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Key dates over August 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 12

29th August 1917 - WORCESTER MAN’S DEATH

Rolling casualty count: 7438

War Front:

1st Batt: Weather stormy and enemy quiet. 16 other ranks joined from Base. 5 other ranks and 1 officer were wounded.

2nd Batt: A wet day but Coys were able to do musketry practise and attacking and consolidating of positions. A large training area on part of the cliff was allotted to the Batt.

4th Batt: Corporal Crawford was accidentally wounded by a revolver and was taken to hospital.

2/7th Batt: Batt relieved the 2/8th Worcs in Front Line and went to support trenches at Wieltje. 3 men killed and 8 wounded.

1/8th Batt: Batt marched to Vlamertinghe Station and entrained for Hopoutre, then marched to Schools Camp near St Jans Ter Bizen, arriving at 1pm.

2/8th Batt: Four platoons of the 8th Worcs took over the outpost line.

10th Batt: Batt moved to Strazelle area with billets near Meteren.

Home Front:

WORCESTER MAN’S DEATH – After lingering a week in an unconscious state at Worcester Infirmary, Mr Tom Ratcliffe of 181 Henwick Road, succumbed on Sunday morning to the injuries sustained in a cycling accident near Crowle. He was cycling towards Oddingley, where his wife and their four children were staying at her father’s farm and when going down a steep hill collided with a man, who was walking in the road. It was a very dark night. It is believed that Mr Ratcliffe was thrown over the handle-bars on to his head. The deceased, who was the manager of the old established firm T. Ratcliffe and Co., glove manufacturers, Park Street, was well known in the city as an organist and pianist, being a clever executant.

SUGAR FOR FRUIT PRESERVING – IMPORTANT NOTICE TO FRUIT GROWERS – The Women’s War Agricultural Committee at the request of the Food Production Department of the Board of Agriculture, have undertaken for Worcestershire the distribution of a limited quantity of white preserving sugar for jam making. The sugar is only available for purchase by growers of fruit and not by purchasers of fruit from growers or otherwise. The price will be 7d per lb.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team