98 years ago today 31/12/1917: Remembering Private W Peach (Age 18) 9th Bn. Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, France. Son of William and Catherine Peach, of 29, Chaucer St., Kingsley Park, Northampton.

97 years ago today 31/12/1918: Remembering Private Arthur Jones (Age 43) 2nd Bn Mikra British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece. Son of James and Martha Jones; husband of Mary Ann Jones, of 2, Edward’S Court, Trafford St., Chester. Born at Hoole, Chester.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

31/12/1942: Private George Lowndes (Age 23) 2nd Bn. Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Son of Mrs. S. Lowndes, of Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent.

31/12/1944: Private James Lee (Age 25) 6th Bn. Forli War Cemetery, Italy. Son of William and Mary Lee, of Stockport, Cheshire.

VC today:

31 December 1858: Charles Fraser of 7th Queen’s Own Hussars in Indian Mutiny at River Raptee, India.

31 December 1942: Robert Sherbrooke on HMS Onslow in WW2 at North Cape, Norway.

also today…

1696 – Window tax came in in UK (I bet that was a pane (sic))

1796 – Baltimore incorporated as a city (note: I love B-more, the home of the O’s, The Wire, Ft. McHenry (where the USA national anthem was written); and where I lost my virginity…)

happy birthday….

1908 – Simon Wiesenthal

1912 – John Frost (his boys reached the bridge at Arnhem)

1937 – Anthony Hopkins (who ironically played John Frost in “A Bridge Too Far”)

1941 – Alex (“Fergie”) Ferguson former Man Utd manager (he of the the drier)

1943 – John Denver

Happy New Year………have a great 2016

101 years ago today 29/12/1914: Remembering Private Cornelius Bamford (Age 22) 1st Bn. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Son of William and Isabella Bamford, of Back Arthur St., Bury; husband of Marie Waldron (Formerly Bamford), of 2, Parson’S Court, Elton, Bury.

100 years ago today 29/12/1915: Remembering: Private A Gray 11th Bn. Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

29/12/1939: Lance Corporal Percival William Walter Hookway (Age 37) 2nd Bn. Tiverton Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Walter Venton Hookway and Alice Maud Hookway, of Tiverton; Stepson of Mrs. A. B. A. Hookway, of Tiverton.

29/12/1940: Lance Corporal William Joseph Albert McGowan (Age 22) 1st Bn. Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt. Son of William and Annie McGowan, of Birkenhead.

VC today:

29 December 1877: Hans Moore 88th Regiment of Foot in 9th Cape Frontier War at King William’s Town, Cape Colony.

also today…

1170 – Thomas Becket (Arch Bishop of Canterbury) killed…

1890 – massacre at Wounded Knee

1895 – Jameson Raid in South Africa (helped start Second Boer War)

1939 – First flight of Consolidated LIberator B-24

100 years ago today 27/12/1915: Remembering Private  P Fowles (Age 27) 10th Bn. Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, Belgium. Son of William and Mary Jane Fowles, of 44, Townfields, Over, Winsford, Cheshire.

Private W Brown (Age 23) 9th Bn. St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’avoue, France. Son of James and Betsy Louisa Brown, of Moss Nook, Cheadle, Cheshire.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

27/12/1940: Private Kenneth John Brooke Rowley (Age 17) Chester (Overleigh) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Edmund Brooke Rowley and Louisa Margaret Rowley, of Guildford, Surrey.

27/12/1941: Private James William Hicks Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial, United Kingdom.

27/12/1943: Private Richard J Connor (Age 33) 22nd Bn. Wallasey (Rake Lane) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Daniel and Elizabeth Connor, of Wallasey.

Happy birthday…

1948 – Gerard Depardieu

100 years ago today 26/12/1915: Remembering Private Joseph Brassey 9th Bn. Merville Communal Cemetery, France. Son of Joseph Brassey, of Thornton Hough, Birkenhead.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

26/12/1941: Lance Corporal Frank Connor (Age 28) 2nd Bn. Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Israel and Palestine (including Gaza)    .

26/12/1943: Corporal Francis Richardson (Age 32) 30th Bn. Radstock (St. Nicholas) Churchyard Extension, United Kingdom. Son of Francis and Elizabeth Maud Richardson; husband of Gwendoline May Richardson, of Radstock.

“A devoted husband and father. Gone but not forgotten.”

also today…

1943 – Scharnhorst sunk off Norway

1944 – Bastogne releived

happy birthday….

1887 – Arthur Percival British General of WW2….survived first day of battle of the Somme (1/7/1916), went on to command troops in Singapore in 1941, in time to surrender.

98 years ago today 23/12/1917: Remembering Private Walter Hallworth 8th Bn. Basra Memorial, Iraq.

Private HR Bithell 10th Bn. Gosforth (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, United Kingdom.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

23/12/1940: Private Albert Edward Trueman (Age 35) 4th Bn. Worksop (Retford Road) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of John Edward and Clara Trueman, of Worksop; husband of Annie Elizabeth Trueman, of Worksop.

23/12/1941: Private Ronald Yates (Age 23) 1st Bn. Pembroke Military Cemetery, Malta. Son of Charles and Jane M. Yates, of Buglawton, Cheshire.

also today…

1968 – 82 crew members of USS Pueblo released by North Korea

100 years ago today 22/12/1915: Remembering Private A Pratt 11th Bn. Etaples Military Cemetery, France.

1894 – start of the Dreyfus affair with his (Alfred’s) conviction for treason

1944 – “nuts” General McAuliffe’s response on calls to surrender in Bastogne (Battle of the Bulge)

Happy birthday

1948 – Noel Edmonds (“Saturday Morning Swap Shop”)