101 years ago today 18/1/1915: Private HJ Darlington 11th Bn. Chester (Overleigh) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Mr. J. Darlington; husband of E. A. Darlington, of 7, Gloucester St., Chester.

Private T Edwards (Age 24) 5th Bn. Hale Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Mrs. Sarah Edwards, of 29, Mayors Rd., Altrincham.

100 years ago today 18/1/1916: Lance Corporal  S Higginbottam 1st Bn.   Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt, France

Private Arthur Yates (Age 23) “C” Coy. 5th Bn. Villers-Bocage Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Son of Thomas and Emma Yates, of Burnage, Manchester.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

1944: Lieutenant Norman John George Bowring (Age 28) 7th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of George and Florence Bowring; Husband of Muriel Emma Bowring, of Acton, Middlesex.

Private David Mitchell (Age 28) 7th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Barnett and Annie Mitchell; husband of Dorothy May Mitchell, of Wandsworth, London.

Private William Christopher Seeley (Age 23) 6th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Samuel and Jessie Seeley, of Stamford Hill, London.

Private Frederick Taylor (age 26) 7th Bn.                Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Fredrick and Ellen Taylor, of Manchester; husband of Joan Violet Taylor, of West Gorton, Manchester.

Private Leslie Wabe (Age 38) 7th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of William and Anne Wabe; husband of Margery Wabe, of Marham, Norfolk.

Private James Christopher Wood (Age 27) 7th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Maj. Dain Wood and Martha Elizabeth Wood, of Bradford, Manchester.

1945: Corporal William Edward Kelly (Age 41) Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial, United Kingdom

Corporal Louis Henry Sparks (Age 26) Whipton (All Saints) Churchyard, United Kingdom. Son of Walter George and Kathleen Sparks, of St. Thomas, Exeter.

VC Winners…

1942: Charles Anderson of 2/19th Battalion, AIF in WW2, Muar, Malaya.

1945: Dennis Donnini of Royal Scots Fusiliers in WW2, Stein, (Selfkant) Germany.

1944: Alec Horwood of Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) in WW2, Kyauchaw, Burma.

also…

1788 – first bits of First Fleet arive in Botany Bay

1943 – Warsaw Ghetto uprising

100 years ago today 17/1/1916: Private  S Hankey 10th Bn. Rifle House Cemetery, Belgium

Meanwhile in World War 2:

1944: Lieutenant William Richard Morton (Age 29) 6th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of William and Jessie Morton, of Hyde, Cheshire. Chartered Accountant.

Private Albert Edward Tiltman (Age 29) 7th Bn. Minturno War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Alfred Edward Tiltman, and of Violet Ethel Tiltman, of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

VC Winners…

1858: David Spence of 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers in Indian Mutiny, Shunsabad, India.

1874: Reginald Sartorius of 6th Bengal Cavalry in First Ashanti Expedition, Abogu, Ashanti.

1885: Alfred Smith of Royal Regiment of Artillery in Sudan Campaign, Abu Klea, Sudan.

also….

1912 – Captain Robert Scott reaches South Pole…..one month after Amundsen

1945 – Raoul Wallenberg taken into custody by Soviets

happy birthday…

1863 – David Lloyd George

1871 – David Beatty

1899 – Al Capone

1942 – Muhammad Ali

101 years ago today 13/1/1915: Private  J Jones 1st Bn. Kandahar Farm Cemetery, Belgium

Meanwhile in World War 2:

1943: Private Walter George Barrow (Age24) Crewe Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Walter and Elsie Barrow, of Crewe.

1944: Serjeant Frederick Ord (Age 43) 6th Bn. Stockport (Willow Grove) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of John and Ellen Ord; husband of Lily Ord, of Cheadle Heath, Stockport.

1945: Serjeant Philip Lamb (Age 43) 2nd Bn. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, United Kingdom

VC Winner…

1916: Chatta Singh of 9th Bhopal Infantry in WW1, Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia.

also…..

1898 – Emile Zola writes “J’accuse” during Dreyfus affair

1960 – Gulags abolished

1968 – Johnny Cash performs inside Folsom State Prison

happy birthday…

1911 – Joh Bjelke-Peterson (former QLD state premier)

1961 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus

101 years ago today 12/1/1915: Private  A Barrow 1st Bn. Bailleul Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.

100 years ago today 12/1/1916: Lieutenant EFW Cobbold 7th Bn. Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France

Happy birthday….

1893 – Herman Goring

101 years ago today 11/1/1915: Company Quartermaster Serjeant WH Swain (Age 38) 9th Bn. Middlewich Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of William Swain and Mary Swain; husband of Mable Louise Swain, of 64, Easton Rd., New Ferry, Cheshire. Born at Rose Heath, Sandbach.

100 years ago today 11/1/1916: Private JF Goodwin 11th Bn. London Rifle Brigade Cemetery, Belgium.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

1946: Private Robert Lyons (Age 22) 30th Bn. Rome War Cemetery, Italy. Son of Robert and Margaret Lyons, of Swinton, Nottinghamshire.

also today…

1879 – Zulu War starts (am thinking of treating myself to a tour of the ZW for my 50th, boyhood dream)

1986 – Gateway bridge, Brisbane opened (I have run/walked over this during ‘Bridge to Brisbane’ fun run)

happy birthday…

1920 – Mick McManus (wrestler)

1938 – Arthur Scargill (NUM leader)

and of course we  lost David Bowie today

99 years ago today 10/1/1917: Private D Jones 1st/4th Bn. Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq.

Private William John Thomas (Age 24) 22nd Bn. Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France. Son of Rose Thomas, of Llaswernfach, Llangattock, Crickhowell, Breconshire, and the late William Thomas.

Private Richard Ward (Age 30) 1st/6th Bn. Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium. Husband of Hannah Smith (formerly Ward), of 6, John St., Heywood.

Private John James Shaw (Age 33) “C” Coy. 10th Bn. Stockport (Willow Grove) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of James Shaw; husband of Eva Lane (formerly Shaw), of 9, Higher Union St., Heaton Norris, Stockport.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

10/01/1940: Lance Corporal Francis Day (Age 21) Derrington (St. Matthew) Churchyard, United Kingdom. Son of Edward and Emma Day, of Derrington.

Todays VC Winner…

1904: Clement Smith of Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in Fourth Somaliland Expedition, Jidballi, Somaliland.

also today….

49BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubison with his 13th Legion, starting a civil war

101 years ago today 9/1/1915: Corporal Charles Morley Brock (Age 23) 13th Bn. Ludgershall (St. James) Churchyard, United Kingdom. Son of Charles Brock.

100 years ago today 9/1/1916: Private Isaac Nelms (Age 19) 2nd/6th Bn. Stockport (Willow Grove) Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Joseph and Sarah Nelms, of 2, Barkers Buildings, Churchgate, Stockport. Alternative Commemoration – Buried in Brunswick Methodist Church Burial Ground.

also….

1799 – British PM introduces income tax to pay for Napolionic Wars

1806 – state funeral of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson

1916 – end of battle of Gallpoli (who won?)

1941 – first flight of Avro Lancaster

happy birthday…

1913 – Richard Dixon

1920 – CLive Dunn

99 years ago today 8/1/1917: Private JA McKean 3rd Bn. Tottenham Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of Mrs. Louisa McKean, of 3, Birstall Rd., South Tottenham.

happy birthday…

1817 – Theophilus Shepstone

1934 – Roy Kinnear

1935 – Elvis Presley

and we lost….

1941 – Robert Baden-Powell