3rd November 1916 - Christmas toys include wounded soldier dolls

Rolling casualty count: 4795

1st Batt: Batt moved to huts at Carnoy.

2nd Batt: Batt cleaned up as much as possible. B Coy carried up stores to help the 1st Queen`s reg when they made a successful attack during the evening.

4th Batt: Timber was drawn for the building of bunks for the men.

10th Batt: men were allowed to rest.

SMD RFA: Batteries busy wire cutting in very bad weather.

Home Front:

While there is season an undoubted shortage of toys, a tour of the wholesale warehouses shows that there are plenty of novelties for the Christmas demand. Among character dolls the wounded soldier, in regulation blue attire, should make a bold bid for nursery favour. Aircraft toys are a department to themselves. A new thing is an airship in gleaming silver cardboard, and complete with aircraft gun and gondolas…There is a choice of armoured cars and artillery wagons, but as yet no “tanks.” Among the new patterns in soldiers are the Frenchmen with helmets, and there are some quite realistic dug-outs with their complements of inhabitants. The “Arabs of the Desert” is another newcomer to the ranks of metal soldiers. By-the-way, soldiers are practically the only Christmas toys of which there is at all an adequate supply.

Murder by Worcestershire Private: At Exeter Assizes, Frederick Brooks (28), a private in the Worcestershire Regt., was sentenced to death for the murder of Alice Clara Gregory, aged 12, in a lonely field, near Plymouth, on June 19. It was stated that Brooks who had previously stayed at the house of the girl’s parents, called at a school, and said he had a message from the girl’s mother that she might be allowed to direct him to some place. They went away together, and some hours later Brooks met a policeman, and told him he had killed a girl, and that he must have been mad or in a fit of temper. He added that he strangled the girl by pressing his hands round her throat until she was dead. The grass in the field where the body was found was trampled down, showing that there had been a struggle.

Worcester Tribunals: The City Tribunal has dealt with nearly 1,900 claims for exemption. Probably a third of these are duplicate claims, and there is one man in respect of whom nine claims have been made. He has been before the Tribunal on three occasions, and each time three claims have been put in – one by himself, one by his employers, and the other by a Society with which he is connected. The period of exemption vary considerably, the longest dated certificate carrying the bearer to February. Approximately 500 certificates of conditional exemption have been granted. These hold good until a demand is made by the military for a review. It is understood that of the men concerned in the 1,900 claims, there is certainly not a large proportion of them in the Army.

Pathetic Worcester Circumstance: One Comes: Another Goes: In our births and deaths column on Thursday, the announcement appeared of the birth at 77, Stanley Road, of a son to the wife of Driver A.J. Gegg, of the Royal Engineers, and immediately below that of the death of the father. The full facts are even more poignant that the bare announcement, because the father’s death occurred within an hour of the birth of the child whom he never saw. Driver Gegg had been suffering from pneumonia for a month. It was thought a day or two ago that he had taken the turn for the better, but he suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness early on Thursday morning, and it was see that the end was near. Shortly before the birth of the child his wife, lying in an adjoining room, was informed that her husband was dying. Happily, she came through the terrible ordeal well, but three-quarters of an hour after the birth in the one room death had taken place in the other.

An Amusing Old Man: An old man, named George Hitchman, labourer, Red House, Dolday, was charged with using threats to Ada Smith, widow, 7 Court, Dolday. Complainant said that defendant threatened to do for her, and said that he “would have blood for supper.” She said that her life was a misery, because defendant would follow her about and said he “would have her.” The Magistrates Clerk explained to the Magistrates that defendant was in love with the complainant, but she did not want him. Complainant said she had asked defendant quietly if he was going to leave her alone, and he said “No, I baint.” Neighbours of complainant said that they heard defendant use the threats. Defendant denied that he had threatened complainant…The Bench bound him over to keep the peace for three months, and advised him to keep away from complainant. This he promised to do.

Claines Man’s Severe Wounds: Pte. Arthur George Burrows, of the Worcs. Regt., is lying seriously wounded in hospital in France. His left hand has been amputated and he has been severely wounded in the leg. Pte. Burrows is 24 years old, and previous to joining the Worcs. Yeomanry in February, 1915, he was employed at the Kennels, Fernhill Heath. He was recently transferred to the Worcs. Regt. He had only been in France six weeks when he received his wound. The Sister in charge of Rouen Hospital, writing to Mrs. Burrows, his Mother said, “Although your son is seriously wounded, he is beautifully patient.”

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team