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Key dates over May 1915

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Lives lost on this day: 14

10th May 1915 - 8th Battalion arrive at the Front while 1st and 2nd in fierce fighting

Rolling casualty count: 1156

1st Batt: Soon after midnight the Brigade was withdrawn with the exception of the Worcesters who in the early morning moved up into the breastworks and took over the defence of same from the Rouse-de-Banc road where it passes through parapet to offense front 884, about 600 yds. This movement was carried out without a hitch, and by daylight the Brigade occupied the parapet in following order from right to left, ‘A’/’D’/’C’/’B’. It was not possible to carry out a successful attack, the enemy were prepared, there was no means of egress and deployment from the parapet and it was too dangerous to continue;

2nd Batt: At dawn the Battalion was ordered to move into the breastworks (Line D) behind the Rue du Bois. At 11am returned to billets in Richbourg St Vaast and at 4pm marched to billets (chiefly breastworks) in Rue des Chevettes where we remained the night;

3rd Batt: In billets at Dickebush;

Former King’s School Master Killed: Many Old Vigornians will learn with regret that Lieut. H.W.J. Reed, a former Master, has been killed in action in France. Mr. Reed was a popular and efficient Sixth Form Master and History Specialist, and an expert oar, with Leander colours, who did much to help the School rowing;

8th Worcesters at the Front. Praise from their Colonel: The Rev. B. Allen Berry, preaching at Malvern Priory on Sunday morning, referred to the 8th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment in France. He had received a letter from their Colonel, who had the highest opinion of the 8th Battalion, and said that they had done remarkably well, winning very great praise from the powers that be. Up to the previous Sunday only one man out of the Battalion had been killed (although two or three had been wounded) and that was because of the unfortunate mistake on his part of putting his head a little too high out of the trench…One of his pals in ‘D’ Company, Pte. F. Chance, a member of the Daily Times’ printing staff, writes that “Pte. Danks only had about three minutes to go on guard before he was relieved, and just put his head over the top and he fell without a murmur, poor chap…While I was on guard the other night the Germans were playing “Tipperary” on a string band.”;

Concert at Norton Barracks: A capital concert by Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Potter’s Glee Party was given in the YMCA hut at Norton Barracks. At the close the men testified their appreciation with rounds of cheers on a call fall for the King (it being Accession Day). Canon Tupper presided, this being the 35th concert he had arranged, and Mr. Ward kindly lent the motor car.;

Good Season: Discouraging Forecast: A meeting of the Guardians of the Hop Market was held at the Hop Market Hotel this morning. The report of the Assistants on the past half-year stated that the hop crop last season was one of the largest for many years, and considerable difficulty was experienced in providing suitable accommodation for storage. 31,584 pockets passed the scales from 25 March 1914 to the 25th March 1915 of which 27,936 were of last season’s growth, as against 10,607 in the previous years.

Information researched by Sue Redding