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Key dates over January 1918

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: 1

6th January 1918 - Cathedral packed for Call of Churches service for peace

Rolling casualty count: 8445

War Front:

2nd Batt: The day was spent in organising and cleaning the camp. Batt provided 260 men for working parties.

4th Batt: There was Divine Service in the YMCA hut at Petit Difques

2/7th Batt: Church Parade am. 2nd Lt E Stainton came from the 7th Reserve and joined W Coy. 2nd Lt TP Sherlock was admitted to hospital sick.

2/8th Batt: Another hard frost. 46 OR joined from Base. 1 OR wet to CC Station.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: The weather broke again and the Reg had a miserable march to Gaza.

Home Front:

The first Sunday of 1918 will be remembered long in Worcester, as elsewhere, for the response made to the appeal of His Majesty the King to the Nation and Empire to set aside the day for prayer and thanksgiving. The Call of Churches, to which we have listened for generations, was never answered in quite the same way. In Worcester, it is safe to remark that never in the history of the Churches and Chapels has the attendance throughout any one day been on such a scale. Not only the regular worshippers attended, but, judging by the crowds seen wending their way to the local places of worship, both morning and evening, it would appear that a very large number of irregular attendants answered the Royal command. The greatest number at any one service was, of course, that at the special Cathedral service in the afternoon, which the Mayor and Corporation attended in state. Every seat appeared to be occupied. It was a service worthy of a great occasion.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team