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Key dates over December 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: 2

31st December 1917 - The Malverns – Nerve Stricken Soldiers

Rolling casualty count: 8432

War Front:

1st Batt: Another hard frost. The Batt New Year Concert was held. Treatment of feet and cleaning carried on.

2nd Batt: The day was spent as a holiday!

4th Batt: The Batt entered another phase of training, including anti-gas measures, musketry and bombing. A draft of 6 officers arrived. Major R Ratcliffe posted to Z Coy, 2nd Lt GS Kipps to W Coy, 2nd Lt W Pamment to Y Coy, 2nd Lts ER Smith and W Hamer to Z Coy. 8 NCOs and men rejoined from hospital.

2/7th Batt: Batt marched to Marcelcare and billeted there at 11.45am

2/8th Batt: Batt marched to Bayenvalere and went into billets. There was a hard frost and the roads were very slippery. 1 other rank to CCS.

10th Batt: Batt relieved the 8th North Staffs in the right sub-sector of the Brigade Front.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: A long line of yeomen with bundles of blankets and kit wended its way on foot to El Burj and spent the night there.

Home Front:

Disabled Sailors And Soldiers – Facts Which They Ought to Know – Major J M Reddie of the Worcestershire Naval and Military War Pensions Committee asks us to impress upon our readers that War Pensions Committee exists solely for the benefit of these men; all the arrangements for their training and treatment are carried out gratuitously by persons who are only too anxious to do what they can for such men and if any man has any bother about his pension or in need of advice or requires medical treatment or training to enable him to take up employment, all he has to do is to make his wants known to the Visitor for his district or to write to the Clerk to the Committee at the Shirehall and his wants will be promptly attended to.

The Malverns – Nerve Stricken Soldiers – At a meeting in the Public Library on Friday evening, when an address was given by Dr Sara White, the following resolution will be sent to the Pensions Minister; “To urge upon the Pensions Ministry that it is absolutely necessary, in order to provide for the future welfare of our citizen army, that local Committees, in every area should be forthwith empowered and enabled to provide convalescent homes for discharged soldiers disabled though nerve strain, where they will receive such proper care, cheer and facilities for employment as will conduce to their speedy return to a self-supporting life, such homes to be kept entirely apart from lunacy administration”.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team