LOCAL CASUALTIES:  4
Privates John Thomas Boyle & Alfred Day, Company Sergeant Major William Williams - Second Battalion.

Private Samuel Marsland - Third Battalion.

ROLLING CASUALTY COUNT: 475

Second Battalion relieved the Connaught Rangers in the trenches North East of Polygone Wood.  Shrapnel fire during the relief. Battalion placed under the orders of  the GOC Sixth Infantry Brigade.  Few casualties.

Third Battalion Bois de Ploegsteert: In trenches. Sniping and shelling during day.  In evening Battalion relieved by Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. In centre, East Lancs on right and Lancashire Fusiliers on left, and returned to billets North of Ploegsteert.

The Silver Cinema:  ‘On the King’s Service’, The Thirteenth Series of Lucille Love.  War Films at every performance, twice nightly 6.50pm and 9pm.

The Secretary of the Worcestershire Territorial Association begs to acknowledge, with thanks, the following donations towards the  Auxiliary Forces Fund: Mr Edward Goulding, MP £5; ILR 10s; TS 2s.  This is the fund for which the Lord Lieutenant and the Chairman of the Territorial Association appealed recently for gifts, in money and kind, for comforts for the members of the Territorial Force, such as shirts, socks, mittens, comforters etc.

About 40 men accustomed to horses are urgently required for the Reserve unit,  Transport and Supply Column.  Mounted Brigade Recruits should apply at the Headquarters, Silver Street.

More Territorials Leave Worcester: At noon a party of 48 men, under Lieutenant Woodward, left Shrub Hill to join the main Battalion at their war station.  They were headed by the Eighth Battalion Band under Bandmaster W E Davies.  About 200 members of the Brigade accompanied the men to their station, en route to which the Band played the “Tipperary March,” “Boys of the Old Brigade,” and the Worcestershire Regimental March.  Large crowds gathered at the station to give the men a hearty send-off…Cheers were given for several officers, who passed from carriage to carriage giving hearty handshakes.  All the men were in the best of spirits, and cracked jokes and sang popular songs until the train was on the move, when the Band struck up “Auld Lang Syne.”  

Another batch of men from the Eighth Battalion will leave Worcester on Tuesday, and further drafts will be sent during the next few weeks from the Eighth Battalion and the Artillery and the Yeomanry to replace those units who are either medically unfit or who are marked “Home Service” only.

Comforts for Worcestershires: There are many people who would like to send comforts to our troops at the front, who are undecided what to send and where to sent it.  An admirable movement has been started in Worcester for our Worcestershire soldiers, and up to now, the response has been splendid.  All gifts in money or kind, should be sent to the Army Comfort Store at the Capital and Countries’ Bank.  Twice a week, large quantities of comforts are sent up, and gifts sent through the Store are packed and addressed with scrupulous care.  All packages are addressed to the Companies.  Boxes for packing have been generously given by several Worcester firms, and not a package has yet miscarried.  Grateful little messages of thanks have been sent by the soldiers for the welcome presents.  The store is under the management of Mrs A V Wodehouse, wife of Major Wodehouse, of the First Worcestershires, and she is assisted by ….Mr Edward Goulding MP, who visited the store, was extremely impressed by its usefulness, and by the large amount of comforts sent.  He immediately gave £10 for the store.

Claines School: The annual concert took place on Wednesday.  There was a crowded audience.  The singing of the Allies’ National Anthems was particularly good, and the tableaux were most effective.  The proceeds this year are to be divided between the Worcestershire War  Relief Fund, the Belgian Refugees Fund in Worcester, and Princess Mary’s appeal for Christmas gifts for the soldiers.  It is hoped to clear £3.

Information researched by Sue Redding