8th July 1918 - Theft of Duckling

Rolling casualty count: 10217

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt in training am. A cross-country run was held pm.

2nd Batt: Major Symons visited the Batt. There were several new cases of influenza. US officers and men were relieved by another party.

4th Batt: W Coy carried out a demonstration in “Attack In Open Warfare” for Brigadier General Freyburg. 2nd Lt WGA Collins and a draft of 23 ORs joined the Batt.

Home Front:

The effort of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire R.A.O.B. to sell bricks and also by a sale of auction, to aid the Mayor’s Fund for Disable Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Homes, has been well patronised. On Saturday the Joint Hon. Secretaries (Messrs. W.H. Austin and W.H. Pawley) received from the local manager (Mr. S. M. Overall) on behalf of Messrs. Mitchells and Butler, of Birmingham, a cheque for £12 10s. to purchase 1,000 bricks for the building of these homes. The Bricks Committee hope that other firms will emulate this example by purchasing bricks in quantities. It may be mentioned that at Thursday’s and Saturday’s Fete on the County Ground, the ladies together with the Chairman of the Brick Committee sold £6 6s. worth of bricks.

Theft of Duckling: Fanny Smith, married woman, 28, Charles Street, was charged with stealing a live duckling, value 2s. 3d. belonging to Jane Kite, Stonehall Common, Kempsey. Mr. T. Coombs defended. Ernest Biddle, 1, Cyril Road, said he saw the defendant take a duckling out of a basket and hold it down by her side. He told Mrs. Kite to look after her ducks and defendant then said that she would buy two of them, and she took two. Mrs. Kite counted her ducks and found that she was one short. She told defendant that she had three, but defendant denied that she had. Three ducks were actually found in her pocket. A boy who stood near her said he saw defendant put the duck in her pocket. Detective Handley said defendant was under the influence of drink at the time he saw her. On Mr. Coombs’s advice defendant then pleaded guilty. He said defendant had been working very hard, and she was given a glass of port wine, which overcame her. She did not know what she was doing. He himself could testify that she was of good character and there was no need for her to steal the duck. Defendant fainted during the hearing of the case, and seemed in a weak condition generally. Mr. Coombs asked the Bench to bind defendant over. She was fined 15s.

A meeting of the District Wages Committee for the County of Worcestershire was held at Worcester on Monday July 1st, the Chairman (Col. E. Vincent V. Wheeler) presiding. It was reported that the Agricultural Wages Board had fixed 30s. per week as the minimum rate of wages for male agricultural labourers, with overtime at the rate of 8½d. per hour for all hours worked in excess of 54 per week in summer (48 hours per week in winter), and 10d. per hour for all Sunday work. The Committee has now secured offices at 5, Foregate Street, Worcester, and all communications as to permits of exemption should be addressed the Secretary, Worcestershire District Wages Committee, at that address.

A special meeting of Church School Managers was held at Trinity Hall on Saturday, for the discussion of what is known as the Worcester scheme for the settlement of the religious difficulty in Church Schools. The scheme, of which an outline has already been published, was formulated at a series of round-table conferences between Churchmen and Nonconformists in Kidderminster. It was put before the Church Association Society at its annual meeting, and was deferred for consideration by other bodies interested in Church education. At the last meeting of the Church Schools’ Managers and Teachers’ Association, a printed copy of the scheme was placed in the hands of members, who decided to study it and come to a decision at a future meeting. The meeting also had before it a comparison of the Worcester and Oxford schemes.

Capt. J.K. Gaunt, R.A.M.C., who has been attached to the No. 14 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, since the autumn of 1914, has been awarded by the French Government the “Medaille d’Argent de l’Assistance Publique.” He is the son of Dr. J. Penn Gaunt, late of Alvechurch, whose younger son, Capt. E.T. Gaunt, R.A.M. C., was killed on October 9th, 1917.

Local Honours: Bar to D.S.O: Maj. (T./Lt.-Col.) H.A. Gray-Cheape, D.S.O., Yeomanry: He led a charge against the enemy’s guns with the utmost gallantry and determination. The enemy’s gunners were firing at point-blank range, but the guns were captured and the gunners put out of action. Col. Gray-Cheape was drowned in May, being on a vessel which was torpedoed.

Local Honours: Military Cross: Lt. H.M. Adams, Worc. Regt: He set a splendid example of courage to his men during a heavy bombardment of the position and rendered valuable service during an enemy attack by organising small parties and leading them forward to threatened points in the line. His coolness and disregard of danger were of the greatest value in the defence of the position.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team