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Key dates over July 1918

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: 3

27th July 1918 - Hotel struck by lightning

Rolling casualty count: 10269

War Front:

2nd Batt: Working parties of 150 OR were working on the Green Line. The Divisional Commander visited the Batt. Lt Col GJL Storey DSO MC rejoined from leave in France.

4th Batt: There was a cricket match between QMS and Transport.

Home Front:

During the thunderstorm of Friday the Bull Hotel at Fernhill Heath, was struck by lightning. At 1.45 when several of the inmates were in the kitchen a flash of lightning came down the chimney and struck the gas piping on the wall, practically severed it and ignited the gas. This was quickly put out by cutting off the gas at the meter. The white-washed wall above the stove was turned yellow and the kitchen filled with smoke. The bedrooms, though not damaged, were also filled with smoke. Nobody was injured. Mrs. Snelling, wife of the proprietor, was standing close to the stove, but escaped without injury. The chimney pot outside is now in an exceedingly precarious condition, and the bricks of the stack are loose.

A terrific thunderstorm raged at Salwarpe on Friday afternoon, during which the church was struck by lightning. Considerable damage was done, the roof of the tower being smashed up, the flagstaff destroyed, and the wires to which the clock weights were attached broken, causing the weights to fall with an awful crash, thus hurling pieces of the wood casing to various parts of the church. It is hoped that the clock itself has escaped serious damage, but that cannot be known until a careful examination of it has been made.

The following resolution was carried unanimously by the Worcester Branch of the Comrades of the Great War: - “That the members of the A.S.E. now on strike should be sent to France forthwith, and the skilled men in the trenches released to take their places. Further, that we pledge ourselves to support the Government in any action they may take in compelling these favoured few to do their duty to their country. Discharged men of Worcester and county are prepared to undertake any work which it is possible for them to do which was hitherto performed by these slackers.”

Pte. Parker, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, a member of the Worcester Police Force, who has been serving for the past three years, formerly in Egypt, and recently in France, is now home on a fortnight’s leave.

This afternoon, at the Star Hotel, Mr. Gibbs (Messrs. Geo. Yeates and Sons) offered for sale the Battenhall House Estate, near the city, by direction of the mortgages, to wind up all estate. Offered as a whole, the bids ranged from £13,000 to £18,000, when it was withdrawn. There was no bid for the mansion and grounds, but it was stated to be likely to be sold privately. In view of this, Lots 2 and 6, in front of the mansion, were withdrawn.

In reference to the Home Secretary’s statement on Thursday that the total number of combatants and male civilians who would become eligible for repatriation under the Hague agreement would amount to about 120,000. It is officially stated that Sir George Cave is included in this number, the figures for British and German prisoners of war, both combatants and civilians. As to officers, it is understood that only those now in Holland or Switzerland will return to this country, and that as to others, the existing arrangement for internment in a neutral country of those who have been 18 months in captivity will continue.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team