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Key dates over May 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 1

4th May 1916 - No Beards in the Army

Rolling Casualty Count: 3110

At the Front:

1st Batt: men cleaning up and preparing to move on the 5th May.

2nd Batt: Annequin North was heavily shelled but not much damage was done. One shell hole was 12 feet deep and appeared to have been made by an armour piercing shell.

The Batt relieved the 1st/6th Scottish Rifles in Auchy Right Sub-section. There were gaps on the left which had been filled with Cheveaux des friezes and loose wire was put behind the 3 gaps.

4th batt: now in the firing line with much work to do in the trenches. Ten men and two officers went on patrol with 2nd Lt John and a draft of 31 men

On the Home Front:

No Beards in the Army: Attested married men with beards before they present themselves will have to shave. Section 12 of the King’s Regulations decrees that “The chin and under lip will be shaved, but not the upper lip. Whiskers, if worn, will be of moderate length.” “My wife,” said one bearded armleteer, “has never seen me without a beard. I was bearded when we first met. How do I know what she will think of me when she sees my chin?” Another bearded late-group man intends to join in his beard and let the Army authorities do the execution he has not the heart to wreak himself. He has a notably large and flowing beard.

Child’s Death: Mr. G.F.S. Brown (District Coroner) held an inquest respecting the death of Alice Margaret Mifflin (10 ½ years), Park Cottage, Suckley, who died on Tuesday. Margaret Mifflin, the mother, said that her daughter had been mentally afflicted since birth. Her bodily health had been good, but on Monday she was taken with sickness. Witness gave her a dose of castor oil, and this relieved the sickness. On Tuesday she had her breakfast, which she kept in her stomach. At 9.45 pm she was worse. She became unconscious, and died at 12:30 pm…Dr. K. M. Labiche made a post mortem examination, and in his opinion death was caused by cardiac failure due to a diseased heart.

The Rev. J. E. MacRae’s Fund: Mr. W.F. Crockett has forwarded, as the proceeds of Norton whist drive, a sum of £2 17s. to the Rev. J.E. MacRae’s fund for providing comforts for men in the trenches.

New Elgar Works: Two new short works by Sir Edward Elgar, “To Women” and “For the Fallen,” received a first performance under the auspices of Madame Clara Butt at the Town Hall, Leeds on Wednesday night. They were greeted with enthusiasm, the composer being given a great ovation. A performance of “The Dream of Gerontius” followed, the soloists being Madame Clara Butt, Mr. Gervase Elwes, and Mr. Herbert Brown. The performance will be repeated today at St. George’s Hall, Bradford, and at Queen’s Hall, London, all next week, in aid of the Red Cross.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.