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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: 0

25th January 1918 - Meet rationing in force in City

Rolling casualty count: 8479

War Front:

2nd Batt: Batt relieved the Royal Scottish Rifles in the Front Line.

2/8th Batt: A foggy and quiet day

10th Batt: Batt proceeded to the line in right sub-sector, relieving the 6th Wilts. 2 OR were wounded.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Reg inspected by Gen Chauvel, Corps Commander, who had many complimentary things to say about it. Rumours of an early move are rife.

Home Front:

An emergency meeting of the City Food Control Committee was held at the Guildhall today. On the motion of the Dean, seconded by Mr. Fairbairn, it was decided unanimously that a rationing scheme for meat be at once put in force, and that the Executive Officer be instructed to endeavour to get it sanctioned for 11th February, the same date that the rationing scheme for tea, butter and margarine comes into force.

This morning, as on Thursday, practically every butcher’s shop in the city was closed. In some cases where they had any meat customers were admitted one or two at a time, but most of the shops were barred and bolted. It is expected that there will be more meat on sale tomorrow than last Saturday.

Mr. George Williams , the well-known boat proprietor was putting up his boats for the night, when he was told by a man named Thomas Watkins that there was a woman in the river. He jumped into a small boat immediately. Rowing to a point about 80 yards below the Severn bridge, to which he was attracted by the cries of a large crowd on the bank, he heard the splash as of a hand on the water. He looked and presently a hand shot up out of the river beside his boat.Grasping this, he quickly drew the head and shoulders of a young woman out of the water…The young woman, whose name is Ada Berkes (26), was taken to the house of Mrs. Ludlow in Hylton Road, where she was attended…Mr. George Williams has effected innumerable rescues from drowning and his son, Pte. Alfred Williams, holds two certificates of merit and also the Medal from the Royal Humane Society.

In Worcester a rally of the Land Army Girls will be held tomorrow, when the certificates gained at the Midlands Counties Test Meeting, held at Birmingham in October last, together with the Board of Agricultural Land Army Badges will be distributed. The girls, about 96 in number, are employed in farm work, forage, and timber supplies, and they will come from all parts of the County, and, in order to get here on time, some of them will have to start very early in the morning. They have to be back at their posts the same night.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team