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

101 years ago today 7/1/1915: Private Frank Croft (Age 19) 6th Bn. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Son of Christopher and Mary Ann Croft, of 3, Compton St., Stalybridge, Cheshire.

Private William Mullock (Age 18) 1st Bn. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Son of Thomas and Emma Mullock, of 67, Goddard St., Crewe, Cheshire.

Private Edward Thomas Phipps 1st Bn. Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

in more modern times….let us not forget Charlie Hebdo in 2015……

we lost…

1536 – Catherine of Aragon

1694 – Charles Gerald 1st Earl of Macclesfield

VC Winners

1901: John Barry of Royal Irish Regiment in 2nd Boer, Monument Hill, South Africa.

1915: Eustace Jotham of 51st Sikhs in WW1 7 January 1915, Spina Khaisora, India

1917: Thomas Mottershead No. 20 Squadron RFC in WW1, Ploegsteert Wood, Belgium

101 years ago today 5/1/1915: Private JS Tindall 16th Bn. Whickham (St. Mary) Churchyard, United Kingdom.

100 years ago today 5/1/1916: Private E Axon MID (Age 23) 10th Bn. Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France. Husband of Edith May Axon, of “Maple,” 22, Queen’S Rd., Hale, Cheshire.

Private  E Cartlidge (Age 36) 8th Bn. Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Turkey (including Gallipoli). Husband oAlice Cartlidge, of 22, River St., Congleton, Cheshire.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

5/01/1941: Private Samuel Edwin Slaney (Age 34) 8th (H.D.) Bn. Congleton (St. Stephen) Churchyard, United Kingdom. Son of Edward and Sarah Ellen Slaney, of Congleton.

5th January 1984: Cheshires finished a tour based in Londonderry, Northern Ireland (started 10th March 1982)

also….

1895 – Dreyfus Affair (Alfred Dreyfus stripped of rank and sentanced to life on Devil’s Island, Fench Guiana.

1919 – the Germany Worker’s Party formed…..I wonder where that will lead????

VC Winner…

1900: John Milbanke of 10th Hussars in 2nd Boer, Colesberg, South Africa.

101 years ago today 3/1/1915: Private H Riley (Age 34) 2nd Bn. Winchester (West Hill) Old Cemetery, United Kingdom. Son of John and Ann Riley, of Angel St., Manchester.

100 years ago today 3/1/1916: Captain   AE Harry 3rd Bn. attd. 1st Bn. Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt, France.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

3/01/1945: Private Oscar Launcelot Tempest, Kirk Christ Rushen (Holy Trinity) Churchyard Extension, United Kingdom.

happy birthday…

106BC – Cicero

1883 – Clement Atlee (UK Labour MP 1945)

1892 – JRR Tolkien

1929 – Sergio Leone

1945 – David Starkey

VC Winner…..

1942: Arthur Cumming of Frontier Force Regiment in WW2,Kuantan, Malaya.

100 years ago today 2/1/1916: Private Arthur Aspey (Age 25) 9th Bn., Nephew Of Mr. H. Aspey, Of Bow Lane, Bowdon, Cheshire.

Private E Barker 9th Bn.

Private T Hall 9th Bn.

All commemorated at St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg-L’Avoue, France.

Meanwhile in World War 2:

2/01/1944: Private Percival Turner (Age 34) 4th Bn. Prague War Cemetery, Czech Republic. Son of George and Winnifred Turner, of Loftus, Yorkshire.

alos today…

1981 – Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire Ripper) was caught

VC Winner…

1859: Henry Addison of 43rd Regiment of Foot in Indian Mutiny, Kurereha, India.

1858: Frederick Roberts of Bengal Horse Artillery in Indian Mutiny, Khodagunge, India.

1920: William Kenny of 39th Garhwal Rifles in Waziristan Campaign, Kot Kai, Waziristan.

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