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