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Key dates over February 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

Lives lost on this day: 11

23rd February 1917 - Two dozen men from 2/8th evacuated sick in last few days

Rolling casualty count: 5517

War Front: 2nd Batt: The Raiding Party practised on the hill and had a rehearsal of the raid in conjunction with the RE.

4th Batt moved to Combles via Harocourt and Maurepas. W and X Coys in good dug-outs at Haie Wood.

2/8th Batt: There was a slight improvement in conditions. Heavy shelling in the evening but no damage sustained. 12 men evacuated sick.

9th Batt: An attack was made in the early hours. Leading troops ferried across the river on pontoons and a floating bridge was constructed. The Turks were hemmed in and presently they surrendered—100 in total. The 9th men in Reserve were able to bathe in the river.

10th Batt: 25 men working under the RE. There was a kit inspection.

SMD RFA: Brigade HQ prepared to move into action to command left sub-group on re-organization of Divisional Artillery in to 3 groups, but this was cancelled.

Home front: Shelsey Beauchamp’s Egg Collection – During the past twelve months collections of eggs have been made in the parish of Shelsey Beauchamp for the benefit of the wounded soldiers at Battenhall Hospital, Worcester.

National Service – Worcestershire Scheme Inauguarated – held at Worcester today, the Chairman, Mr Willis Bund, expressed the hope that all persons from the age of 18 to 61 in the county (estimated at from 140,00 to 150,000) would enrol. He expressed regret that there were to be two exemptions from the general appeal. The first was the clergy, who were told that they were to enrol through the Bishop. He was sorry that they did not come in exactly the same time as everybody else, and bear their part in the burden. The second exemption was the teachers, who were told by the President of the Board of Education not to volunteer because of the depleted staffs. He regretted that very much, because it seemed to make to make teachers a case apart at a time when there ought to be no class distinctions.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team