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Key dates over May 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 5

4th May 1917 - Missing, presumed dead

Rolling casualty count: 6302

War Front:

1st Batt: large working parties completed the line of Outposts

2nd Batt: PT before breakfast. After platoon drill there was more foot inspection followed by feet rubbing. All officers attended a conference with the Divisional Commander.

4th Batt: The ammunition dump was set on fire through carelessness. It was a 1/4 mile from the billets but debris and shell fragments fell near us and one man wounded.

2/7th Batt: A patrol of 5 men with L.Cpl. Blackburn moved due east to the Gricourt-St Quentin Road, which was in good condition apart from a few holes. Enemy machine –gun fire opened up from Kilworth Sticks area so patrol withdrew.

10th Batt: Patrols went out to examine the craters and reported that the enemy front line was un occupied.

11th Batt: Batt moved to bivouacs behind Waterfall Hill.

Home Front:

Mrs. Wood, of Malvern, has received the following letter from a Canadian Major: “Your brother, Private H.B. Gibbs, was originally reported ‘missing,’ as no trace could be found of him after the action. It now appears, upon further investigation, that a large calibre shell was seen to explode in the machine-gun position of which your brother was in charge and no trace could afterwards be found of any members of the crew or the gun. It is therefore presumed that all were killed. I may say that your brother carried out his duties at all time with credit to himself and the Battalion and during our first engagement on the Somme assisted materially in stopping all enemy counter-attack by his coolness and precision under most trying circumstances.”