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Key dates over November 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 13

8th November 1917 - Bolshevik Government established in Russia and issues decrees on Land and Peace

Rolling casualty count: 8099

War Front:

2nd Batt: Whole Batt on working party all day to work on the new support line taken over from the 19th Brigade.

4th Batt: Batt carried out a scheme of advancing under a creeping barrage and 2 Coys reached their objectives .The attack was carried out over the old trench system near Monchy. There was a Lewis gun and a bayonet fighting competition pm .Z Coy won bayonet fighting and Y Coy won Lewis gun fighting.

2/7th Batt: 1 other rank went missing from a patrol and 7 other ranks were wounded.

10th Batt: Batt provided working party of 200 other ranks.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: At 6am after a cold night`s rest the Brigade drove the Turks’ rear guard of 3000 men back 7 miles to their artillery post and Kofkhah was captured. At 1.15pm the Col decided to attack to capture the enemy gun position and a huge depot of ammunition and stores. Major Albright and 160 Worcs, followed by the Warwicks Yeomanry, attacked under enemy fire from 4 field guns, cleared the Ridge of gunners. Men of the Warwicks were mown down but carried on and Major Albright wheeled his Squadron to the right and continued the charge. Only Lt Parsons and Pte J Williams returned unhurt and walked back to the crest. Major Toby Albright was much loved and never cruel. Sgt Allen, a Yeoman since 1896 was found dead by the guns, still grasping the sword thrust up to the hilt in an Austrian gunner. Sgt Harrison was another pre-war gunner. Major Wiggin was killed near the guns. 65 horses killed, 17 NCOs killed and 35 wounded.

Home Front:

An executive meeting of the Worcestershire Regimental Comfort Fund was held at the Capital and Counties Bank on Tuesday. It was stated that the Worcester Depot at 24, Southfield Street had become a bonded warehouse under the Central Prisoners of War Committee and that all dutiable articles can now be sent duty free to the prisoners of war. Parcels to Turkey have been allowed to be sent again since October 11th. Mrs. Wodehouse stated that she had seen two men who were repatriated in the last batch from Switzerland. One was taken prisoner at Mons and the other six months later. They both stated that they would have been starved without the parcels and were very grateful to the Fund for what they had done for them whilst they were prisoners of war in Germany.

Mr. G.H. Roberts, Minister of Labour, at the opening of a recruiting hut for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in Trafalgar Square, said: “The demand for soldiers is as incessant as ever and in fact, is greater than it has been at any time during the war. Every woman who enrols releases a man for the Army and the War Office can make use of 10,000 women a month. A steady flow of women recruits is necessary to meet the demands of the authorities. The first demand for 8,000 to 10,000 women has been met. We cannot have an inconclusive peace. We appeal to the women of England to come forward and help.”

A lecture on gardening and manuring and treatment of land for crops was given in the Schools on Tuesday. The object of the lecture was to induce all to grow more crops and what were the best ways and means to produce them. We all knew the great shortage of food in the county.

The War Office has now sanctioned the sending of a “personal parcel” to prisoners of war by relatives under certain conditions and the scheme comes into force on Dec. 1. A circular has been issued by the Central Prisoners of War Committee pointing out the conditions, from which it appears that any of the following articles may be included: pipe, sponge, pencils, tooth powder, pomade, cap badge and badges of rank, shaving brush, safety razor, bootlaces (mohair), pipe-lights, handkerchiefs (one a quarter), shaving soap (one stick a quarter), health salts, insecticide powder, braces and belts (provided they are made of webbing and include no rubber or leather), combs, hair brushes, tooth brushes, cloth brushes, buttons, chess, draughts, dominoes, dubbin, hobnails, sweets, medal ribbons, brass polish, mittens and mufflers (one pair each every quarter).

City Police Court: John Huckfield (14), 298, Astwood Road, was charged with setting fire to fireworks in Sidbury. P.C. Wynne said that the defendant put a firework on a window ledge. He ignited the firework, which broke a pane of glass in the window. Fined 5s. - A similar fine was imposed upon Francis George James (16), 10, Pheasant Street, for setting fire to fireworks in George Street. P.C. Greaves said that the firework shook the buildings in the vicinity. People came out of their houses to see what the matter was.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team