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Key dates over August 1916

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Lives lost on this day: 8

6th August 1916 - Sixth Battle of the Isonzo. Italian troops in the north-east advance and capture Gorizia, one of the few significant advances on the Isonzo front. Fighting continues until 17 August.

1st Batt: 1st Army church parade in Grande Place, Bethune to commemorate 2 years of war.

2nd Batt: Roman Catholics paraded for a celebration of Mass in a field behind the camp.

3rd Batt: Batt relieved by 1st West Yorks, 6th Division and marched to billets at Bertrancourt and rested.

4th Batt: Again 5 german aeroplanes and our guns opened fire but none were hit.

At 8.00pm about 12 of our planes were seen coming back from german lines, evidently from a raid. All planes got away in spite of germans filling the sky with shells.3 patrols were out at night to examine no man`s land which is full of shell holes. Much loose wire is hidden in the long grass which would impede progress in an attack.

7th Batt: Bathing for the men of A and C Coys at Fauquissart.

Yeomanry/cavalry: Enemy still retiring followed by mounted troops. Several men lost through sunstroke.

The Imperial Camel Corps circled the southern flank of the turks and there were sharp engagements.

On the Home Front:

Soldiers for the Harvest – The Army Council have decided to release 27,000 soldiers to assist in the harvest. Applications for soldiers for harvest work MUST BE made through the Local Labour Exchanges, on forms provided for the purpose, not later than 12 noon on Wednesday next, the 9th instant. C.H. BIRD Clerk to the War Agricultural Committee.

Elgar’s Genius - Mr Ernest Newman, writing on ”Elgar in 1916” in the Birmingham Daily Post says:- “The upshot of it all is that Elgar is still the leading figure in purely English music. It was Elgar who first brought England into the comity of musical nations; it is Elgar who still does most to maintain it there. His two symphonies the violin concerto and the Enigma Variations are the only instrumental works by a British composer”.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.