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Key dates over October 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 5

8th October 1917 - DROWNED IN THE SEVERN

Rolling casualty count: 7726

War Front:

1/8th Batt: At 9.30pm the Batt marched to the Springfield-Vancouver area. Coys dug in west of Springfield.

4th Batt: W Coy were in the left Front Line, X Coy on the right on either side of Ypres-Staden Railway Station in the old German trenches known as Bear and Leopard. Y Coy was in left support and Z in right support. HQ was at Spring Farm. Patrols were sent out to reconnoitre Broembeek and much useful information was gained. At 5.30pm Batt HQ moved to a blockhouse in Bear trench. Z Coy moved from Martin`s Mill. Shell holes behind Leopard trench. During the night tapes were laid out in front of the Line to form up on.

10th Batt: Coys reorganising and cleaning up tents and dugouts etc.

14th batt: Batt HQ established in a camp at Elvertinghe.

Home Front:

YPRES AND THE WORCESTERS – The more the battle of Broodsoinde last Thursday is concerned the greater does the victory appear to our London contemporaries and other commentators. The strategical value of the gains is seen and the vista of the Belgian plains stirs the imagination as might the first glimpse of the Promised Land. The restoration of Belgium – by forced arms and not part of a peace higgle – appears no idle or distant dream; the battle of Broodsoinde brought us to a point which from which it is possible and natural to look forward – and backward – with emotion.

DROWNED IN THE SEVERN – Singular Evidence at Worcester Inquest – The City Coroner resumed at the Guildhall the inquest respecting the body of a man found in the river on September 22nd. Harry Ricketts Ferryman of the Dog and Duck Ferry gave evidence that he recovered the body and P.C. Harrington. Coroner’s Office gave a description of the body and of the clothing. He said there were no marks of violence on the body, which had been in the water about nine days.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team