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Key dates over October 1918

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Lives lost on this day: 13

8th October 1918 - Worcester Officer’s Death

Rolling casualty count: 11007

War Front:

1st Batt: Constable and Crane Trenches were occupied with no opposition.

3rd Batt: In the early am the leading platoon had advanced halfway to Locon. The enemy rear guard still held the village and there was intermittent sniping fire.

4th Batt: During the pm, Capt. C Hackett MC, DCM, 2nd Lt SJ Rye and 6 ORs captured 13 prisoners and a machine gun from a post 400 yards to their front. Lt CG Sneade, 2LT W Pamment and a small group captured 1 officer and 1 OR near the same spot.

1/8th Batt: A and D Coys led the raiding party on the trenches behind Morar House, under Lt LR Bomford. The ruins of Morar House were unoccupied and 61 of the enemy were dead in the trenches. Again the Batt of well-trained men had proved the advantage of determined troops over a half trained and demoralised enemy.

Home Front:

The Food Problem – Free Hand to Farmers – The policy of compulsion upon farmers to plough is to be considerably relaxed in the Government programme of cultivation for next year. Urgent general appeals to break up grass will be discontinued and every effort made to encourage farmers to increase the productivity of land already ploughed.

Worcester Officer’s Death – Gas Poisoning and Worry – The circumstances surrounding the death of Sec. Lt. Edward Hammond, Worcestershire Regt., who was found dead at 35, Marlborough Road, Gloucester, on Wednesday evening, with a revolver by his side, were the subject of a Coroner’s inquiry at Gloucester on Friday. Mrs Mabel Hammond, widow, said deceased had served in India, the Dardanelles and France, was wounded twice and gassed in August last. He arrived at his mother’s house at Worcester on September 21st on sick leave and four days later came home to Gloucester. At times he was very much depressed, which witness attributed to the effects of the gas poisoning. He went out to post some letters and five minutes later witness heard the report of a revolver. The Coroner read a number of letters and documents which showed that he meditated taking his life. In one to his wife he stated that he was tired of it all; and other letters indicated that he was worried about his mother’s ill health. The Jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team