The Manchester recruiting offices were once again besieged , staff at Dickenson street being kept busy all day.
The order to take ex soldiers for a special reserve who were under 30 had precipitated the rush to arms.
An Evening news reporter had been to Oldham ” I have never seen on a working day so many people walking aimlessly in the streets-the men in their caps and the the women in their shawls almost filled the footpaths at some points.
The outbreak of war had seen 150 of 250 mills closed for an indefinite period.
Forty five scouts from Manchester who had been in France when war broke out had landed in Southampton. Mr AH Hope, the master in charge said the lads had thoroughly enjoyed the exceptional conditions under which the tour had taken place. Gifts of fruit flowers chocolates and milk had been showered on them.
The boys, it turned out, had walked 150 miles from Paris to Le Havre as the French military had taken over all the rolling stock.
A Middleton grinder was charged with the attempted murder of a ten year old after throwing him in the canal.
The accused, rather the worst for drink, approached the boy, who was playing with another child, and had answered the man back, after which he threw him.
The magistrates after hearing the case reduced the charge to assault and fined the man £5.
The first reports of British troops in action reached Manchester but it wasn’t great news.
The fighting had taken place around Mons , the Germans said to be attacking vigorously, and with some success.
The BEF’s first line of defense at Namur had fallen and troops had withdrawn from the river Sambre to their originally defensive position on the French frontier.
