Reports of German atrocities were reaching reaching Manchester with the Press bureau releasing reports of the invasion of Belgium.
Having fought there way into Louvain,burning villages on the way said the report, the German armies requisitioned food and lodging for their troops and seized all the money in the banks as well as taking several hostages including the Mayor of the town
There were reportes of massacres of civilians, an old women killed by bayonet thrusts, arms and legs cut off, petrol being poured over people and bodies scattered by the roadside.
The second of the Manchester battalions paraded at Ardwick that morning as it was being reported that the war office had announced that the ranks had enough recruits for the present.
William Dean from Denton arrived home after being stuck in Vienna on business at the end of July as war was declared.
He departed for the German border but was stuck in Verviers as German troops invaded Belgium, only eventually after Three weeks he found passage through neutral Holland finally getting passage back to the UK on a steamer.
The body of a man was recovered from the river Mersey at Stretford as yet unidentified he was around 45, and was wearing a cotton shirt with Lewis’ Market Street on the label.
Lists of wounded Lancashire soldiers were already a daily feature of the papers. That day eleven from the Manchester regiment were listed as being at Plymouth returned from the BEF.
