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Key dates over May 1916

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: 4

12th May 1916 - Extent of casualties in Irish Rebellion revealed

Rolling Casualty Count: 3125

At the Front:

1st Batt: The enemy is very quiet and work was done to repair the trenches.

4th Batt: Orders were received to supply 640 men for work duty. Sergeants and Officers practised rapid loading strength.

On the Home Front:

The Employers’ Register, an Important Warning: The Secretary of the War Office announces that steps have been taken to print copies of the form to be used by employers to enable them to comply with the requirements of the new Regulations 41a, Under the Defence of the Realm Act, made by Order in Council on Wednesday. This regulation orders that every person, with the exemptions specified therein, who employs a man between 18 and 41 years of age, is to make and keep constantly posted up in some conspicuous place on the premises where such men are employed, or on his own premises, a list of such men in the prescribed form…Attention is drawn to Section 17 of the Reserve Forces Act, 1882, under which any person who employs or continues to employ any man belonging to the Army or Reserve Forces who is an absentee without leave is liable on conviction to a heavy fine.

Killed, Wounded and Missing: From figures published the other day and those mentioned by Mr. Asquith in the Commons, it is now possible to give some idea of the extent of the casualties both military and civilian in the Irish rebellion. The totals are as follows: Military: 124 Killed, 388 Wounded, 9 Missing; Civilian: 180 Killed, 614 Wounded, none Missing. Totals 306 Killed, 1,002 Wounded and 9 Missing. The military losses (which also includes police, naval, and loyal Volunteers) numbers 521, while the civilian casualties total 794 – making the grand total 1,315.

59 Unarmed Ships Sunk: Mr. Macnamara said in Parliament that 37 unarmed British and 22 neutral ships had been torpedoed without warning between May 7, 1915, and May 7, 1916. Wreckage picked up in the Bay of Biscay had been identified as belonging to the overdue steamer Whitgift (4,297 tons) and in these circumstances the vessel is uninsurable. Manned by a crew of over 30 hands, she was bound from Almeria for Newcastle-on-Tyne, and left Gibralter on April 13. On the Overdue Market she had been reinsured at 90 guineas per cent.

Collie’s Success: Mr. J. Topham, bailiff for Mrs. Wheeley Lea’s Northwick Estate, took a first, a special, and two seconds at Birmingham Collie Show on Thursday with his Claines Blue Lass. This collie, though only 10 months’ old, has previously distinguished herself.

Children’s Opera: The Public hall was crowded on the occasion of an entertainment by the Co-operative Tonic Sol-fa Class, which is conducted by Mrs. Emery Teague. The piece performed was the operetta “Ali Baba,” and the audience were delighted with its prettiness, its humour and the way in which the members of the class presented it under the direction of Mrs. Teague. The dresses and scenery were charming, the singing of a host of tuneful numbers was excellent, and those impersonating the various characters delivered their lines with admirable enunciation.

Contravening Lighting Order: Ellen Bryant, boarding house keeper, 10 Bath Road, was summoned for contravening the Lighting Order. Defendant said she had some soldiers billeted on her, and she pulled the blinds down before they went to bed. She produced the blinds, and also the candle which the soldiers used on the night of the charge. One of the soldiers gave evidence for defendant, defendant remarking that he had never been in a police court before, and he was a little nervous.

The Clerk (Mr. Livingstone Wood): He will have to face worse things than that. The Bench gave the benefit of the doubt and dismissed the case.

Tribunal: A Widow’s Son: Harold J. Bolton, of Rushock, appealed for exemption. Applicant has 166 acres of land, and only an old man, his waggoner having been called up. The applicant, aged 19, was originally starred, but had now been called up. He was working for his mother. Major Talbot said the Advisory Committee recommended exemption until Nov. 1st. At that time they did not know that the age had been raised for which exemptions could be given. Exemption until Nov. 1.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.