Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer


Key dates over April 1915

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: 1

9th April 1915 - Heavy shelling near Battn HQ

Rolling casualty count: 969

1st Batt: Relieved by 1/Sherwood Foresters, took over their billets near Fleurbaix; 2nd Batt: In the trenches at Festubert. Very quiet morning. A large number of heavy shells dropped in the immediate neighbourhood of Battn. HQ during the afternoon. ‘A’ & ‘B’ Coys relieved, ‘C’ & ‘D’ in firing line. One Coy 17th London Territorials attached for instruction;3rd Batt: In trenches at Dickebush;

A Local Recruit’s Humour: A Worcester recruit in the R.A.M.C. writes: “Having overcome the ‘roughing it’ part of army life – such as sleeping on the floor, cleaning your rooms, getting to bed at 9 o’clock etc – we now settle down to our real training. We get up at 5.45. At 6.15 we get a cup of coffee and biscuits, half a cup of coffee and a biscuit, too, if one happens to be a pugilist. We go to school like children and learn all about the construction of the body, how to bandage, dress, etc. At one of our classes, a man was asked how many ribs he had. After feeling his chest, he eventually answered two. That is nothing. Join the Army, and you will smile at yourself;”

Mr. Andrew Walker, inventor of Bovril, died today, at the age of 78. Of Scottish birth, he was at one time a cotton machinist in Manchester, but went to London, and, with the late Mr. Lawson Johnston, established the firm of Bovril, Ltd;

Concert at the Barracks: To a crowded audience a much-appreciated concert, organised by Miss Tyers, was given in the YMCA tent at Norton Barracks on Thursday evening. The officer of the two companies of the 11th Battalion, now at the Depot, who had intended being present, were unfortunately (like others) unable to gain admission…Mr. F.C. Culpin (who easily wins a soldier audience) was, of course, encored every time, his items including “Sister Susie” and “Policeman 600” (which always brings down the house). At the close, Canon Tupper responded for the artistes. On Sunday evening there is to be a song service, with orchestral band, and address by Colonel Webb;

Harold Richard Collins, a fishmonger, of 37 High Street, was summoned for keeping a greater number of dogs than he was licensed for. P.C.Wynne gave evidence. He said that the second dog was now destroyed. Collins was fined 13s.

Information researched by Sue Redding

Enter your text...