On This Day ... in 1812 & Others
US regular forces launched an attack across the Niagara River at Queenstown Heights which succeeded in capturing a British redoubt on the Heights.
Major General Brock, the victor at Detroit on 16 August, led an immediate counter-attack but was killed. However, the US commander, Winfield Scott, was unable to persuade US militiamen to cross the river to support him, and further British and American Indian forces under Major General Sheaffe eventually retook the position and forced his surrender.
1900: Major Brown, 14th Hussars, went back to rescue a man whose horse had been shot during an action with Boers, then, later in the day, carried a wounded man to safety. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1915: British troops came under heavy gas attack at the notorious Hohenzollern Redoubt. Corporal Dawson, Royal Engineers, climbed out of the trench, risking enemy fire to give better directions for the evacuation of the more badly affected sections of trench, then, finding some leaking gas cylinders, pulled them clear into No Man's Land and riddled them with bullets to allow the gas to escape away from the troops. He received the Victoria Cross.
1918: Men from the Scots Guards faced heavy sniper fire while trying to secure a bridge across the Selle River. Corporal Wood found a large building block and dragged it into the open, then, using it for cover, duelled with the snipers, drawing their fire until the bridge had been taken. He received the Victoria Cross.
1940: The south-east suffered four German attacks. London and Liverpool again suffered at night, but raids were also experienced in many other parts of the country.
Four Tribal class destroyers - HM ships Cossack, Ashanti, Maori and Sikh - sank all five ships in an escorted German convoy in the North Sea.
Comments
WFW, Water fearing Wussies!
Posted by: Larry Graham | October 13, 2007 2:21 AM
General Brock's scarlet tunic, with a rather large hole (I would guess 5/8 of an inch diameter maybe larger) over the heart is in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. If memory serves his sword and gloves are beside it.
Interestingly, I have never heard him referred to as Major General before, here in Canada it is always Sir Isaac Brock that buildings are named for, or General Brock sometimes with the title 'The Saviour of Canada'. Buell's Bay was renamed Brockville to honour him after his victory at Detroit.
Posted by: Al_in_Cornwall(Canada) | October 14, 2009 12:41 AM