Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over November 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

Lives lost on this day: 3

25th November 1918 - Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck ends his long campaign in German East Africa and surrenders undefeated

Rolling casualty count: 11546

War Front:

1st Batt: Batt still in billets at Tournai. Three ORs joined the Batt.

4th Batt: Batt moved to new billets in Limelitte.

14th Batt: Batt working on the embankments clearing debris.

Home Front:

This morning Mr. John Kent mounted a rail in the Worcester Cattle Market, and made a vigorous protest against the inhuman treatment of British prisoners of war by the Germans. He would like to send a resolution of protest to the Prime Minister. After enlarging on the latest German atrocity, Mr. Kent submitted a resolution of indignant abhorrence at the German treatment of British and Colonial prisoners of war, and calling upon the Prime Minister to at once institute and carry through effective measures for the immediate termination of all treatment, and to exact full punishment for all persons responsible. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. Kent then asked if they would include in the resolution a demand for the surrender of the Kaiser, and that he be made to answer to the Allied Governments for his crimes. “Shall I put that rider?” asked Mr. Kent, and there was a unanimous cry of “Yes,” followed by “Shove it at him,” “And his son,” “Put him in a cage and bring him here.” “We are fair-minded people,” added Mr. Kent, “and we want to give even the greatest criminal a chance to defend himself, but there cannot be any defence to a man like that.” The rider to the resolution was carried.

Wounded and taken prisoner of the fourth day of the retreat from Mons, Sergt. E. Hall, 6th Royal Warwickshires arrived in Worcester in the early hours of this morning. After being for three years and five months a prisoner in Germany he was exchanged to Holland last January. He arrived at the Reception Camp at Ripon last Sunday week, and left for a two months’ furlough on Sunday. Sergt. Hall, who has been in the Army for 18 years, spent a good number of years in India, where he took part in the Frontier Expedition, he was among the first of the Old Contemptibles to be taken. He was wounded in the arm and head, and the arm, not having been properly treated in Germany, he underwent an operation in Holland.

Bombardier Frank Hill, R.F.A. has received from his Divisional General a card of commendation for gallant conduct. Bombardier Hill volunteered for a task which his officer told him would mean either a little wooden cross or a D.C.M. For three nights, over heavily shelled roads, and in face of many difficulties, he directed the conveyance of wagon loads of smoke bombs to the trenches, and when the battle opened, he helped to maintain a 12 hours’ smoke barrage. This is the third occasion upon which he has been commended or mentioned for good work. He has seen much service. His brother Roland Hill is a prisoner of war in Germany. Of his brothers-in-law, Frank, in the R.A.M.C., has been gassed and temporarily blinded, and Harold, in the R.F.A., gained the Military Medal. His step-brother, James Munslow, is a Sergt. Major in the A.S.C., and Charles Munslow is a prisoner with the Bulgarians.

The death took place on Nov. 4th, from pneumonia, following influenza, after gas poisoning, of Major D’Albini Sykes Banks, M.C., R.A., grandson of the late Capt. R.B. Clayton Daubeney, 36th Worcestershire Regt.

General List: Today’s list includes 117 officers, of whom 19 were killed and 59 wounded. In the ranks were 3,350 casualties, including 371 killed, 2,364 wounded, 179 missing, and 113 prisoners of war. One hundred and sixty-one warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who were prisoners of war in Turkey have been released, of whom 3 died since obtaining their freedom. Fifty prisoners have come from Bulgaria, 1 of whom died, and 5 have been released from Austria. Of men previously reported missing 733 are now known to be prisoners of war.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team