6th September 1918 - A remarkable tomato plant

Rolling casualty count: 10560

War Front:

2nd Batt: Lewis gunners were on the Range. There was a cricket match against the Glasgow Highlanders which was won by them by 23 runs.

3rd Batt: Batt still in the same position and hostile artillery was active at night. A few booby traps exploded in the vicinity and one dug-out exploded which Batt HQ had only vacated 48 hours before.

Lt Col HA Carr DSO took over command of the 144th Brigade. 2nd Lt L McLean reported for duty from 46th Infantry Brigade.

4th Batt: Batt moved off by Coys to a camp south east of Balleul, arriving at 7am, and rested.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Plans were being made for the “Last Act of the Turkish drama.”

The Egyptian Expeditionary Force was being reorganised into a fighting force.

Home Front:

To The Editor: Dear Sir, - Now we are asked to economise in household fuel and lighting, can anything be done to stop the waste of light and power by the running of the tram cars after 9 o’clock at night, to say nothing of the horrible noise they make in running? It is quite impossible for anyone going to bed early (and this is what we have got to do to save the coal and light) to get any proper rest or sleep, because of the abominable noise the cars make in running between the Bromyard Road and the Malvern Road terminus. I am sure, for the complaints one hears from residents in this district that something ought to be done to try to stop this nuisance, which, at times, is enough to wreck one’s nerves, and thereby cause a breakdown in health. Yours truly, F.L.

Mr. George E. Grove has grown a remarkable tomato plant at his nurseries at Littleworth Street, Evesham. At the present time it bears 101 tomatoes of fairly large size, with the exception of two, and nearly half of them are ripe. Apart from these not less than 15 ripe tomatoes have been cut from the tree, whose total yield is thus 116 tomatoes. The tree is over six feet in height and has 18 branches. It is estimated that the produce will amount to about 25lbs. So far as tomato culture is concerned (writes a correspondent) it is realised that there is a great opportunity for improved varieties which will yield not only larger quantities but better quality fruit than has hitherto been produced.

The Admiralty notifies the appointment as Acting Gunner of Warrant Officer Herbert Victor Perkins, youngest son of a Worcester journalist, of 24, Arboretum Road. The officer was educated at St. Martin’s School and the Victoria Institute Secondary School for Boys (since discontinued), entered the Navy at the age of 16, and has seen a good deal of foreign service. The man-of-war on which he was serving was engaged in safeguarding merchant shipping when war broke out, and two valuable enemy cargoes – 5,000 tons of corn and 5,000 tons of coal – were seized as prizes.

Hungry Strikers Steal Potatoes: Four hop pickers, Thomas Butcher, Clara Taylor, Elizabeth Pratt and Ruby May Pratt, all of Birmingham, were charged with stealing 37lbs. of growing potatoes from a field at Brockamin, Leight, value 3s. 1d., the property of Mr. Walter Pearce Pope. They pleaded guilty. Mr. Pope saw the prisoners pulling his potatoes and putting them in two bags and an apron. They said they were fairly caught. The prisoner Taylor said they had been out on strike, and she thought the potatoes would do her children good. They were under the impression that the potatoes belonged to Mr. Leeke, for whom they had been working. Other hop-pickers in Court, relatives of the prisoners, said the Black Country people came out on strike, as they were dissatisfied with the rate of pay at Leigh. They had had nothing to eat. Dr. Dixey said the Bench would take a lenient view. Each prisoner would be fined 5s., and would be allowed a week to pay. Even if there was a strike, they had no right to do this sort of thing.

Scouts’ Swimming Shield: Swimming and diving competitions for the Worcester Scouts’ Shield, which was given by Sir Herbert Whiteley, M.P., was held on Thursday evening in the Severn. The pouring rain at the start did not prevent the event from taking place. The officials discharged their duties in a most satisfactory manner. The marks awarded were ten for first place, seven for the second, and five for the third. Each troop was allowed only to enter one boy for each race except the one across the river and back. St. Barnabas won 57 marks and thus won the shield.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team