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Key dates over July 1915

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Lives lost on this day: 3

8th July 1915 - Concert at Spetchley Park

Rolling casualty count: 1586

1st Batt: Section 1, very quiet, little shelling. A patrol sent out about 10:30pm, got lost and was fired on by Germans, all got back with exception of one missing. ; 2nd Batt: Fairly quiet night. At intervals minewerfers were sent over to our trenches and some damage was caused to our parapets which was immediately repaired. Patrols reported a strong German working party at work between our sap and Duck’s Bill repairing barbed wire. ‘B’ Coy manned the parapet and fired on this working party. Quiet day on the whole, one man slightly wounded at duty. The Battn was relieved by the 2/HLI. Relief commenced at 6.15pm and completed at 9pm. As the relieving Battn was proceeding along the roads towards Givenchy the Germans shelled the roads and vicinity. Two shells dropping into the canal. No casualties resulted. After relief the Battn marched to billets in Le Preol ; 3rd Batt: Relieved in Trenches by 4/S.Lancs Regt. Relief completed 12.15am. Marched to Bivouac near Busseboom; Royal Field Artillery: Le Mont Evenic: Training.

Concert at Spetchley Park: In aid of the Lord Roberts’ Memorial Fund for Disabled Soldiers and Sailors, Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Berkeley, of Spetchley Park, arranged a concert, which was held on Thursday afternoon, in the large hall, which was filled to its utmost capacity by an audience drawn from all over the county;

Angling: The violent thunderstorms and torrential rains which did immense damage to house property and vegetation, have much benefited the angler, freshening up our rivers and still waters, the fresh water putting roach and dace more freely of the food, the roach seeming prefer paste in preference to gentles or worms in the Severn. Several competitions were arranged for Sunday, but were, with one exception, postponed in consequence of the weather – that of the South Birmingham Club, who motored down and fished their first contest in the “Queen’s Arms” water at Diglis;

8th Worcesters at the Front: Colonel W K Peake, the Officer commanding the 8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, has been home for a few days’ leave. He arrived in London on Sunday afternoon, and on Monday he kindly gave our representative a short interview. He is in the best of health and spirits, but naturally appreciates a few days’ rest from the great strain involved in the command of a unit consisting of eleven or twelve hundred men… “The men are frightfully keen,” he continued, “and as happy as sandboys. The more unpleasant the billets the better they take it, and they have had some very rough billets in the three months they have been there. They are extraordinarily light-hearted and extremely willing. Of course all the time they have been engaged in trench warfare.” Do they get time for cricket or football ? – “Oh yes. They were playing football when I left.” Asked about the question of the leave being granted to men, Col. Peake said that their relatives had better not expect their husbands and friends home. There is not the faintest chance of their coming. The order now is that only one man per Battalion shall have leave every week.

Information researched by Sue Redding