The events of April 1917
April was a month when the casualty rate increased again with constant reports of men killed and wounded and, on the other side,
stories of heroism and the award of medals.
At home, the main concern was the possibility of food shortages and the need to be more self sufficient in producing food and less
wasteful in its consumption. Everyone needed to do his or her ‘bit’ when it came to food and the newspaper had a number of handy
tips about how this could be done.
There was also much anxiety locally about a measles epidemic which shut schools and claimed a number of children’s lives.
We can look back with interest at the local reaction to news of the Russian Revolution and also at descriptions of how communities
used to celebrate Easter, a much more public holiday than it is 100 years later.
1917 seems to have been a particularly harsh winter with more than average snow falls but the cricket season managed to get under
way at the end of April despite the weather.
And it is interesting to note that a report of a talk about bird spotting was organised by the literary committee of Shipley Bowling
Club. Wonder how many sports clubs today have a literary committee!
The links here will take you to pages containing stories published exactly 100 years before. The headlines shown are only a taste of
the stories that appear on that page.
6 April 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Cheery letter from gas victim
- Death of an over-aged soldier
- Uncle and nephews serving the cause
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Russian Revolution welcomed
- Measles pushes up child death rate
- Wounded soldier discharged from army
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- War worker struggling to survive
- Shipley Council’s healthy finances
- Former skipper turns his back on Idle CC
13 April 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Early start to Easter in Baildon
- “Coppin’ on” at Shipley Glen
- Traditional horse fair and Easter rambles
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Funeral brings home the sadness of war
- 10,000 women needed for farm work
- Church to dig up surrounding land for food
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Bunting out to welcome home amputee
- Idle brothers in hospital
- Killed in the course of ‘magnificent advance’
20 April 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Vicar’s verdict on working on Sunday
- Boys and women needed on farms
- Matron gives thanks for and to the ‘boys’
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- 6d a bottle for Guinness is the limit
- Vicar plans service for munition workers
- The dangers of forgetting to change clocks
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Shipley officer gets medal from King
- Belgian making use of his language skills
- Shipley councillor’s useful relief map
27 April 1917
- Windhill vicar writes from the Front Line
- Letters home from “Eccleshill Road”
- Serving men condemn striking miners
- Teachers deserve a rise in pay
- Patriots should welcome food economy
- Bounty on rats and sparrows
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Unforgettable moments for Tommy in Africa
- New cricket season underway
- Toll of wounded increases
- Killed after just two days in the trenches
- Civilian distress shames ‘shirkers’ at home
- POWs give the view from the other side
- Old Glen House soldier killed in action
- Bradford Northern star killed
- Brothers’ narraw escape from Pip Squeak
