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Key dates over March 1918

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Lives lost on this day: 1

4th March 1918 - Drummer Boys Charged

Rolling casualty count: 8529

War Front:

2nd Batt: Batt visited by welsh MPs with Major Gen Penney.

4th Batt: The attack scheme was done again but after the 1st objective had been taken, small parties of the Royal Newfoundland Reg and the 2nd Hants attacked on right and left. Batt drove both out successfully.

Home Front:

Drummer Boys Charged: At the Worcester County Police Court today, Ronald Frederick Gilmore (15) and Henry James Trott (15), drummers, were charged with setting fire to a rick, valued at £70, the property of Arthur Betteridge, Broomhall Farm, Norton. Gilmore said that they had been excused band practice and were lighting “fags” behind the rick when they suddenly found that one of the matches which they had thrown down had set fire to the rick. They tried to put it out, but could not, so they ran away. The rick was partially destroyed. They were remanded till next Petty Sessions.

Affiliation: Frederick Harris, market gardener, Mill House, Hawford, was summoned by Annie Adams, single woman, 88, Oldbury Road, Comer Gardens, with respect to her illegitimate child. Mr. Coombs appeared for the defendant, who denied paternity. In support of the claim Mr. Tree read a number of letters. In one defendant said “I will certainly do my part; don’t worry.” The child (a girl) was born on Jan. 9, 1918. In evidence, applicant said that defendant offered to marry her and said that he would look after the child. Applicant’s mother said that one night she met her daughter with the defendant and he denied that he was the father of the child. Later, he said “Yes, it’s me.” Witness said that he “cried like a child.” Mr. Coombs said that one of his witnesses had not been served with a subpoena and as he was a material witness, he asked for the case to be adjourned.

Workmen’s Visits to the Front: Another party of workmen’s delegates will visit the Western Front this week. They assemble in London today. Mr. George Spinner, Secretary of the Operative Glovers’ Trade Society, is going as the Worcester representative.

Cattle Market Supplies: There was a much better entry of fat cattle in the Worcester Market today, 47 being sent in as compared to 26 last week. This was the highest total of any week since the restrictions. The sheep numbered only 134, against over 200 last week. There was again a short supply of pork, only about 14 fat pigs being sent in.

German Raid Fails Through a Cough: A special war correspondent writes: “One of the big batch of German raids these last few nights failed badly because the officer in charge had a bad cold on his chest. When they came to our wire he was seized with a fit of coughing which he could not overcome. He was heard by our outposts. Immediately rifles and machine-guns began to splatter bullets thickly in the direction from which the sound of coughing came. The enemy had bad losses and retired.

Meat Rationing Scheme: This Scheme will come into force on Monday, 25th March next and will cover Meat of all kinds, that is to say, Butcher’s Meat (including Pork), Offal and Suet, Bacon and Ham, Sausages, Poultry and Game (including Birds of all kinds killed for food), Hares, Rabbits, Venison and Horseflesh and Cooked, Canned, Preserved, Potted and miscellaneous Meats of all kinds. Meat in all cases includes bones, whether stripped or not. At the outset the ration will be the same in value or amount for all persons over ten years of age, with a half ration for children under ten.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team