Heavy rain falls across the Ypres battlefields for almost the whole month, preventing any progress from either side.

The coroner passes a verdict of “found drowned” after a soldier’s body is found partially dressed in river. Having not appeared to have been bathing, the soldier’s death comes after said soldier had absented himself from The Sutherland Highlanders (although returning) and suffered disappointment at not being chosen to perform farm work.

 There is a mutiny in the German High Seas Fleet which is stationed at Wilhelmshaven.

 The Norwich Public Library Committee inaugurates a collection of war documents as a natural development of their collection and appeals to the public for further donations.

An Arab force from the Hejaz guided by T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) captures the Red Sea port of Aqaba

The Norfolk Women’s War Agricultural Committee report over 5,000 women working on the land in Norfolk.  Girls were being given 4 weeks training at training centres to prepare them for heavy work.

The Third Battle of Ypres begins, popularly known as Passchendaele. Fighting continues until 10 November.

The committee of Norfolk War Agricultural Committee plan to employ German prisoners to improve the River Yare and Taas (sic).

To combat anti-German feeling King George V changes his family name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.

The stained glass memorial window to Edith Cavell placed in Swardeston parish church above the altar at the east end.

Daylight raids on London by 18 German Gotha bombers continue and 157 people are killed and 432 injured

 A Berlin Official telegram stated “One of our Airship Squadrons under Captain Strasser attacked with success on the night of May 23rd and 24th, places in the south of England – Harwich and Norwich.”

Latest reports show the movement of Zeppelins were hopelessly lost, not only over England, but also on their return trip back to Germany.

The first contingent of American soliders arrives in France and Portuguese troops see action for the first time on the Western Front.

People are writing to the Military Representative about people who have not signed their names up for service. He urges people to come and see him privately and that any conversations will be confidential. He would then be able to explain from his records why such and such person had not been called up. He remarked some of the letters were extremely insolent to the Tribunal and to himself as the military representative.

To combat the German submarine threat, British introduce the convoy system, moving large numbers of merchant ships together under naval protection.

 The Norwich District Nursing Association announced at its annual meeting on Tuesday May 22nd that there was a lot of support for an Edith Cavell memorial, with nearly £1,000 already subscribed. The sculptor Mr Pegram was commissioned to place the statue on Tombland opposite the District Nurses premises

 The Imperial War Graves Commission is formally established in London – it becomes the present Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 1960

 The killing of house sparrows and rats was recommended by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to help maximise the crops produced in Norfolk during 1917. People were also encouraged to destroy sparrow nests and eggs.