets in Reserve at Leuvencourt and Bertrancourt.

Home Front: An inquest was held into the death of Ann Smith, aged 74, of the Old Toll House, Broughton Hackett, which took place on the previous Wednesday through being knocked down by a motor car…Dr. Liptrot said deceased was a very active person for her age, and her hearing was very good. On the night of the 8th inst. he was called to see her at the New Inn. She was covered with mud and suffering from shock. The top of the left ear was cut off and the ear nearly torn from the scalp. There were also minor scalp wounds and the deceased was cut about the back of the left hand. She went on well at first but later developed tetanus. The Jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.”

Army’s Bonus to Farmers: With a view to inducing farmers to break up grass land for the growing of oats, and so reducing freightage from abroad, and the consequent drainage of gold from this country, the War Office are offering a special bonus: The Army Council offers to contract at 41s. 3d per quarter of 320lb. for oats from the harvest of 1917. The Food Controller has fixed the price of oats for the same harvest at 38s. 6d per 336lb. The Army Council’s offer is strictly confined to oats from suitable land now in permanent pasture. The intention is to have a large increase in the arable area of the United Kingdom, to save cubic space in ships by growing oats here instead of purchasing them from abroad, to prevent the export of gold, and to produce more straw for forage purposes. Those who accept the Army Council’s offer must apply suitable artificial manures to a minimum value of 25s. per acre.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team