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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: 14

2nd November 1918 - Influenza Outbreak

Rolling casualty count: 11411

War Front:

3rd Batt: Batt moved at 0800 hours to billets at St Aubert.

4th Batt: The Batt, less the draft, marched to the training ground at 9.30 am. There were kit inspections later. A class for Lewis gunners started under Lt EF Boddington and a signalling class under Cpl Signaller Edwards. Lt W Wooldridge joined the Batt.

14th Batt: The Batt was inspected by Coy Commander. The transport arrived in Le Forest at 1300 hours

Home Front:

The death occurred on Thursday, in London, from influenza pneumonia, of Lieut. Debenham Stuart Coombs, T.R., (Middlesex and Dental Hospitals), younger son of Dr. and Mrs. Wellesley Coombs, Foregate Street, Worcester. Educated at Miss Robson’s School and the Royal Grammar School, he was studying to be a dentist when war broke out. He served for a considerable time in France, and latterly had been engaged in Army medical work. He leaves a young widow, a Northampton lady. His elder brother is serving with the Canadians.

Influenza Outbreak: Though the number of deaths from the influenza epidemic in Worcester is still considerable, it is now believed that it is on the wane. The City Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Mabyn Read) says that the medical men in the city stated that fewer fresh cases are not being reported. On Wednesday and Thursday there were 10 deaths in the city from the disease or from pneumonia or other causes arising from the diseases, but all the cases are old ones. So far the number of deaths reported in the city from influenza during last week and the first four days of this week is 40.

Poaching: Walter Adams (68), labourer, Roberts’ Lodging-house, 23, Quay Street, was charged with poaching. P.C. Repton said while in Bridge Street he saw defendant, who had rather bulky pockets. He searched him, and found the rabbits, a net, and some pegs. He took him to the police station. The Chief Constable said the defendant had been convicted 34 times for the same offence in Worcester, Kidderminster, and the surrounding district, and the last time he was brought before the Court he was fined £5. Defendant said he had nothing to eat, and must get something. Fined £5.

Pte. Reginald Yarnold, Worcesters (T.F.) (husband of Mrs. V. Yarnold, 22, Arboretum Road, Worcester, and only son of Mrs. and the late Mr. J. Yarnold, New Street, Worcester) has been killed in action. He had been in France for about 19 months. Previous to joining up two years ago he was in business in New Street. He was an old boy of St. Martin’s, and a member of the Cathedral Voluntary Choir.

At a meeting of the Victoria Lodge, R.A.O.B., at the Saracen’s Head Hotel on Wednesday evening, the Mayor of Worcester (Bro. Ald. Arthur Carlton, CP.) initiated into the Order Messrs Flay and Radcliffe, and afterwards proposed in graceful terms the health of the newly initiated, and in reply Bro. Flay, after thanking Primo Carlton for the impressive way in which he had conducted the ceremony, and alluding to the charitable work of the Order, said that in anything which had the idea of benefiting their fellow creatures he was with them; he knew of no better object than that of helping those who had fallen by the wayside, and at all time it would give him a great deal of pleasure to do what he could.

Worcestershire Honours: Bar to the D.C.M: 8713 Co.-Sergt.-Major G. Crump, D.C.M., Worc. Regt. Worcester: Observing a wounded man of another unit lying out in the open, he walked out under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire at close range and brought him in on his back. He then placed his command, consisting only of two Lewis guns and a dozen men, in the best defensive position, and himself continued to work one gun until he was the only man left in the team. He was awarded the D.C.M. in December, 1917.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team