8th January 1918 - American President Woodrow Wilson announces '14 Points' that he believes could form the basis for a peace agreement

Rolling casualty count: 8449

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt in the trenches and 11 OR were wounded. Heavy snow fell. 2 OR joined the Batt.

2nd Batt: Batt provided working parties . Pte F Edwards was given the FGC Medal.

3rd Batt: Batt relieved the 9th Loyal North Lancs in the Line. Snow fell heavily all am making the going very difficult.

4th Batt: Heavy snow storm caused cancellation of range practice. The brigade Armourer visited the Batt. A draft of 99 OR joined from the 14th Pioneer Batt, Worcs Reg.

2/7th Batt: B Coy representing 183rd Brigade , was inspected in Roye Square by Gen Sir H de La P Gough, KCB, KCVO, commanding the 5th Army.

2/8th Batt: More snow fell and there was a hard frost. The Army Commander visited the area.

Home Front:

Meat Shortage in Worcester: Colonel Livingstone, the Executive Officer for the Worcester Food Control Committee, received this morning, instructions requiring the Committee to make arrangements to obtain from all the butchers in the cit returns as to the quantity of meat sold by them in October, 1917, and the quantity which they would require weekly for the next few months based on 50 per cent of their sale during October, 1917. The Committee have then to report on it to the Auctioneer Chairman, also to the Divisional Commissioner, and endeavours will be made by them on receiving that return to send carcasses from other places to make up the quantity required in Worcester as far as the total supplies will permit.

‘Commander’ for Willis Bund: The New Year Honours lists contain many awards of the new Order of the British Empire for work of national importance during the war. The names were published in the “London Gazette” on Monday. Among the six Dames Grand Cross is Queen Alexandra. The new Knights Grand Cross number eight, and there are over sixty Knights Commanders, and 270 Commanders. Mr. Willis Bund’s services are too well known in Worcestershire to need narration in detail. This is the first notice which has been paid to the prodigious public service which he has rendered in a dozen or so of offices for over a quarter of a century. It seemed impossible, in pre-war days, that he could add to his activities, but since war broke out he has done so in several directions. He has acted as Chairman of the County Appeal Tribunal, Chairman of the County War Relief Fund, Chairman of the Worcestershire Fruit and Vegetable Society, and has rendered help to a number of movements which have been initiated in connection with the war.

An Old Elizabethan: Mr. and Mrs. R. Stevens, of 12, Rowley Hill Street, St. John’s, have received news that their youngest son, Pte. Wilfred Stevens, was killed by machine-gun fire while leaving the trenches. He joined the Worcestershire Regt. In January, 1915, under the Derby scheme, and went to France about five months ago. He was killed on Dec. 26th. He was 23 years old. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School…A letter from Lce.-Cpl. Rabjohns says: “…His comrades tell me he was caught by machine-gun fire, and died shortly after being wounded in the thight. I believe that Lieut. C. Smith was with him at the end; so that his last moments were eased by one of his old schoolfellows…”

City Police Court: Thomas William Oakey Benbow, cabinet maker, 14a, High Street, made an application for Bertram James Crump (14), an apprentice, of 4, Cannon Street, to continue his duties as an apprentice. The indenture was to last from April 10, 1917, for six years. Complainant said that on Dec. 13 he asked defendant to prop up a wardrobe more securely. The defendant, however, knocked the prop from under the wardrobe, and if witness had not caught it it would have been smashed. Witness told the boy to leave the shop and to return when he could behave himself…The defendant’s father alleged that Mr. Benbow had used his boy to collect rent, fetch bread, meat, clean fenders and fetch beer. The boy was in the Cathedral choir and was a teetotaller, and witness did not approve of his boy entering a public house. The Bench said that they did not know whether Mr. Benbow and defendant and his father would get on well together, and the case would be adjourned until Jan. 15th.

Frost: At the Waterworks on Monday night nine degrees of frost were registered. On Sunday night there was no frost.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team