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Key dates over November 1917

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Lives lost on this day: 6

19th November 1917 - Runaway Horse

Rolling casualty count: 8143

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt moved to trenches at 2pm and relieved the 2nd Lincs in Sector N at Passchendaele.

2nd Batt: Batt cleaning up the camp which had been taken over from the Canadians.

4th Batt: The day was spent drawing battle stoves and issuing them to the Batt. Men resting as much as possible. Parties under Capt Maryatt and 2ndLt Bruton reconnoitred the route to the assembly area.

2/7th Batt: Men provided working parties and some went to the baths. There were football matches and boxing competitions pm.

2/8th Batt: There was a Brigade Boxing Competition and Pte Clarke won the heavyweight title. There were prizes won in musketry, best Rifleman, best Rifle Grenade section, best Lewis Gun section. Lt Brown won the Best Individual Sniper. Sgt Clarke died of wounds.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Reg woke up to pouring rain and cold wind and bivouacked at Junction Station.

Home Front:

The King and Queen, with Princess Mary, spent Saturday afternoon among the wounded soldiers in Whipp’s Cross War Hospital, on the edge of Epping Forest. A bouquet was presented to the Queen, who promptly distributed the flowers among the wards. The King, Queen and Princess talked freely to the patients. A little boy named Harold McDermott was lying in the old infirmary on the King’s route with a bandaged head. He was so anxious to see the King and Queen that he stripped off his bandages and with only a nightshirt on ran down to the open space past which their Majesties were to walk. He was promptly “fielded” by a nurse, who wrapped him in a shawl, readjusted his bandages and held him in her arms. When the Queen stopped outside opposite to the little group the nurse told her the story of Harold’s exploit.

Mr. H.A.L. Fisher, Minster of Education, speaking at Church House on Saturday, said: “Farmers are not converted to the benefits of education. They regard it as a wicked germ infused into the body of the agricultural labourer which, when it reaches flowering-point, expels the youth of the country from the villages and drives them into the towns. Schools have nothing to do with it. The boys leave for other reasons – low wages, bad housing, insufficient social amusement and no opportunities for talent. We must change all that.”

The Cathedral is a glorious building for a great ceremonial service, but sometimes the greatest possibilities of impressiveness are lost. That was the case on Sunday morning, when there was a congregation of some two thousand, to whom the Dean appealed to express their feelings in prayerful hymns. The war’s horrors and sacrifices have unified us in sorrow as we have never been before. When in communion of appeal for heavenly solace the congregation sang “Jesu lover of my soul” they were helped to express the urgency and fervour of the prayer by the proper choice of a simple tune which all knew and which all were able to sing with heartiness. But the contrary was the case with other hymns. Instead of the hymn “To Thee our God we fly” being associated with the well-known tune in the Ancient and Modern book which all could have sung, the congregation were asked to try to sing it to an unfamiliar tune in the English hymnal and the result was a failure.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones, of 5, Bowling Green Terrace, Worcester, have been notified that their youngest son, Pte. C.W. Jones, Gloucestershire Regiment, was reported missing since October 10th. Previous to joining up in December last, he was employed at Messrs. Willis’s boot manufactory. He has been at the front since April. He is 19 years of age.

To the Editor: Dear Sir, - The Deputy-Chairman of the Royal Commission on Waste Paper come to Worcester a few days ago and as Chairman of the Streets Committee, I was asked to meet him. He informed me the large quantity of paper which the Commission are called upon to supply to the Ministry of Munitions and showed clearly that it is of national importance to preserve every bit of waste paper. The Streets Committee are already collecting paper by means of bags attached to the refuse carts, but the Committee feel that more may be done in this way and confidently appeal to the every householder to be sparing in the use of paper for lighting fires and to put aside every bit of paper not actually required for use in the house and to keep it separate from the ashes and ordinary house refuse and hand it to the refuse collectors when they call at the house. By doing so we shall be helping to win the war and as the paper thus collected is sold by the Council, we shall be helping the city finances as well. Yours faithfully, A. Arrowsmith Maund.

Runaway Horse: Outside the Cattle Market today a horse belonging to Mr. F.J. Harber, of Martley, became frightened and bolted in the direction of Shaw Street. Opposite the Paul Pry Hotel the cart to which the horse was harnessed struck a dray in which was seated Mrs. Elizabeth Lamb of Ombersley, throwing her out and breaking the small bones of her left wrist. She was afterwards attended at the Infirmary. The horse was afterwards caught by a milkman and led back to the Cattle Market.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team