On This Day ... in 1191 & Others
The Crusader army led by Richard Coeur de Lion, King of England, held off a succession of onslaughts by Saladin's army at Arsuf, near Jaffa.
The Itinerarium Regis Ricardi (or to give it its full name Itinerarium Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardire) records that
So the unspeakable Turks fell on our army from all sides, from the direction of the sea and from dry land. There was not a space for two miles around, not even a fistful, which was not covered with the hostile Turkish race.
Leading by example, the King was in the heart of the fighting, as the Itinerarium explains
King Richard pursued the Turks with singular ferocity, fell upon them and scattered them across the ground. No one escaped when his sword made contact with them; wherever he went his brandished sword cleared a wide path on all sides. Continuing his advance with untiring sword strokes, he cut down that unspeakable race as if he were reaping the harvest with a sickle, so that the corpses of Turks he had killed covered the ground everywhere for the space of half a mile
Although Richard's victory allowed him to take Jaffa and Ascalon that winter, he was unable to capitalise on his success, the campaign fizzled out the following year and Saladin's offer of peace was accepted, ending the Third Crusade.
1642: One of the first actions of the English Civil War was fought at Babylon Hill near Yeovil. Royalist troops under Sir Ralph Hopton were keeping watch on Yeovil Bridge and failed to spot the approach of Parliamentarian cavalry. Each side's cavalry was so inexperienced that they both broke when they met in combat, but the Parliamentarians generally had the better of the fight.
1830: HMS Primrose, on anti-slavery patrol, rescued 555 slaves from the slave-ship Velos Passagera off the coast of Nigeria.
1863: In New Zealand, Colour-Sergeant McKenna and Lance-Corporal Ryan of the 65th Regiment each won the Victoria Cross for gallantry during an action against Maori rebels.
1940: British forces were issued an "Invasion Imminent" warning, as German shipping massed at Channel ports. The Luftwaffe switched targets from RAF airfields to London. A hospital porter, Mr Dolphin, sacrificed his own life whilst saving a nurse from a falling wall during an air raid on New Cross. He was awarded the George Cross posthumously.
Comments
Unspeakable Race...you just have to love it.I know that richard isn't rated as much of a king but for me he did fine in the killing the enemy stakes.
Posted by: thud | September 7, 2008 8:04 AM
Yes the only thing wrong is in this context the term race is too limited, I would advise the use of the term cultists or at worst religious zealots, mind you the term unspeakable muslims is highly palatable.
Posted by: chris Edwards | September 7, 2009 2:05 AM