15th May 1916 - British attack at Vimy Ridge

Rolling Casualty Count: 3134

At the Front:

1st Batt; relieved by the 2nd Lancs Reg. A British attack took place on our right at Vimy Ridge and 250 yards of trenches were captured. Returned to billets in Bouvigny Village.

2nd Batt: CO and Coy C of the K Royal Welsh Fusiliers came to reconnoitre the Line. In the evening the 16th KRR made their raid near Baby Crater but were not very successful.

4th Batt: Coys played more football matches but 637 men were on digging fatigues. Tea and cocoa was issued on their return.

Yeomanry /Cavalry: Men returned to Support Line.

On the Home Front:

Worcester Man in Dublin: Thrilling Experience amid the Rebels: Mr. W. Smith, had the thrilling experience of being held up in Dublin during the height of the rebellion. Mr. Smith went to Dublin to ride in steeplechases and stayed at the Hotel Metropole in Sackville Street, the centre of activities when the rebellion started. All was quiet in the city when he left on Easter Monday morning to attend some races at Fairyhouse, but when he returned in the evening he was held up in a car. The rebellion had started and the rebels were commandeering all the cars for barricading purposes. Mr. Smith walked to the hotel, which the rebels had taken possession of. James Connolloy, one of the leaders, was in the hotel, and on Tuesday, the Manager, at the request of Mr. Smith and his companions, sent into Connolly to ask him to sign a pass, which they might use. At that time the party had in mind making an attempt to leave the city, though any attempt was attended with considerable risk. Sniping and shooting was going on. Connolly countersigned the pass, writing on the words “Pass bearer, James Connolly, Irish Republican Army.” They went to a place where they thought they would be safe, and sent porters for their luggage. But they returned and brought the news that it had been confiscated by the rebels, and later they saw their bags jammed into windows of the hotel as barricades. Mr. Smith said it was highly dangerous to be abroad. Youths, mere boys some of them, were in possession of revolvers, and they appeared to shoot at anything and everything their fancy dictated. When the military arrived, and a cordon was put around the city, the shooting became terrible. Shots flew in all directions, and women and children were struck down. But the resistance of the rebels soon began to weaken when the bombardment with heavy guns commenced…For five days Mr. Smith and his friends were forced to spend most of their time in the cellars of the hotel. ..On Sunday Mr. Smith went out for a walk and he was then commandeered to help carry dead. Bodies seemed to be about all over the place, and the experience was a distressing one…On the Saturday night some 500 of the rebels surrendered in front of the hotel, and Mr. Smith says that they were armed with all kinds of weapons, revolvers, double-barrelled rifles, automatic pistols and anything in the nature of firearms. Mr. Smith had to remain in Dublin for a fortnight but during his stay he won a race on Single Stick at Leopardstown, and was fourth in the big race on Easter Monday.

Fernhill Heath Soldier Killed: News has been received by Mrs. Conn, of Fernhill Heath, that her son, Pte. Charles Henry Conn, who was in a battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment, now in France, was wounded in the back by shrapnel of April 28, and died in hospital on May 8th. He worked at Mr. Thomas’s pump manufactory for eight years, and joined the Army on December 14, 1914, proceeding to the front in July, 1915.

How it will be collected in Worcester: A new entertainment tax comes into operation today, and Worcester theatre and cinemas will do well to accustom themselves with the actual amounts which they will be called to pay as a direct contribution to the cost of the war. Every patron of every entertainment for which a charge is made for admission must pay the tax, which varies according to the cost of the seat. If any person does not pay the tax both he and the proprietor are liable for prosecution. At the Theatre Royal specially perforated tickets have been prepared bearing the amount of tax. Patrons are requested to tear the ticket at the perforated line as soon as they have it and to hand the smaller portion to the check-taker, retaining the larger one. For the next two weeks there are twice-nightly shows at the Theatre, and we give the amount of the new War Tax Prices for each show: Ordinary doors 1s. 6d, tax 2d… At the Silver Cinema, children under 12, who are admitted at half-price for all seats, must pay 21/2d for their old 2d. seats (1/2d. tax).

National Egg Collection: One thousand and eighty-one eggs were collected at the Guildhall during the week ending Saturday, as against 1,161 the previous week… Most of the eggs were sent to London for France, and some were given to Norton Barracks.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.