20th September 1918 - Local Farmer Gravely Injured

Rolling casualty count: 10657

War Front:

2nd Batt: Coys and camp were inspected at 12 noon. Capt. CF Baldwin took over duties as Adjutant from Capt. EN Edwards MC, as the latter was to take over duties as Staff Captain, 100th Brigade. Men were ready to move quickly as there was a heavy shelling of Gauche Wood, but men were stood down at 10.30 pm.

4th Batt: Batt practised a scheme following up the retreating enemy and pushing back his rear guard.

Yeomanry /Cavalry: The Reg was ordered to withdraw to meet the horses which were brought to the foot of Mount Harry during the night. Orders were to advance along the main road to the village of El Lubban to form a connecting link between the 53rd Division on our right and the 10th Division on our left. The advance was unopposed for some distance, shelling by a battery of camel guns from Nablus direction began. The first patrol brought back 4 prisoners and 2 officers` chargers (captured while being watered.) One enemy lane was seen. Just before dark, the enemy took up a position in some trenches astride a road, 3 miles ahead. The Col decided to push on 2 miles and take up out-post positions covering the village of Sawieh.

Home Front:

Mr. and Mrs. G. Perks, of 15, Council Cottages, Pinvin, are anxious about the fate of their third son, Pte. L.J. Perks, of the Worcesters, about whom they have heard nothing since March 22nd, when an official message was received that he was wounded and missing. Pte. Perks enlisted voluntarily when only just over 16 years of age, and went to France in January, 1917. After a year’s hard fighting he came home on furlough last February, and had returned to his regiment just a month when the news came concerning him. Another son of the family is serving with the Labour Battalion in France, and the youngest boy is in the Signalling Department of the Royal Navy.

General List: Today’s list includes: Officers 362 – killed 71, died of wounds 6, wounded 256. The number of casualties in the ranks is 2,849 – killed 331, died of wounds 148, wounded 2,075, prisoners of war 214.

Local Farmer Gravely Injured: This afternoon, as Mr. A. Sargeant, butcher, The Shambles, was coming down the Tything on his motor cycle, in the side car of which was a well known local farmer, Mr. S. Donkin, of The Elms, Naunton Beauchamp, when, through some cause not yet known, the car swerved from the tram line right across the road. Mr. Donkin, unhappily, was thrown against an iron pillar outside Messrs. McNaught’s, and sustained a fractured skull. He was conveyed to the Infirmary in an unconscious condition. Mr. Sargeant was also badly shaken, and sustained injuries, but these were not very serious. Mr. Donkin is one of the best-known farmers in the district, being a big sheep feeder. He was at the Worcester Fair yesterday. He is a North Country man.

Worcester Watch Committee: The Town Clerk read several letters from the Worcester Tramway Company with reference to the provision of wind screens on the tramcars. The Company said that they had never admitted the necessity of providing wind screens, but only provided them in consequence of the strong pressure of the Committee. The general experience was that sickness was more prevalent among the staff where screens were provided than where no such devices were not used. The Company said that they had fulfilled their undertaking to place weather screens on the cars of a type similar to those on the cars in the Birmingham district, and they declined to do more.

A Former Worcester Butcher: The funeral of the late Mr. Ernest Bullock, a member of the firm of Messrs. Webster and Bullock, meat salesmen of the Birmingham City Meat Market, took place on Thursday at Brandwood End Cemetery, amid many manifestations of respect. At 10 o’clock business at the Meat Market was suspended for the day, and in addition to the widow and members of the family, the funeral was attended by representatives of a number of organisations. Mr. Bullock, who was held in the highest esteem in the trade, went from Worcester, where he was apprenticed to Mr. Edward Till, father of Mr. C. Till. Subsequently Mr. Bullock associated himself with Mr. F. Webster, and they developed a business which today is one of the largest in the kingdom.

Frederick James Tyler (32), labourer, 10a, London Road, was summoned by his wife, Florence Edith Tyler, 32, London Road, who applied for a separation order on the ground of persistent cruelty. There was one child, aged four. The husband was called to the colours in August, 1914. He was wounded and discharged from the Army in February, 1915. He was then employed by the Tram Co. Two or three years ago the complainant went to the Tram office and asked him for money. He would not give her any, and he struck her and also her mother. For this he was discharged. On many occasions since he has been cruel – striking, kicking, and throwing water at her. Last Friday he struck her on the head with a poker and knocked her down, after that assault she left him. He was now employed at the Austin Works with an income of something like £5 16s. a week. He had been giving his wife £2 10s. a week. She earned 28s. a week herself. He had bought clothes, boots, and other things for her and for the child. He alleged that she had made debts for him everywhere, and he said that she was the most uncontrollable woman he knew. The Bench made an order for defendant to pay £1 10s. a week towards the maintenance of his wife, and she was given custody of the child.

Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain, of Avenue Road, Astwood Bank, have just received official information from the War Office of the death in action of their son, Pte. Harold Chamberlain, of the Worc. Regt., which took place on September 26th, 1917. He was only 20 years of age. He enlisted in June, 1916. Previously he was in the employ of Messrs. Joseph Parkin and Sons, Astwood Bank. He went to France after training, but had to return to England suffering from trench feet. He was reported missing on the above mentioned date.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team