Daily Diary, April 27, 1915

ROLLING CASUALTY COUNT:  995

First Battalion in Divisional Reserve at Sailly.  ‘D’ Company in Section 1 with Fifth Black Watch. Draft of 2 Officers and 137 other ranks joined.
Second Battalion in billets at Bethune. Draft of 75 other ranks arrived under Second Lieutenant D L Yawdrey.
Third Battalion in trenches E Dickebush. Five wounded.

Dear Sir, Walking along Angel Street this morning, I casually glanced at the new lavatories being built on the corner, and was astonished to see the one place is named “Mens Lavatory” and the other “Womens Lavatory.” This, I think is a disgraceful slur on the inhabitants, as surely it should have been “Gentlemen’s Lavatory” and Ladies’ Lavatory,” and I venture to say that not in any other city  or town in the British Isles could be found such words as “Mens and Womens Lavatory.” Is it through wanting to do the job cheap, or is it to show the ignorance of the architect and the Committee before whom the plans were laid?  DISGUSTED.  

Major Reddie, the Secretary of the Territorial’s Association, says that up to last Saturday four men in the Eighth Battalion were wounded, all slightly. He also stated that there are three casualties in the Seventh Battalion.
The Yeomanry (Reserve) Regiment, who have been stationed in Worcester since September, left the city today for Cirencester, where they are to go under canvas in Earl Bathurst’s spacious park, one of the largest in the country. The morning was busily occupied by entraining the horses.  About 80 horses were entrained, and the Regiment will have a further supply from Fishguard, the Regiment left by two special trains at 12.40 and 2.20. The men, who looked in the pink of physical fitness, and who have attained a standard of considerable military efficiency, were accompanied by large crowds of their relatives and friends, as well as many of the Worcester residents with whom they have been happily billeted during their stay.  Now that the 11th Battalion and the Yeomanry have left there are only some 400 or 500 troops in the city.  These are the third line units of the Territorial Force – the Yeomanry, Artillery, and the Eighth Battalion; From April 3, the day following the arrival of two Companies of the 11th Battalion, until Monday night, 3,673 postal despatches were sent from the YMCA tent, the use of which was greatly appreciated by the men. By special arrangement something of interest was going on nearly every night of their stay.  Free stationery was supplied to all applicants to take away, in case they found no suitable provision for writing at Fovant (Salisbury Plain).

Exciting Experience at Diglis: Soon after noon today a young lady and gentleman went over Diglis Weir in a rowing boat.  Mr C A Webb was fishing below the weir with other fisherman when he saw the boat approaching the weir broadside. Apparently the boat was out of control, and he called another man, Mr.S. Burrows, and together they ran to the weir, about 30 yards distant. Meanwhile the boat had approached the weir, but the young man had got it to go nose on.  He jumped out on to the weir and then held the boat and the young woman in it.  It was a timely act, or the boat would have been swept into the swirl at the bottom of the weir.  There was a fair amount of water coming over the weir, but the force was not such as to sweep the man off his feet, and he held fast to the boat and the young lady (though the wash swept over them both), until Mr. Webb and Mr. Burrows could reach them and take them in a boat.  The couple were then taken to Mr. Bradley, at the Locks, where they were supplied with dry clothing. They were visitors from Kidderminster, and did not know of the presence of the weir, nor did they observe the signs of warning on the bank.

Information researched by Sue Redding.