Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over April 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

Lives lost on this day: 12

29th April 1918 - FATAL ACCIDENT AT ELMLEY LOVETT

Rolling casualty count: 9621

War Front:

2nd Batt: Batt marched at 9am to Wardrescues. Rest of the day spent pitching tents at billet.

3rd Batt: Enemy attacked all along the line but repulsed at every point along the Div Front. Message received that enemy was on Mont Rouge, Mont Vidaigne and Scherpenberg. Batt ordered to dig a defensive flank but the rumours were unfounded and Batt was withdrawn.

4th Batt: A battle was raging in the north but it was quiet on our front. A thorough reconnaissance was carried out by the Coy Commanders.

10th Batt: Batt moved to a defensive position due south of Poperinghe but no action came.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Reg. took part in a raid on Jericho and the Jordan Valley. Reg. left camp in bright moonlight with the 5th Mounted Brigade, 2nd Australian Light horse and 3rd brigade Australian Light Horse and went to the river crossings at Ghoraniyeh and went to bivouacs at 1am for a short rest.

Home Front:

BOOKS FOR THE WOUNDED – Mrs Gaskell’s Appeal in Worcester – On Wednesday afternoon in the Vaulted Hall of the Deanery, Mrs Gaskell made an appeal on behalf of the War Library worked under the auspices of the Red Cross Society and the St John Society. For some time what was known as the Camp Library had been carried on with Lady Coventry as President and had done a great deal to procure books for soldiers. But there was to be a special campaign for a week for the purpose of trying to gather from Worcester and the district as many books as possible for the men in hospital.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT ELMLEY LOVETT – Timber Haulier’s Fate – An inquest at Pershore Police Court on Tuesday on Thomas Witt aged 34, a single man, who met an accident at Elmley Castle on Thursday which resulted in his death. Witt was working for a firm of contractors. On Thursday they were descending a hill with a loaded three horse wagon. The road was bad and the wheels of the wagon got into ruts, causing great difficulty. Hearing a shout witness looked round and saw Witt on the ground, with the wheel of the wagon on his back. Dr Askham said the man had died from a fractured skull and broken ribs.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team