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Key dates over June 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

Lives lost on this day: 0

14th June 1917 - THE EARL OF COVENTRY’S CHAUFFEUR

Rolling casualty count: 6641

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt marched to Ypres and billeted in the Infantry Barracks-accommodation good.

3rd Batt: Batt moved to forward area again and relieved the 15th Cheshires. Men distributed in the old trenches 300 yards south west of Messines. About midnight the enemy shelled us and hit A Coy Cooker, killing both horses and wounding the drive rand 3 other ranks.

4th Batt: 2 officers and 75 other ranks joined from Base.

10th Batt: Batt resting and cleaning up. 2nd Lt HJ Luckman was granted the Military Cross.

11th Batt: Batt relieved the Argylle and Sutherland Highlanders in the front line near Berkidi. Summer heat had caused military action to die down.

SMD RFA: At 1.30am B, C and D Coys covered a raiding party of the 4th Glos who were attached to a post. The raid was unsuccessful as our men ran into a strong German patrol in No Man`s Land.

Home Front:

THE TRIBUNALS, COUNTY APPEAL – Malvern Tradesmen to Join the Colours – Twenty three cases came before the Worcestershire Appeal Tribunal at Malvern Police Court on Tuesday. At the outset Mr Willis Bund alluded to official correspondence, from which it appeared that if an employer’s appeal failed, the man then had the right to make a personal appeal. It he was out of time and the Local Tribunal liked to hear him, then he was entitled to come before the County Tribunal, supposing his wished to appeal against the decision of the Local Tribunal. This was an important point, in regard to which the attested and un-attested were placed on exactly the same footing.

THE EARL OF COVENTRY’S CHAUFFEUR – The Earl of Coventry appealed through his agent, Mr Hill, for his chauffeur, Harry Jelf Preece (41). It was stated that as Lord Lieutenant the Earl had to attend many meetings in connection with the War and that owing to his lordship’s advanced age it was necessary to have someone whose careful driving he could have confidence. Preece was given exemption last year on the grounds he was doing work of national importance, but now that Certificate had been withdrawn by the Upton Tribunal, on the appeal of the Military on the ground that as thousands of petrol licenses would be withheld, numbers of chauffeurs over military age would be thrown out of employment.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team