LOCAL CASUALTIES: 4
Private Hughie Cole - 1/7th. Private John Edward Sherwood - 1/8th. Lieutenant John Dyott Willmott - Second Battalion. Private Clarence Staples - Sixth Battalion.

ROLLING CASUALTY COUNT: 1,577

First Battalion in billets at Sailly cross roads. Fatigues of 200 digging Third Defence line.
Second Battalion in billets at Le Quesnoy.
Third Battalion in Bivouac near Busseboom; Royal Field Artillery: Le Mont Evenic: Training.

The Welcome Rain: Rarely has a storm been welcomed more than that of last night. This was the first downpour of any account since May 17, when 0.64 of an inch was registered at the Worcester Waterworks. The thunderstorm of last Friday brought a little welcome rain to relieve the drought, and to reinvigorate the crops, whose parched condition was getting to be a matter of alarm. A little damage was done by the deluge, but on the whole the gain was enormous. There was one phenomenally fierce crash of thunder, so extraordinarily sharp and “near” that every individual in Mid-Worcestershire thought that the legendary “thunderbolt” had dropped on his own house, but, though everyone dreaded the consequences, the reported cases of damage are very few. An acacia tree in Britannia Square, Worcester, was struck, and also an oak tree at Cakebole, Chaddesley Corbett. The latter was shivered from top to bottom; one of the cleavages carried right to the roots of the tree; and one of the limbs was split from the trunk into the branches. At Hanbury a cottage was struck and damaged, but no personal injury was suffered. More recent storms have been slighter. They have done no recorded damage, but the gentle rainfalls have been most beneficial. On Saturday .72 was recorded there and at Rainbow Hill, Mr G B Wetherall’s instrument measured .77. The last rainfall in city (with the exception of a slight shower or two) was on June 2, when .13 of an inch fell.

Factory Chimney Struck at Astwood Bank: A severe thunderstorm broke over Astwood Bank, which, while it lasted only a few minutes, did a considerable amount of damage.  A tall chimney stack at the works of Messrs George Hollington and Sons, needle manufacturers, was struck and part of the top fell through the roof of a hardening shop, where an employee and one of the principals of the firm were standing. Both received a severe shock;
Damage at Droitwich: The storms at Droitwich were particularly severe, and rain fell practically all day, with the result that the lower part of the High Street was flooded, the water finding its way into the lower rooms of several shops and houses. Sewage was forced up through the drains and workmen were employed in removing it and disinfecting the places concerned.  The lightning was particularly vivid, and was followed almost immediately by heavy crashes of thunder.

Information researched by Sue Redding