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

14th November 1918 - Worcester and the U.S.A. Flag

Rolling casualty count:11522

War Front:

3rd Batt: Batt moved to Sepmeries.

4th Batt: Batt working on handling of arms and also did physical games. 2Lt J Walls joined the Batt. The following men were awarded decorations for operations from the 14th to 20th October at Ledeghem and Staceghem:

Cat W Heath MM, a bar to his MM.

These men received the MM:

Cpl S Whittington, Ptes H Norton, AE Robinson, AC Higgins, A Salter, E Beancross, SH Dean, J Eggerton, A Lewis, TW Tarrant, C Kelly, S Underwood, R Grant.

14th Batt: All men again working to repair culverts.

Home Front:

Women war workers in Government offices are wondering when their “services will be no longer required.” It is unlikely that the offices will reduce their staffs until the 36 days’ armistice is over,” a Government official yesterday said. “Even then in many cases it will be a matter of change of work rather than of reduction of staff”. The National Service Ministry will probably be the first to demobilise, but the services of many of them are already being competed for by other Government offices.

A meeting of the Dispensary Committee was held on Tuesday last. The Secretary pointed to the record number of prescriptions dispensed – 4,636, because of the influenza outbreak. The epidemic was now practically over.

Worcester and the U.S.A. Flag: On Wednesday to the Birmingham Archaeological Society, Mr. F.T. Spackman lectured on “The Washingtons of Worcester and the U.S.A.” The lecturer connected George Washington (the first President of the United States) with Worcestershire, because it was the ancestral home of the Washington family, and because there is in the village of Wickhamford the tomb of Penelope Washington, upon which are the words: “Sacred to the memory of Penelope, daughter of the distinguished and brave soldier, Colonel Henry Washington, who was himself descended from William Washington, of the county of Northampton, and the same service.” Mr. Spackman showed how the coat of arms of the Washington family suggested the idea of the flag of the United States.

A Child’s Death: Mr. W.B. Hulme (City Coroner) held an inquest on Wednesday afternoon at the Guildhall, touching the death of Lilian Queenie Gilbert, aged 19 months. Dr. Coombs said he was called to deceased on Tuesday morning and found her in bed. There was nothing to account for death. He made a post-mortem. The body was clean and well-nourished. In his opinion death was due to influenza and pneumonia. Edith Gilbert, mother of deceased, residing at 17, Inglethorpe Square, said that she had noticed that Lilian had a bad cold. Witness went back later and found her dead. The child had been delicate since her birth. The Coroner returned a verdict in accord with the medical evidence.

The floral exhibition held in the Shirehall on behalf of John Groom’s Crippleage and Flower Girls’ Mission has attracted many visitors during the time it has been open. It will close on Saturday. The exhibition is open each day from 11am to 3pm. Visitors may see the girls making the beautiful artificial flowers. Admission is free.

Pte. William Lock, of the 2nd Rhodesian Regt. attached South African Infantry (son of Mrs. Lock, of Comer, Worcester) is among the repatriated prisoners from Germany. He was wounded in the thigh and taken prisoner on March 24th. Upon his arrival in England it was found necessary for him to undergo an operation, which has been successfully performed in a London hospital, and he is now going on satisfactorily. As a civilian he was a prisoner of war in German East Africa for two years, and came to England in October, 1917, and went to France in February.

Mr. T.W. and Mrs. Jones have received information of the death of their son, Corpl. James Jones (aged 28), of the Worcesters, who died in hospital in France of influenza, on November 2, after four days’ illness. He was called up at the outbreak of the war. He was wounded in the battle of the Somme in the arm and back, and was in hospital for five months. Previously he was in the Worcestershire Yeomanry. He leaves a wife and one child to mourn his loss.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team