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Key dates over January 1918


Lives lost on this day: 2

18th January 1918 - Shambles butchers closed due to no meat

Rolling casualty count: 8469

War Front:

3rd Batt: Hostile artillery more active, probably due to the increased movement of men in the open.

4th batt: Batt moved at 3.15pm to Junction camp, St Jean. CO rejoined batt from his course with the RFC.

2/7th Batt:The Divisional Commander, Major Gen Colin Mackenzie, CB, presented medal ribbons and parchments to Capt J Manuel, 2Lt RA Beaman (Military Cross,)

Ptes J Ashman, JH Dickens, Lance Cpl JH Lester and Sgt J Kendall who all received the Military Medal. L Cpl Chilton received the Divisional Commander`s Parchment.

2/8th Batt: GOC distributed honours to officers and men.

Home Front:

Sir Frederick Bridge, who declares his intention for the future to refuse to hold any social intercourse with a German, is a Worcestershire man (born at Oldbury in 1844), who has spent practically all his life in ecclesiastical surroundings…His numerous musical publications and his University professorships sufficiently indicate his standing in his profession, apart from the fact of over twenty years as conductor of the Royal Choral Society. Sir Frederick has been married three times (his second wife was a daughter of Mr. E. Amphlett), and is now in his 74th year. He is affectionately known among his friends as “Westminster Bridge.”

To the Editor: Sir, - I have received reports that in some parts of the city, owing to the rapid thaw, the pavements are being flooded with the danger of flooding the houses. Owing to the shortness of labour it is impossible to send men away from the centre, or business part, of the city, but if the occupiers will be so good as to have the gutters cleared out in front of their own houses, so as to enable the water to run freely into the drains, it will, in most cases, be sufficient to prevent the worse results. While I am writing I should like to remind occupiers of their individual responsibility to have the pavements cleared in front of their own houses. In very many cases this is not being done, and the respective occupiers are liable to prosecution for their neglect. A. Arrowsmith Maund, Chairman, Streets Committee.

Lighting Offence: Rosalie Van Driquelle, 40, Britannia Square, was fined 10s. for contravening the Lighting Order. P.C. Wynne said that there was a blind to the window, but it was not drawn. He could see the light for some distance.

Today most of the butchers in the Shambles were closed. Those who were still open had, around their shops, large crowds who eagerly awaited the periodicial opening of doors to allow a few customers to enter. Many of the shops displayed a notice that they would open tomorrow morning, and in such places the attentive ear could hear the chopping up of meat. Most of the fish shops were open, but, unfortunately, they were empty, or nearly so. The one bright spot in the Shambles was the shop of Mr. Jack Thompson, who had been able to obtain about 12cwt. of fish; but, as he told our reporter, he had been without for a long time, and now had obtained not half, or even a quarter, of his normal supplies. There were several tubs of mackerel and a fair supply of sprats, but the latter were fetching 6d. and 7d. a lb. instead of the normal 1d. a lb.

Information researched by The Worcestershire World War 100 team