28th September 1918 - Battle of the Flanders Ridges. In Belgium, Allies make a strong advance from Ypres that begins to push the Germans back. Fighting continues until 10 October.

Rolling casualty count:10748

War Front:

3rd Batt: Batt relieved by the 2nd Wilts, 58th Brigade and moved to Reserve at Higes.

4th Batt: Hot tea was sent to the men at 4 am before “jumping off.” Zero hour was 5.30am and the 29th Division, with the 9th Division Belgians, attacked with little resistance to Stirling Castle. At 9.22am the Batt leap-frogged through the 87th Division on the flanks of the Menin Road, passing through Inverness castle and capturing Gheluveldt. A large number of prisoners were taken and some field guns. Owing to heavy fire, further advance was impossible.

14th Batt: All Coys worked on crossings, tracks and roads. At 9.45am the whole Batt was ordered by GOC Division to close work and concentrate on the sugar factory on the Bapaume to Cambrai Road. At 4.30pm the Batt moved to west of Cantaing. B Coy moving off to the trenches east of the village to be ready to work on the Canal de L`Escaut if required.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Reg back in the old camp at Balata. The Wadi Fara is remembered as the “Valley of the Shadow of Death.”

Home Front:

Worcester Food Control: At a Sub-Committee meeting at the Guildhall on Friday the Dean presented a report on the satisfactory financial working of the National and Communal Kitchens, and it was decided to appoint Miss Collier, of London, who has had special training in this kind of work to manage the kitchens in Worcester, in place of Miss Williams who has obtained another appointment. It was also arranged to open the kitchen in Bank Street on Tuesday next, and to be guided by results whether the kitchens in Mealcheapen Street and St. Clement’s shall be opened, or await the coming of Miss Collier in about three weeks’ time to enter on her duties.

Concert at Battenhall Hospital: With the coming of the dark evenings entertainments for the wounded in Battenhall Hospital have recommenced. Latterly, C.S.M. A.H. Darby has been busy in arranging programmes to help to brighten some of the evenings of the men. Happily, there is in the hospital at present time a number of men who are specially qualified to help him. There is Lce.-Corpl. Trew, formerly in the Chester Cathedral Choir, who has a tenor voice of exceptionally pure quality; Pte. Elgar, who also has a good voice of the robust tenor kind and can sing expressively; Pte. Chapman (who sings well); and Pte. Cook, who contributes the lighter element. These and members of the staff gave an excellent concert on Friday night. The patients, staff, and a few visitors greatly enjoyed the programme. There was an impressive rendering of “Tommy” by Pte. Elgar (who was propped up on his crutches, and sang the popular song with exceptional taste.

Mr. Albert Bird, the well-known Worcestershire cricketer, and now the licensee of the Fountain, Angel Street, has had a seizure. Though in a serious condition, he is reported to be going on favourably.

On Sunday at the Cathedral the morning and afternoon services will be a thanksgiving for the successes of the Allied forces in Palestine. Before matins a joyful peal will be rung on the bells, and at the close of the service a solemn Te Deum will be sung.

St. Mary’s: A successful whist drive, in aid of the school funds, was held in the school, on Thursday evening. There was a numerous company, 39 tables being occupied. The prizes were given by friends and the funds will therefore benefit a considerable amount. The chair prize was handed back by the winner and sold by auction by Mr. Hill.

Today’s “Flag Day” in Worcester is for the Mayor’s Fund for Homes for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors. It is part of an effort, referred to by the Mayor in his letter to the Press this week, to raise the total fund to date to £6,000. The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve plans for the preparation of Barbourne College grounds as the site of the Homes, and it is proposed to perpetuate the glorious deeds of the Worcesters at Gheluvelt, where they saved the Line, by naming those grounds as Gheluvelt Park. Happily for the enthusiastic lady collectors, the weather this morning was all that could be desired. Some of them started their labours at 7o’clock, and long before midday, there were very few people to be seen in the main streets who were not wearing the little flag, of which a stock of 50,000 had been secured.

A meeting of the County Advisory Committee under the Venereal Diseases Regulations was held at the Shirehall on Friday morning. The Chairman commented on a report prepared by Dr. Fosbroke of the work of the Advisory Committee appointed last year, and remarked that the report was not altogether satisfactory, but the work undertaken had been well done. In certain districts nothing had been done except for the Sub-Committees to write letters about what they intended to do (Laughter). Canon Edmondson said that no meetings had been held at Upton-on-Severn. There was no evidence of incidence of disease in the district, and while they were not averse to meetings, he thought it would be very undesirable for the lectures to show how disease resulting from immorality might be dealt with. Such information would be very undesirable to be placed before young people. Dr. Dixey said he was sorry to hear that opinion. Mr. Bund said he had been told that there were people in Upton suffering from venereal disease. Miss Payne pointed out that it was not only through immorality that people caught the disease. The Worcester and District Friendly Societies Council wrote that they had amended their rules to allow members suffering from venereal diseases to claim sick pay. Dr. Bates suggested that district nurses should attend the clinics on the female day so that they might be educated in the clinical aspects of the disease, and send cases earlier. Mr. Bund said the committee owed Dr. Bates a debt of gratitude for his work in organising the department at Worcester Infirmary, and also for his work with Miss Murphy in arranging the classes for nurses in the city.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team