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Key dates over March 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: 1

22nd March 1917 - Absentee from Devonshire Regiment charged at Norton

Rolling casualty count: 5690

War Front: 3rd Batt: The 25th Division was attached to the 2nd Anzac Corps.

2/7th Batt: Working parties were making and repairing roads.

10th Batt: Batt moved to Ridge wood and relieved the 32nd Royal Fusiliers.

SMD RFA: Batt: pushing forward our positions but no enemy presence discovered.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Troops, Batteries and stores plodded their weary way over desert sand. A road was needed to carry armoured motor cars so A and C Coys under the command of Major Lyttleton provided working parties for the RE. . A prying aeroplane came over pm. Major Wiggin spotted a water-hole which was mostly black mud. His horse, called The Pope, decided to roll in it!

Home Front: Territorials at Football: The Worcestershire Territorial Reserve Battalion, training in North Yorkshire, which has at present, an excellent team, played the first of a series of matches with Scotch regiments recently, meeting a Highland Light Infantry side on their own ground. A rousing game resulted, and the Worcestershires only lost by the narrow margin – 2-1. The Highland team, which included several well-known League players, among them Leslie, the Irish international, played fine football, and for the greater part of the game, were the superior side. They were a goal up at the interval – from a penalty kick – and added another early in the second half. Up to this point they were worth their lead, but for the last 20 minutes the Worcestershires took the game in hand and completely outplayed their opponents. About ten minutes from the end Robinson, a Wolverhampton Wanderer, reduced the lead as the result of a fine piece of opportunism. Getting the ball from a goal mouth scrimmage, he swerved outwards and shot round a ruck of players just inside the post. Playing fine, bustling football, the Worcestershires pressed to the end, but failed to get the equalizing goal.

City Police Court: Absentee: Isaac Small (40), agricultural labourer, 4 Court, Tybridge Street, was charged with being an absentee from a Labour Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. D.S. Penlington said that prisoner arrived at Norton Barracks on Saturday morning, and broke away at night. Chief-Inspector Smith said that the escort was waiting for prisoner, He was handed over to the escort.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team