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Key dates over September 1918

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Lives lost on this day: 6

26th September 1918 - Battle of Champagne and Argonne. French and American troops begin a steady push against the Germans along the southern part of the front. Fighting continues until 15 October.

Rolling casualty count: 10724

War Front:

2nd Batt: A CO`s Conference was held at Batt HQ and the area was heavily shelled.

3rd Batt: At 3am the Batt on our right regained its position on the road where they regained touch with our Batt.

At 3.30am the enemy again attempted to counter attack but was again repulsed by Lewis gun and rifle fire. Infantry on both sides active all day. 2Lts GT Brush and B Newcombe were wounded.

Batt handed over the Line to the 8th Glos in the night

4th Batt: Just before dawn the enemy fired on an a party carrying breakfasts to front Line Posts. At 6am 2 enemy were spotted advancing to our left and were fired at. One man fell but the other surrendered. He belonged to the Cops troops and was advancing with his listening set as he had been unable to intercept our messages for the past 14 days. Batt was relieved by the 2nd SWB and moved back to Bobstay Castle

Notice received that the following men had been awarded the MM for operations east of Bailleul:

Sgts A Bright, H Carpenter, C Hands, LCpls C Westcott and J Young and Ptes J Field, W Goode, W Griffiths, W Hampshire, E Pipe and E Workman.

14th Batt: B and C Coys moved forward to west of Moevreres into assembly positions for operations in First and Third Armies` attack. I OR was wounded.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: British Batts arrived to take over the prisoners. A and D Squadrons set out for a sweep up the west side of the Jordan Valley. Bedouins were found, laden with loot.

Home Front:

Pte. George Collins, Royal Warwicks. (son of Mrs. Walter Collins, of 26, Lowell Street, Arboretum, Worcester), was killed in action on August 30th. He joined up in May, 1916, when he became 18 years of age, and went to the front in January, 1917. In the Spring of that year he was wounded three times, being hit in the arm and legs, and also being buried in a trench. He recovered, and returned to duty, but later he was again wounded. After a period in hospital he rejoined his Regiment, and fought with them until August 30, he was killed. His Commanding Officer said of him: “He was a splendid soldier, and a very good fellow, always ready to do his work.”

General List: Today’s list includes 202 officers – killed 30, died of wounds 10, wounded 150. Six of 12 officers missing belong to the Royal Air Force. The number of casualties in the ranks is 4,454 – killed 608, died of wounds 268, wounded 3,246, prisoners of war 212. Three hundred and six non-commissioned officers and men previously posted missing are now reported prisoners of war.

Worcestershire Honours: Local Officers’ Fine Leadership: (M.C.) Sec.-Lt. J. Greig, R.F.A., Spec. Reserve: When his battery was being shelled by a heavy battery one of the registering rounds blew in the entrance to a shelter and wounded a fitter inside. This officer, with a non-commissioned officer, dug away the debris until they got the man safely out. The next day the battery was shelled with high explosive and gas for four hours, but he kept it firing all the time. The following day he was wounded in the back while reconnoitring as forward observation officer in the front line, but although in great pain he never reported it until he was relieved the next day. During the interval he collected and sent in information about the front posts, being continually sniped.

City Insurance Committee: The Chairman reported that the Pricing Bureau Executive Committee’s report showed that the value of scrips for the month of May was 9s. 10d., and on revision this was reduced to 7s. 6d. (Laughter). There were no errors in the Worcester prescriptions. Mr. Coverdale pointed out that it was possible that all the errors might have been made by one chemist. Mr. Fairburn added that in July the number of scripts dealt with was 284,000, owing to the influenza epidemic. The Chairman referred to the additional powers now given to the Health Authorities under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, which meant that no mother and no child under five years need fail to receive every possible kind of assistance, and it was not to be looked upon as a charity.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team