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Key dates over May 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 20

31st May 1916 - Battle of Jutland. British Grand Fleet confronts the German High Seas Fleet in the North Sea, off the coast of Denmark. Although the British lose more ships, the German fleet is driven back to port and remains there for the rest of the war.

Rolling Casualty Count: 3219

At the Front:

1st Batt: Batt holding the Angres 2 Sector.

4th Batt: Gen De Lisle, 29th Division and Gen Cayley, 88th brigade, visited the Line and issued orders for special work to be carried out. Fifth Avenue was shelled twice during the day. At least 200 shells were fired at one of our aeroplanes with no result. The plane kept hovering over the German lines like a bird. It eventually returned to our lines-the aviator showed wonderful pluck.

Two NCOs and 14 men joined the Batt. Lts Field and Gould returned from leave.

Yeomanry /Cavalry: A day of comparative quiet, digging trenches and wiring.

At night there was a long march as a prelude to other reconnaissance towards Beersheba along the Wadi Saba.

On the Home Front:

Tribunal: Messrs. Lea and Perrins applied for exemption for Robert Mark Brown (38), married, office clerk, who would take the place of one exempted until June 30th. The business was largely export, and Brown’s work was of a confidential kind, and a temporary substitute could not be contemplated. Brown applied on domestic grounds. The firm also applied for Frank Payne (40), foreman of an important department, who took the place of the original foreman, who was now serving. Five men had enlisted in that department. In reply to the Mayor, Mr. Dyson Perrins said that the firm had appealed for nine men, two were rejected, five were exempted, and the other two, in the Reserve, had been called up. The Mayor said the Tribunal thought that the firm had stated on a previous occasion that there would be no other applications, but as these men replaced men who had gone, the circumstances were exceptional. Exemption granted till September 30th.

Fernhill Heath Corporal’s Escape: Cpl. Allen Barton, of the Worcestershire Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Barton, The Nook, Fernhill Heath, has been wounded in the right hip and leg by a hand bomb thrown from the enemy trenches. Cpl. Barton, who is now in Stratford-on-Avon Hospital, told his mother that he saw the bomb coming and tried to dodge by throwing himself on the ground and so saved himself from being killed. Cpl. Barton is 29 years of age, and is one of four brothers now fighting. He has been at the front 15 months and has seen a great deal of fierce fighting. Before joining the Army he was employed at the Royal Hotel, Droitwich, as gardener.

Women Workers’ Armlet: Sir, The Women’s Farm Labour Committee have received a letter from Lord Selborne which contains the following words:- “It is my wish that all women who are entitled to it should wear the armlet which is being supplied by the Board. The armlet is intended to serve as a recognition by the Government of the patriotic service of women on the land and to advertise the fact that this should be regarded as an enrolled body engaged on work of national importance. It is very desirable, therefore, that the armlet should be worn by all women who are actually at work on the land, so that others who have not yet done so may be induced to answer the call and offer their services.” May I, therefore, urge all women who have worked on the land for 30 days since the beginning of the War to register their names in the Village Register and apply for and wear the green armlet. – Yours faithfully, Virginia Deerhurst, Chairman of the Women’s Farm Labour Committee, Pirton Court, Wadborough, Worcester.

Knocked down by Tram: Edward Williams, (about 70), farm labourer, staying at Link’s Lodging-house, Newport Street, was crossing from Newport Street, when he walked in front of a tram-car being driven in the direction of St. John’s by Driver Francis Thomas. The car was travelling at a speed of eight to nine miles per hour, and the driver tried in vain to stop the car and to avoid an accident. Williams was knocked clear of the track, and fell to the ground insensible. Williams was conveyed to the Infirmary on the police ambulance by P.C. Drinkwater, where he was detained. He was found to have a fracture at the base of the skull, and is not expected to live.

Powick Asylum Visitors: The Medical Superintendent reported that the number of patients in the Asylum was as follows: Males 599, females 730, total 1,329. Two males and two females had been discharged, and five males and eight females had been admitted, since the last meeting.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.