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Key dates over August 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 31

Lives lost on this day: 19

12th August 1915 - Report on latest attack by 3/Worcestershires

Rolling casualty count: 2191

2nd Batt: Battalion in billets at Beuvry; 3rd Batt: In trenches near La Brique; 9th Batt. At 6pm Capt Gibbon with 250 men and 4 remaining officers march from reserve at Aghyl Dered to Damakjelik Bair in two lines with fixed bayonets, rose at 7.30 pm; at once heavy fire of rifles and machine guns felling most of the front line, reformed 100 men and moved forward in silence, intense fire in short range and all 5 officers hit, including Cyril Sladden, and two thirds of the men.

Alvechurch Lt Killed - Sec Lieut Gerard Francis Carter, of the King's Royal Rifles was killed in action at the end of last month. Formerly of Alvechurch, Lea End. LOCAL PRISONER OF WAR - Pte H Underhill of the 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards is now a prisoner of war Camp No 10016, Barrack 24A, Friedrichfeld Camp near Wesel, Germany. Writing home he said that he is well but admits that it is terribly hot there. He says there are 3 Worcestershires in the camp, he does not know their names but does know that one comes from Pershore and two from Witley. Among the things he asks to be sent to him are bread, plain cake, cigarettes, tinned food, tea, sugar, and soap (especially the last!) Pte T Davis, Machine Gun Section, 3rd Worcs and former newspaper boy has written to the Worcs News: "A few weeks ago we made an attack on the Germans and after 20 mins bombardment, our boys got over the top of the trenches and went to the German lines as if there were no danger before them. Shells were bursting in front of them and all around. The British "Bull Dogs" took the first lines and then we waited for the next bombardment. When they had finished we had orders to to get over the trenches and take the next line, and we did take it with a bit of slaughter on each side. It was the hottest time I ever had. After sixteen hours we were relieved by the Gordons. We had the gas all the time we were in the trenches. They also put gas shells at us, but we got so used to them that we took no notice. As soon as we got to the camp grounds we did not stop for anything to eat but sat down as we were and we were so tired that we fell off to sleep."

Information researched by Sue Redding