VILLAGES VISITED
On Wednesday afternoon the villages of Badsey, Littleton, and Offenham were visited by the Gun. The Howitzer was drawn by the steam engine from Evesham along the main road to Badsey, and having been drawn through the village was halted near the Royal Oak Inn and a short meeting was held. There was a large gathering, a considerable proportion of those present coming from the Bretforton district. Mr Julius Sladden, who throughout has taken a great interest in the War Savings Campaign, introduced the speakers, and at the outset stated that Badsey had already subscribed sufficient to ensure the receipt of one of the small souvenir shells, but that did not satisfy him; he wanted one of the 15-inch shells, and he appealed to his neighbours to invest sufficient to ensure this. Later he stated that on the first day Badsey paid into the bank £474, and on the second day £1,081 was subscribed. That made a total of £1,555, and they wanted to make it up to £2,500. Mr Harold Spender and Mr F. Restall, from the United States, also delivered stirring addresses. The men in charge of the gun were kept very busy stamping receipts and War Savings Certificates. After and between the speeches the band, under Mr F. H. Alcock, played stirring airs.
Preceeded by the band, the procession then moved to Littleton, where a meeting was held near the King Edward VII Inn. Mr Ralph Smith introduced the speakers. Capt. Knight-Coutts, MC, delivered a message from the boys in the trenches. They were out there defending the lives and property of those left at home, and they wanted to know what those at home were going to do about ending the war and bringing them home.