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Key dates over January 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 1

24th January 1916 - First Military Service Act passed by the British parliament making all single men between 18 and 41 eligible for conscription into the army

Rolling Casualty Count: 2715

At the Front:

1st Batt: Batt paraded as for programme for Divisional Billets.

3rd Batt: Relieved from front line to Outtersteene for rest and training, resting for one night at the little village of La Creche.

SMD RFA: Heavy bombardment by enemy along whole Brigade front and enemy entered the trenches of the 8th Warwickshires

10th Batt: Refitting and cleaning up.

On the Home Front:

Champion Medallist of the Regiment: Sgt.-Major Hodgkinson, 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, who is being transferred to the 13th Battalion, has served for twenty-four years in the regiment in India, South Africa, France and Flanders. He is the champion medallist of the regiment. He wears the Military Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Medaille Militaire, the Good Conduct and Long Service medal, and two South African medals with four clasps. His wife lives in Victoria Avenue, Worcester, and she belongs to a family which has a remarkable military record. No fewer than twelve of her relatives were soldiers. Of these three have fallen.

Begging: John Hart, labourer, no fixed abode, was charged with begging at Ombersley. P.S. Millar said he had received complaints. Prisoner went into houses and frightened the inhabitants. He was blind in the left and also deaf. He was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.

Worcester Teacher as Pilot: Sec.-Lieut. R.G. Malcolm, 9th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, who has been serving with the Royal West Kent Regiment, has been appointed to undergo training as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. Lieut. Malcolm, who is on the staff of St. Peter’s Boys’ School, is a son of Colour-Sgt. Malcolm, of the Broad Street Recruiting Depot.

Worcester Soldier’s Illness: Mr. G. Clarke, of Church Walk, Tybridge Street, St. John’s, has received official notice that his son Pte. J. Clarke, 2930, 8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, was transferred to Meerut General Hospital, France, on 19th January, for observation for cerebro-spinal meningitis.

Workhouse Concert: A very enjoyable concert was given at the Workhouse on Friday evening last. It was arranged by Mrs. Higgins, the wife of the Rev. F.H.P. Higgins (Chaplain)…The programme contained humorous songs and recitations and the encores were very numerous. At the close, Mr. Hooper tendered the thanks of the Guardians and the inmates to all those who had taken part in the concert, and to Mrs. Higgins for the trouble she had gone to in getting up the concert.

“Saturday Pops.” A large audience was attracted to the Victoria Institute to the third of the Saturday popular lectures. Mr. A. H. Whinfield delighted them with a great number of views of strange places and strange things. They were of quaint buildings, curious things, and other oddities which he has himself photographed and made lantern slides of…Mr. Whinfield also illustrated the crypt of the house where the National Provincial Bank is now. He said that with a number of stones from the crypt he had erected an archway in his grounds at Severn Grange, and some day archaeologists might be worried whether there had been a monastery at Claines or not.

Appeal for more eggs: On Saturday 506 eggs were collected at the Guildhall and sent to London for France. The egg collection has fallen off lately, though the need for eggs is great. It was hoped that very many more eggs would be sent, as they were quite unable to supply all the base hospitals at the fronts. Miss Pearce sent over 60 eggs which she had collected at Inkberrow. Several letters have been received from wounded soldiers who have seen the donor’s name and address written upon the egg.

Two Two’s of Rum: Lucy Hamilton (43), 20, Regent Street, was charged with being drunk in Angel Street. She said she did not know whether she was drunk or not. She had had “two two’s of rum,” but she did not think she was drunk. P.S. Steadman said she was lying on the footpath with a crowd round her. She had with her a pint bottle half full of stout. Defendant said she fell ill and had some rum. She was fined 5s.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.