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Key dates over April 1918

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Lives lost on this day: 81

10th April 1918 - Third Military Service Act passed by the British parliament increasing eligibility for armed service to those aged up to 51 and men living in Ireland

Rolling casualty count: 9162

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt relieved the 2nd East Lancs in the trenches at 10pm after sudden orders.

2nd Batt: Batt marched at 9am to Sus-St Leger to go into Reserve to the 6th Corps, but Batt was recalled and returned to billets. Rumours of strong enemy offensive near Armentieres and Bethune so Batt ready to move at short notice. In the evening the Batt was sent to Aobigny where men entrained.

3rd Batt: Batt made good the Berks, Sussex and Lancs posts in the early hours. Two prisoners captured during the night. Enemy worked a way round the right flank so men drawn back from Berks and Sussex posts and took up a position left of L`Hallobeau and inflicted severe casualties on enemy from there. At 2.30pm Batt withdrew to the Steenwercke to Armentieres railway with right flank at the Station. At 6pm the enemy came along the railway and attacked the left flank, capturing Lt HV Richards, the Lewis gun Officer. Batt withdrew from enfilade of machine gun fire and were near the 4th Worcs.

4th Batt: Batt relieved in Passchendaele Sector by 23rd Middlesex and arrived back in School Camp at 6am, having been in the Line for 18 days. Batt arrived at La Creche at 4 pm. There was a constant stream of refugees, wounded and straggler, guns and transport moving back towards Bailleul. Batt deployed with remainder of 88th Brig and established a position at La Creche covering the approaches from Steenwercke and the south east. Batt caught enemy coming down the railway line in columns of 4s and dispersed him with Lewis gun and rifle fire. Night spent consolidating our position and patrolling next to the 3rd Batt Worcs.

10th Batt: At 5.30am enemy barrage started and German infantry flooded forward with 13 Batts. All the officers of 2nd forward Coys fell and Coy Sgt Major SW Brush and Coy Sgt Major F Yeates took command. Sgt B King took command of his platoon, held up 2 enemy attacks and then covered the withdrawal of his troops. Soon after 6.30am, the last defences had fallen and the enemy swarmed into reserve trenches, killing many defenders and breaking the line. Some 50 leaderless men of the Batt made their way up to high ground south of Pick House. At the summit of the Ridge, the 88th Brigade RFA took guns there and blasted the enemy, helped by our Batt men with borrowed Lewis guns and rifles. They were led by Capt. Dougall. Enemy was repulsed and at dusk orders came to withdraw.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Men could visit Jaffa with its many orange gardens, tea-houses and bars. The erstwhile “Gott Straffe England” biergarten became the “Anglo-Australian tea House and Restaurant.”

Home Front:

WAR HONOURS – Fine Deeds by Wor’shire Officers – BAR TO D.S.O. Major (Actg Lieut Col) C S Linton, D.S.O. M.C., Worcs. Reg. In the initial arrangements for an attack, which resulted in the capture of the first two objectives, as well as during the action and the consolidation after, he displayed marked ability and leadership as well as fearlessness in exposing himself when necessary. Major Linton has been in the Regiment many years. He served in the South African War. In this War he has been mentioned in dispatches, received the M.C., the D.S.O., in June 1916 and the fact that he has been awarded a bar to it was announced in Nov., 1917.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER – Lieut Col H Gogarty, Worcs. Regt. He was wounded early in the operations and though he was suffering much pain, he refused to leave his post and remained in command of his Battalion during three days of heavy fighting. He showed great courage and resolution and largely contributed to the successful defence of the sector against repeated enemy counter attacks.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team