101 years ago today 31/1/1915: Serjeant Alfred McDermott (Age 40) 1st Bn. Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Belgium. Served as Mack. Son of Henry McDermott, of Burnley.

100 years ago today 31/1/1916:

Private Austin Gibbons (Age 32) 2nd Bn.               Doiran Memorial, Greece. Son of Thomas And Catherine Gibbons, Of 58, Oliver St., Birkenhead.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

1943: Corporal George Hector Worrall (Age 31) 5th Bn. Kirkee War Cemetery, India. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Worrall, of Knutsford, Cheshire; husband of Ethel Maud Worrall, of Knutsford.

1945: Private William Henry Payne (Age 29) 6th Bn. Forli War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Henry and Alice Payne; husband of Florence Emily Payne, of Shoreditch, London.

VC Winners….

1879: Reginald Hart of Royal Engineers in 2nd Afghan, Bazar Valley, Afghanistan.

1941: Premindra Bhagat of Corps of Indian Engineers in WW2, Gallabat, Abyssinia.

1945: George Knowland of No. 1 Commando in WW2, Kangaw, Burma.

also….

1606 – Guy Fawkes executed

1943 – Field Marshal Paulus surrenders at Stalingrad (not the absolute end, but pretty close)

RIP Sir Terry Wogan