Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over October 1918

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Lives lost on this day: 18

23rd October 1918 - Fatal Gun Accident

Rolling casualty count: 11244

War Front:

1st Batt: The Defence Scheme was altered and it necessitated the digging of a new trench between the main Arleux Road and Tommy Alley. Another very hostile gas attack commenced resulting in casualties of 1 officer and 10 ORs. I OR was killed and 2 OR were wounded.

2nd Batt: Batt had a practice ceremonial parade outside Serques ready for the presentation of medals by the Divisional commander. The Batt was commended for excellent turn –out of all Coys and for all their past work.

4th Batt: Batt strafed by the enemy as usual in early am. At 11 am enemy sent over mustard gas on the support line area. Capt. RH Marryatt and 2Lt JLP Talbot returned to the transport lines prior to going on leave, leaving only 13 officers in the line.

Home Front:

Fatal Gun Accident – Wichenford Woman’s Tragic End – As the result of a particularly distressing gun accident at Wichenford on Friday, the young woman named Beatrice Winders, aged 27, daughter of Mr and Mrs W Winders, formerly of Cockshut Farm, Wichenford, and now of Holywoods Farm, Grimley, lost her life. She went out on Friday morning with her brother, Horace Winders, aged 19 (who lives at the farm). He had with him an American single-barrelled gun, with which he was shooting rooks. When returning his sister said, “Let me have a shoot”. She was holding a bottle in her hand and somehow, when she was about to take the gun, the bottle dropped on the butt. Immediately there was an explosion, and the unfortunate young woman received the full charge in her body. She remarked “I am shot”, and died almost immediately. Dr Dykes of Witley was sent for, but he could only pronounce life extinct. An inquest will be held.

Influenza in Worcester – The outbreak of influenza which has been raging in various parts of the country for the past week or two has reached Worcester. It appears to be most prevalent among the school children, quite a large number of whom have been attacked. St Barnabas school is closed, and the attendance at other schools in the city this morning was so poor that it was expected that they would have to be closed. As the disease is not notifiable to the City Medical Officer, it is impossible to give any estimate of the number of cases, but the local doctors are stated to be exceptionally busy. In a good many cases several members of the same family are down with the disease.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team