Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over March 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

14th March 1918 - City Police Court: Street Footballers Charged

Rolling casualty count: 8553

War Front:

2nd Batt: Batt relieved by 9th HLI and went forward to relieve the 16th KRRC in the Front Line.

4th Batt: The whole Batt moved into Irish camp as the Brigade came out of the Line into Brigade reserve, relieving the 1st Royal Guernsey Light Infantry. There was much shelling by the enemy around the Camp and 2 OR were wounded.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Regiment was inspected by the Duke of Connaught.

Home Front:

Worcester Infant Health Society: Dr Mabyn Read reported on the infant death rate of the city during 1917. He said he was glad to be able to say that it was considerably lower than ever before. (Applause.) The average for the last five years was 83 per thousand. Last year it was 64. (Applause.) The rate for England and Wales was 97 per thousand, and in the 148 smaller towns (among which Worcester was) the average was 93. So that Worcester stood extremely well compared with the rest of the country.

City Police Court: Street Footballers: Ernest Norman, Walter Causier, Raymond Harold Dines and Philip Roland Phillpots, were charged with playing football in St. Mary’s Street; G. Cyril Lucy, Horace Frederick Burton, Harold James Fletcher and Arthur Walker, were charged with playing football in Happy Land West. All defendants were fined 2s. 6d.

Perry Wood, famous for the scene of important fighting in connection with the battle of Worcester, has been shorn of several hundreds of trees which have made it a familiar vantage point for many generations. A few trees remain here and there, but the crown of the hill has been bared and only an accumulation of brushwood, tree stumps and props innumerable remain. This work of demolition is being carried out by the Government, who need the wood for war purposes. This wood is only one of scores in all parts of the country which have been taken over by the Government for this purpose. Most of the trees were oak (including many fine specimens) and these will serve as pit props. The smaller wood will also be utilised and the brushwood sold locally. The work is being carried out by men of a Labour Battalion, assisted by a number of women workers from the city.

The ”London Gazette” records the award of the Military Cross to Lieut. A.L.C. Wintle, Royal Inniskillin Fusiliers and Old Vigornian (a former member of the Hostel), who lost his life in winning it. The record states that “during assembly in an attack he showed great courage. When his Company Commander was wounded he took charge and led the Company over the top. Although wounded, he continued to lead his men until wounded severely a second time. He had to be carried in. He showed a great example to his men.”

Labour Soldier’s Fatal Wounds: Mrs. Bertha Oakey, of 39, St. Clement’s Square, Tybridge Street, Worcester, has been notified of the death from wounds of her husband, Pte. Harry Oakey, Labour Company. He was aged 45. He joined the Labour Company in 1915, and went straight to the Dardanelles, where he was attached to the Anzacs. He served there until the evacuation and then went to France, where he had been serving since. He was wounded in the head, hand and had his right leg amputated. He leaves a widow and three children.

Accident to the Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy: This morning, in High Street, Mrs. Stapleton Martin, of “The Firs,” Whittington, was driving her motor-car past Messrs’ Boots’ shop, when the Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy, of Bishop’s House, Landsdown Crescent, not noticing the car, wheeled her bicycle across the road. The motor-car knocked her down and went over her legs. She was taken into Messrs. Boots’ shop and later Mrs. Stapleton Martin drove her home. Mrs. Ogilvy said that she was not hurt, and that there was nobody to blame.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team