11th September 1917 - One of the French air force's leading fighter aces, Captain Georges Guynemer, shot down and killed in Belgium

Rolling casualty count: 7494

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt relieved by the 2nd Batt Royal Irish Rifles and proceeded to Bulford lines on the east side of the Neuve Eglise - Steenewerck Road in Divisional Reserve.

2nd Batt: Coys paraded for Coy training again and were allotted A Range at 9.20am.

3rd Batt: Batt marched to billets at Thiennes near Steenbecque and was now in the First Corps.

2/7th Batt: Batt relieved at night by 2/6th Glos.

2/8th Batt: Transport Lines were again bombed.

10th Batt: Batt proceeded to the trenches in front of Battle Wood, taking over from the 6th Bedfords and 10th Loyal North Lancs. The enemy shelled the Imperial Communications trench with tear and gas shells. 10 other ranks were casualties. A draft of 74 other ranks joined from Base.

Home Front:

Helping the Army to Win: In a letter to Lady Londonderry, President of the Women’s Legion, Mr. Prothero, President of the Board of Agriculture, says “ In almost every part of England and Wales there are now some 200,000 women who are doing a real national work on the land. They are carrying on to the farms that same patriotic enthusiasm which inspires their men folk by land and sea. Like them, they have cheerfully borne their share of hardship and discomfort. Like them, they have set up a high standard of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty. They are truly helping their husbands, sons, and brothers to win the war.”

Zeppelin Relics for Exhibition: The Mayor of Worcester’s Fete at Perdiswell Park, in aid of the Homes for Sailors and Soldiers promises to be a very great attraction, The Mayor got in communication with the Admiralty and secured for exhibition the relics of the super-Zeppelin which was brought down on Oct. 1st last at Potters Bar. It includes one of the gondolas, a Maybach, six-cylinder 250 horse-power water-cooled engine, with two of the cylinders dismantled and parts of the bomb-dropping gear. The battered state of the wreckage tells an eloquent story of how the doomed baby-killer struck the ground and there is ample evidence of the scorching of the fire. The public will remember that the L31 and L33, which were brought down, are of the latest and largest type built. The 19 or 20 balloonets must have held no less than two million cubic feet of gas. The remains that are placed at the Mayor’s disposal by the Admiralty of this huge Zeppelin must be of the very greatest interest and this opportunity of seeing them should not be missed.

Mrs. Willmot, of 21, Diglis Road, has received notice that her husband, Pte. J.H. Willmot, Dorset Regt., has been admitted into hospital suffering from gunshot wounds in the right shoulder, left thigh and feet and is going on as well as can be expected. Previous to joining the Army he was employed for a number of years at Messrs. Dent, Allcroft and Co. He is the eldest of four sons of Mr. and Mrs. Willmott, of 14, Diglis Road. They had a family of four sons and all of them are doing their bit for their King and country. J.H. Willmott is the author of the following “Shrieking shrapnel, bombs and high explosive shell, Mud and hardships fail my cheerfulness to quell; For I’ve ever in my mind thoughts of those I’ve left behind, Who from Blighty round me weave a loving spell.”

County Council Meeting: Mr. Willis Bund, Chairman, spoke of the damage to gardens and allotments in the county by boys from 12 to 16, saying that he had suffered from the depredations of those young gentlemen who were members of the hatless brigade. Presumably, there were Scouts (the Scoutmaster having gone away) and they roamed about in batches, robbing orchards. The trouble was that the lads could not be flogged for those offences. If the lads knew that they would be sure of a flogging if they were found out, it would be a deterrent. Some protection ought to be given to the owners of the fruit. No doubt if he were a boy he should have done the same, but he would have been flogged (as he deserved) for his conduct. (Laughter)

County Council Meeting: Mr. Willis Bund, speaking of the quarterly report of the Naval and Military Pensions Committee, said that Major Reddie had told him that there were now a thousand disabled men in the county and it was desirable that they should do all that was possible for them. It was hoped to arrange day classes where boot repairing and basket making could be taught. The only difficulty was whether those men would have trouble in getting employment because they would not have served an apprenticeship according to the Trade Union Rules. He hopes that that would not be insisted upon.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team