Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

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: 2

30th July 1918 - Trouble at Battenhall

Rolling casualty count: 10275

War Front:

1st Batt: During am the Batt relieved 2nd NN Reg in the Line in the Mericourt Sector.

2nd Batt: 2nd Lt H Garratt was slightly wounded. Batt relieved by the Cameronians. Heavy shelling during the night.

4th Batt: There was a cricket match between officers and sergeants.

14th Batt: Batt commenced training for the events about to happen.

Home Front:

This afternoon a boy named William Fox (15), of Camp Lock, apprenticed to Messrs. Paine and Saunders, plumbers and painters, of Broad Street, was working on a roof on some premises at the rear of the County Court Offices in Copenhagen Street. He was going up a ladder, and when about 20 feet from the ground his foot slipped and he fell. One of his legs was injured and he was detained at the Infirmary.

Local Notes: To Mr. and Mrs. William Stallard, who today are celebrating their golden wedding, hearty congratulations will be offered with warmest wishes for the prolongation of their happy wedded life. They are both representatives of families who have played a prominent part in the public life of the city, and they are worth representatives of their esteemed families. Mrs. Stallard is a daughter of the late Alderman E. Webb, who founded the famous horse-hair manufactory, who was Mayor of Worcester, and as a “city father” did credit to Worcester and to himself. Mr. Stallard is the eldest survivor of a family which for three successive generations has enjoyed distinction in civic life.

Norton Soldier’s Throat Cut: At Worcester Infirmary, this afternoon, Company Quartermaster-Srgt. Wollen, stationed at Norton Barracks, was admitted suffering from a severe wound in the throat, and was attended by Dr. Allport. His condition is grave. He is a man of some 40 years’ service.

Fishing Offence: Herbert Eales, Birmingham, was summoned for taking fish of a less size than seven inches at Kempsey. Defendant sent a letter admitting the offence, and the evidence showed that it was committed during a fishing contest. Fined £1.

Trouble at Battenhall: James Summers (44), soldier, Battenhall Farm, was summoned by Edward Abel Gould (18), St. Peter’s, for assault. There was a cross-summons by Summers against Gould. Mr. Maund said that Gould was in the employ of Mrs. Pope, Battenhall Farm, who was a sister of Summers. On April 8th Gould met with an accident with the chaff-cutting machine, as a result of which the tops of his fingers were taken off. He had been receiving half wages from Mrs. Pope, and, on July 20th, when he went to receive his wages, she told him that she was advised by the Insurance Company not to pay half wages any longer, but she would find him a light job and pay him full wages. As he was leaving Summers and his father drove up. Summers got out of the trap and gave him a punch behind the ear, knocking him down. Summers then kicked him on the ribs and chest, and his father pulled him off. Summers got a pitchfork and got back into the trap. Gould then picked up another pitchfork and they “jabbed” at each other. Mr. Harrison examined Summers, who denied the assault. Gould had made trouble before. Albert Barnett, a soldier, who said he suffered from shell shock and gas poisoning, and was employed by Mrs. Pope on the farm, said Gould caught him by the throat and used very bad language. Samuel Leonard Mitchell (18), gave similar evidence, and in reply to Mr. Maund denied that Mrs. Pope had promised him a bicycle if he gave evidence, and Gould was convicted. The Bench dismissed both summonses.

It is interesting to note that Madame Aida Faviell, who will sing at Col. Chichester’s concert in aid of the Prisoners of Ward Fund on Thursday afternoon at the Theatre Royal is the wife of Col. Faviell, who commands a service Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment. Madame Aida Faviell has recently had great success at Mr. Dan Godfrey’s concerts in the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth. On Thursday she is singing the well-known operatic aria “Robert toi que j’aime” from Meverbeer’s “Robert le diable,” and Coleridge Taylor’s “Life and Death.” Col. Chichester requests that anyone who has bought tickets for the concert and is unable to use them will return them to him at once for disposal.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team