1st September 1917 - A meeting of the County War Agricultural Executive was held today....

Rolling casualty count: 7451

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt in trenches in Warneton Sector. Casualties were 3 other ranks and 1 officer killed. Draft of 1 officer and 7 other ranks joined from base.

2nd Batt: Batt in billets and spent the day cleaning up. Also there were inspections and talks in understanding the Coy arrangements.

3rd Batt: Batt in Brigade Reserve in the vicinity of Halfway House.

4th Batt: Batt at Piccadilly Camp. Ceremonial Drill was practised in am.

2/7 Batt: Batt at Red Rose Camp at Vlamertinghe. There was a reorganization of the Coys. 2ndLt Wooldridge was appointed Assistant Adjutant

1/8th Batt: Coys were at the disposal of the Company Commander for training at School Camp. 2ndLt AR Watson joined from 2/7th Batt Worcs. 2nd Lt A Aldridge reported for duty from the 5th Army Musketry Camp.

2/8th Batt: Coy training. Men had use of baths.

10th Batt: Batt in billets for training in musketry and PT. Inspection of C Coy by the Com Commander.

Home Front:

Worcester Daily Times

Local Notes: On June 16th Mr. F.E. Alcock and Lance-Corpl. Brown jumped into the river at the public bathing place at Evesham and rescued from drowning a German prisoner, who was bathing there and was in difficulties in deep water. Herman Degand, the German prisoner (a Bavarian), has recently shown his gratitude by presenting to each of his rescuers his photograph on an illuminated framed card, on which appears the English and German flags and he has given a ring to Lance-Corporal Brown, bearing the Bavarian colours. Each diploma is signed by the Commandant and the German leader. The inscription on one is “Diploma of Honour - Presented to Lance-Corpl. Brown, Evesham, who saved the life from drowning on June 16, 1917, of Herman Degand, P.W. For his gallantry pay him much compliment. The Prisoners of War of Evesham.” There is a somewhat similar inscription on the diploma presented to Mr. Alcock.

Rumours have been current for some time that certain troops were to be removed from the city and Mr. H.J. Aubrey asked the Mayor (Ald. Carlton) if he would request Sir Edward Goulding, the City Member, to approach the authorities on the matter. The Mayor, writing to Sir Edward, pointed out that the city had given a big proportion of its sons to the Army and Navy, possibly, he said, a larger proportion than its share and he asked Sir Edward if he would endeavour to prevail upon the War Office to leave a certain number of troops in Worcester. Sir Edward at once took up the case for the city. A day or two later he received a letter from Whitehall stating “We are obliged to move these particular troops as we are establishing a larger training School elsewhere. I have, however, spoken to the Southern Command Headquarters and have asked them to send more troops to Worcester if they can so arrange. In any case there is every reason to hope that the barracks will be filled up, though, for the reasons of economy it may not be possible to fill up the buildings which have hitherto been used”

Captain Evers: News has been received in Worcester that Capt. Evers, of a Territorial Battalion of the Worcestershires, has been wounded in France. This officer, who belonged to a Stourbridge family, was interested in the Worcester Industrial Foundry.

Angling: The weather continues in a most unsettled state, most disastrous to the corn, fruit, and potato crops of the country and it has kept many anglers off the river and streams. Some of the brooks have overflown their banks. Miles of land are under water, and a substantial change in the weather and rivers would be a blessing to the country and to anglers in particular. In the Severn fair catches of dace and roach were taken with wheat and maggots at Diglis. The Ketch, Kempsey and Severn Stoke and the several competitions, were all successful on Sunday and good creels of mixed fish were also taken at Camp and the Horse-boat on the same day.

A meeting of the County War Agricultural Executive was held today: Captain Gregson read a letter from the Food Production Department relative to an inquiry as to hops between which other crops had been cultivated. The letter stated “that the acreage interplanted with other crops need not be taken into account for the purpose of the regulation (limiting the crop) provided that a suitable crop is grown and the bine is so cut, pulled or otherwise treated as not to interfere with the growth. But the work of cropping between rows of hops would not in itself be deemed to institute compliance with the regulation if the interplanted crops were picked.” Mr. Ward said the communication meant that the Department would not commit itself to an explicit statement.

Information researched by the Worcestershire World War 100 team