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Key dates over April 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 0

9th April 1917 - Battle of Arras. British forces advance over 5km (3½ miles) on the opening day. The Canadians seize Vimy Ridge. Fighting continues until 4 May with increasingly heavy casualties. Battle of Arras. British forces advance over 5km (3½ miles) o

Rolling casualty count: 5785

War Front: 1st Batt: Batt cleaning up equipment and clothes. Batt provided carrying parties.

2nd Batt: Batt ready to move at 6 hours` notice. Great –coats, haversacks and mens` dirty change of clothing were withdrawn and stored at Brigade Store at Bienvillers.

2/7th Batt: Relieved by the 17th Royal Scots and went to Division Rest at Croix Molignaux, where they had baths.

2/8th Batt: Batt moved to Athies taking over from the 35th Division. Capt. Tomlin admitted to hospital.

4th Batt: Batt warned to be ready to move at 6 hours notice. There was a demonstration of contact patrol work by aeroplane.

SMD RFA: OC 211 Brigade came to Brigade HQ. B and C Coys were sent up for attachment to this brigade. D Coy moved into action at the Quarry.

Home Front: Few Holiday Makers – Fewer holiday makers than usual are reported to have left London for the seaside this Easter, and the same remark applied to holiday makers in Worcester, wherever their destinations may be. Visitors arriving or passing through the city yesterday were very small in number. Only a small number of people left the city, and the visitors to Malvern from Worcester were not more than the number who usually travel there on Sundays.

ANTHRAX CASE IN WORCESTER – Supposed Imported Germ – The City Coroner held an inquest at the Infirmary, this morning as to the death of Clara Taylor (36) 63 Copenhagen Street. Mr Allport, Acting House Surgeon at the Infirmary said that he first saw the deceased on Monday last, when she showed him a slight swelling on the side of the neck, with a pimple, resembling a boil. He was suspicious of it and he took a sample of blood and examined it under the microscope. The result was negative, but he put on cultures to grow and told deceased to call again the next day. She did so when he made a further examination of blood from the swelling, and he found the anthrax bactilius direct. The deceased’s daughter said that she was employed as a horsehair sorter at Messrs Webbs horsehair factory in Copenhagen Street.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team