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Key dates over September 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: 5

3rd September 1917 - Germans capture Riga on the Baltic coast using their new 'stormtrooper' tactics

Rolling casualty count: 7463

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt relieved at night by 2nd Batt, Northamptonshire Reg. and moved to Brigade Support. 5 other ranks killed.

2nd Batt: A Coy marched over to the range near Norsefolinghem and spent the day there. B, C and D Coys were training on the parade ground for specialist training. The “Shrapnels2” performed in the evening.

4th Batt: Batt paraded for ceremonial drill for the coming presentations of decorations. By 9am enemy aircraft were flying over the camp but no bombs were dropped.

2/7th Batt: More training all day. 2nd Lt JC Swanson reported for duty as Event Officer.

2/8th Batt: Coy training and medical inspections. Camp was lightly shelled at night but there were no casualties.

10th Batt: Batt attacking over shell hole practice according to the Brigade Scheme. Inspection of gas helmets by the Divisional Officer. In pm there was a football match of Batt v 8th Glos, result 1 -0!

Home Front:

Match Shortage: The “Cigar and Tobacco World” for September states that in July Great Britain imported only 138,888 gross of boxes of matches, this being 94,264,272 boxes, or 6,000,000,000 matches, fewer than the corresponding month in 1915.

A Mammoth Mushroom: Mr. Townshend, of the Green Farm, Grimley, found on Sunday a mammoth mushroom, growing in a field. It was 44 inches round and 16½ inches across.

Aeroplane on Fire: Major Bannatyne, D.S.O., C.O., has been admitted to the Cirencester Hospital seriously injured as the result of a flying accident. Unaccompanied, he was flying over the Cotswolds and had attained a height of 1,000 feet when he found something had gone wrong with the engine and immediately the machine began to descend. Almost immediately flames burst out and finding the fire on his legs the Major got from the pilot’s seat and climbed from the body of the machine on to its tail. In this dangerous position the flames rapidly reached him again and the aeroplane continuing this descent the officer slipped down the frame and held on by his hands. Throughout this terrifying ordeal Major Bannatyne retained his presence of mind. Just as the machine was likely to crash into a shed the officer cleared the structure and jumped to the earth, landing in a piece of freshly dug ground. The aeroplane was completely wrecked.

Dearer Petrol: As from today the user of petrol will pay 8½d. per gallon more for his spirit. This announcement is made in circulars simultaneously issued by companies interested. The companies say that the increase is due to the enhanced cost of ocean transportation, consequent on the great increase in the rates under the Government’s war risk insurance. At the present rates a motorist might purchase a certain grade of petrol at 3s. 2d. a gallon. For the same class of spirit he will now pay 3s. 10½d. plus the 6d. tax, making a total cost of 4s. 4½d per gallon.

To the Editor: Dear Sir, - Coming along Sidbury on Sunday, I was the witness of a dog fight. They were going at it pretty fiercely. Some R.E.’s tried to part them, but in vain. Presently a man arrived from the shop nearby, evidently thirsting for a fight, for he brought out a stick – one which would have felled an ox. He belaboured the dogs unmercifully till at last one poor thing dropped like a log. Bystanders said the man had killed it but happily he had not. I think that a man who was so proud to show off his knock-out abilities ought to be in khaki, and ought to practise it on the Germans not on a poor dog. A bucket of water would have parted the dogs. A Friend of Dumb Animals.

Pte. R.H. Thornbury, Worcestershire Regiment, has been wounded by shrapnel in both arms and is now in hospital in France. He is the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Thornbury, of Alfrick and before the war was employed by his brother-in-law Mr. James Forshaw, Hatter, of Lowesmoor, as manager of one of his five shops. He joined the Army in November 1915 and went out to France in May of the following year. His chums write of his invariable cheerfulness and of how they miss him. They say that when he was being conveyed to hospital, he wished them all good luck.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team