18th May 1917 - US Congress passes a bill to recruit half a million men for war service

Rolling casualty count: 6368

War Front:

1st Batt: Medal ribbons presented by Corps Com and C Coy attended Parade for this distinction.

2nd Batt: GOC 7th Division presented medals to Brigade pm.

4th Batt: Day spent improving trenches and supplying fatigue parties to the front Line. One officer wounded.

2/7th Batt: Batt left Herley and marched to Nestle station where men entrained for Amiens and the marched to Villers-Bocage and billeted.

2/8th Batt: Batt marched to Nestle and entrained for Longeau and then marched to Bentangles.

SMD RFA: Batteries moved to wagon lines position along the west side of the road. At dusk 4 guns of B, C and D Coys relieved 4 guns of the 101st Australian Field artillery. 4 guns of A Coy relieved 3 guns of 1st Australian field Artillery.

Home Front:

A telegram from the “Daily News” Geneva correspondence says: The International Red Cross Society officially reports that the latest list of prisoners received from England gives the names of German officers and crews captured on board the submarines G42 and G85. The officers, it is stated, were interned at Donnington Hall, and the crew at Worcester. It is added that eight German sailors lie wounded in hospital at Dover. There are no German prisoners in Worcester, but it is probable that the reference is to the German prisoners at Evesham.

At Roberts’ (formerly y Thorpe’s), Broad Street, today there was an extraordinary display of salmon. Sixty fine fish were to be seen at mid-day. These began to sell rapidly. It was claimed that at the price offered it was much cheaper than meat and that it is unlikely that the fish will be offered so cheap again this season.

Worcester Soldier Wounded: Mr. and Mrs. Speake, 136 Landsdowne Road, have received intimation that their son, Pte. Harry Speake, of the Worcestershire Regiment, was dangerously wounded on the Salonika front on April 26th. A message received yesterday states that there was a slight improvement in his condition. He was formerly employed at Messrs. Heenan and Froude’s. He joined the local Artillery at the commencement of the war and later joined the County Regiment.

The first Worcester “War Communal Kitchen” will be opened on Tuesday next. The Sub-Committee having charge of this part of the work of the City Food Economy Committee have secured the Cookery School in Bank Street and it has been adapted by installing two cookers and making a few alterations into a kitchen, which it is expected, will be able to supply 200 meals per day. A paid cook has been engaged and in the serving of the meals she will be assisted each day by 28 voluntary helpers. A body of these helpers have organised in the form of a rota, giving 28 each day. The kitchen will be opened at noon on Tuesday by the Mayor. The menu for that day is “Savoury hot pot and dumplings, baked liver, chocolate mould, rice pudding with jam.” It is announced that the food will be sold in portions at the charge of 2d. per portion and purchasers are warned to take their own jugs and basins. The food cannot be consumed on the premises. For the days following Tuesday next week, the meals offered will be: Wednesday: Scotch stew, treacle pudding with sauce; Thursday: Lentil soup and dumplings, barley kernel puddings with treacle; Friday: Beef stew with onions, date pudding with sauce; Saturday: Fish pie, flaked maize pudding with jam.

The Chief Constable reported that a new regulation had been issued under which it was responsible for garage proprietors to send out cars for hire from their garages. Only those taxis which plied for hire in the streets could be permitted to use petrol. The Mayor explained that the local garage proprietors took out licenses to ply for hire some time ago, but they used these licenses only a short time and then stopped plying on the roads. Therefore today it was impossible to get a taxi in the city. He expected that the result would be that the garage proprietors would again ask for licenses which would enable them to ply for hire. The Chief Constable suggested that the proprietors took out the licenses to keep other people from coming into the city to run taxis and then they withdrew from the stands. They were now suffering for not having plied for hire in the past, because only those who plied for hire could use petrol. In fact they had been hoist with their own petard.

Application was made by Canon Southwell and the Salvation Army for the requisite permission for collectors to sell flags. Canon Southwell’s application was for a flag day on behalf of the N.S.P.C.A. for wounded horses. The High Sheriff thought flag days were being held too frequently and other members of the Committee concurred. It was agreed that the applications should be granted, but that the day should be fixed by the Mayor. The Mayor said if the Salvation Army request were granted for June 9th it would probably conflict with Alexandra Day on behalf of the Infirmary.