Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over October 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 31

Lives lost on this day: 5

14th October 1917 - MARTLEY COUNCIL AND GUARDIANS

Rolling casualty count: 7927

War Front:

1st Batt: Training carried out but it was hampered by the rain. Working party found at night, strength 160 other ranks.

2nd Batt: Church Parade at 10am then Batt moved up into the trenches at 5pm in front of Wulveringhem. A Coy was in the Front Line, C in right front and D in support, B in reserve.

2/8th Batt: Divine Service am. 2 working parties were provided. 2nd Lt FW Fry joined the Batt.

4th Batt: Church Parade at 9.15am. A fine day but very muddy everywhere.

10th Batt: The 57th Brigade took over the 19th Divisional Front. Batt relieved the 10th Royal Warwicks and 8th Glos. 3 Coys were in the Front Line, 1 Coy in Imperfect Copse in the right sub-sector.

14th Batt: Men engaged in improvements of communications over the devastated battlefield, laying cables and duck-board tracks, digging gun emplacements and assembly trenches. All this carried out under heavy fire.

Home Front:

THE TRIBUNALS – In the case of Oswald Beamand, entertainer, who had been given until October 17th. The Town Clerk read a letter from Beamand in which he said that he had assisted to cheer up soldiers and sailors and he enclosed a letter of appreciation of his services. He did not wish to avoid military service, but the pigeons represented his life’s work, and he had not had time to train a substitute. Beamand was training a younger brother, but he wanted a little more time to get him more thoroughly into the work. The Tribunal refused the application.

MARTLEY COUNCIL AND GUARDIANS – Coal for Poorer Classes – At a previous meeting, it was decided to purchase coal for use in necessitous cases during the winter. The Chairman reported that 40 tons of coal had been delivered and stacked at the Workhouse. The idea was to keep it until the dead of winter and in case of real necessity portion it out in small lots.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team