Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer


Key dates over August 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: 12

1st August 1916 - The Battle of the Somme Film Released

The British public flocked to cinemas to see the government's new feature film 'The Battle of the Somme', which the 'Evening News' called the 'greatest moving picture in the world'.

At the Front:

1st Batt: Batt holding Cuinchy Trench from Boyau to La Bassee Canal. There is a great deal of trench mortaring.

2nd Batt: In camp near Dernancourt. Batt assembled in columns of the route facing south on the road east of camp at 5.30pm, with head of Batt at Railway Crossing and then practiced an attack up the Valley.

3rd Batt: Batt in trenches opposite Beaumont Hamel.

4th batt: Batt in Ypres Salient doing a great deal of work in West Lane, Muddy Lane and Duck Walk, where boards are covered with wire netting.

7th Batt: Batt relieved the 8th batt in right sector of Fauquissart. One Vickers Maxim, 2 belts, 2 boxes of ammunition, 10 rifles, 1 Very pistol and bomb-bucket equipment were salvaged from No Mans` Land.

8th Batt: Batt in billets at Laventie for rest and working parties

10th Batt: At 4.30pm Batt proceeded to billets in Bresle, via Albert. A draft of 51 men were received-some veteran Worcesters and some Derby men.

SMD RFA: Uneventful day at Hedauville, Brigade HQ. D Coy resting at St Ouen.

Yeomanry/Cavalry: Force still at Hill 70 receiving daily intelligence reports that turks were advancing steadily.

On the Home Front:

A Kent’s Green Soldier – Information has been received from the War Office and also from the Chaplain of the Battalion by Mr and Mrs M Morris, Kent’s Green, Callow End, that Pte Frederick Charles Morris of the Worcestershires, has been killed in action whilst in the trenches on July 10th. Pte Morris was 27 years of age and joined the army last February. He was formerly a painter on the Madresfield Estate and a valued member of Loyal Martin Lodge of Oddfellows at Callow End.

Droitwich Guardians and Council – The monthly returns showed that the cost of the outdoor relief had been £207.9s.7d, compared with £224.2s.9d., the paupers having number 351 against 392. The indoor expenses had been £117.12s.11d against £98.0s.9d the inmates numbering 45, compared with 47.

A letter was received from the Hon. Mary Packington, Hon Secretary of the Farm Labour Association, stating that it was anticipated that a large number of people would be coming into the district for the pea and fruit picking and there would be scant accommodation for them. It was thought however that that they could be housed in large barns, if suitable furniture could be found. She asked if the Board were in a position to lend any suitable furniture for such a patriotic purpose. The Master stated that they had no furniture, except what was in use, or likely to be in use. The Clerk was instructed to reply that the Board regretted that they were unable to comply with this request.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.