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Key dates over January 1915

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Lives lost on this day: 1

5th January 1915 - On the anniversaries of Magna Carta, Agincourt and Waterloo, the hope for peace in 1915

Rolling casualty count: 572

1st Batt: La Gorgue ‘B’ Lines: Corps Reserve Billets; 2nd Batt: Relived the 2nd HLI in the trenches, ‘A,’ ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies in the firing line, ‘C’ Coy in Local reserve in Billets; 3rd Batt: In trenches E. of Kemmel.

Aladdin: Mr Fred Clements’ bright and breezy pantomime, which Mr Carlton is staging at this Theatre, entered upon its second week on Monday night, under the happiest conditions, a large and enthusiastic audience showing their delight at a remarkably smooth performance. Without any radical alterations, the show has been smartened up since the initial performance, and it well repays a second visit…Miss Mael Hind, the principal boy, is by this time a general favourite. She sings very acceptably, notably in the military song, “A game of soldiers,” in which Little Emmie, smartly attired in Khaki, sings one verse. Her “Are we downhearted?” is another item which is much to the taste of the audience, who give an emphatic negative…Mr Fred Hutchings, as Abanazer, has one of the most popular songs of the evening “Balmy Billy Kaiser.”

The members of the Evesham Board of Guardians had to drive through 2 or 3 feet of water to the Workhouse, the Avon being in flood…since the last monthly meeting three cases of scarlet fever and one of erysipelas had been reported. The Clerk stated that the war had upset all the Council’s housing schemes. Many of the men who had applied for houses did not want them now, they or their sons having joined the Army.

1st Worcesters suffer from Frost-Bite: Pte T Ranford, of the 1st Worcs Regt, has been invalided home suffering from severe frostbitten feet. Relating his experiences Randford stated that when his Regt left India for France the thermometer measured about 125 (F) in the shade, and the cold weather in the trenches soon affected them. Randford passed safely through many engagements, but on one occasion was partially buried by the bursting of a “Jack Johnson.” He said the Worcesters fought alongside the Gurkhas and found them to be fine fighters. They never feared death and were always anxious to be charging the enemy.

This morning a draft left Norton, consisting of 250 men who have joined the New Army, 30 ex-soldiers who have re-enlisted, and 20 soldiers to join the 5th and 6th Battalions of the Worcestershire Regiment at Plymouth.

“The Glorious Worcesters.”: The Mayor, wishing the members of the Corporation a Happy New Year, said he thought he could not do better than to hope that the coming year would be specially marked by peace, plenty, and prosperity. It was rather remarkable that the 15s had on several occasions been famous for our success. In 1215 the Great Magna Carta was signed, in 1415 the great contest with a neighbouring nation ended in our favour, and a considerable period of peace followed. In 1815 we saw the end of another long war which resulted in the imprisonment of a great military man, and a peace which lasted for a long period. He hoped that 1915 would be another favourable 15, and would be attended with another long period of peace.

Information researched by Sue Redding