On This Day ... in 1139 & Others
Battle of the Standard was fought on Cowton Moor, near Northallerton.
It was the first major engagement between English and Scots since the Norman Conquest. It was one of just two major battles during the Civil War of Stephen and Matilda. In most cases in the 12th century the weaker side would avoid pitched battle and concentrate on small scale action and the control of territory through garrisons and their reduction by siege. But at Northallerton, for reasons that are not clear, King David forced a battle and the English met that challenge.
The English army chose the ground, deploying across the Great North Road two miles north of Northallerton, blocking the southward advance of King David I’s Scottish army. David probably was confident in his superiority in numbers and may have attempted to advance and strike the English by surprise but, despite the early morning fog, he found the English ready for him. Although outnumbered, the English forces repulsed a series of Scottish attacks. The unarmoured and supposedly ‘wild’ Galwegian infantry, who insisted on spearheading the Scottish attack in place of the well armoured knights, fell in large numbers to the English arrow storm. When they did reach the English lines they were generally cut down in hand to hand fighting with the local levies and the well armed and armoured English men at arms.
The English first line was at times hard pressed, but they were very effectively seconded and any breach that the enemy forced was rapidly closed. Late in the battle the Scots did mount one successful attack, when Prince Henry’s small detachment of cavalry punched a hole right through the English battle formation. However this opportunity could not be exploited by the infantry that seconded the charge who, just like the Galwegians, were forced to retreat. The retreat soon turned into a rout.
After perhaps no more than two hours of fighting, the Scots began to flee, leaving many of their number dead on the field. But the victorious English were unwilling or unable to follow up with an effective pursuit and execution of the broken enemy forces. If they had, then the destruction of the Scottish army would surely have been far more complete.
1336: Following Philip VI's rejection two days previously of diplomatic efforts to avoid war, four French warships raided Orford Roads, where they caught a large English ship, the Caterine, unawares. The crew were slaughtered in the first open act of hostilities.
1485: The Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the Wars of the Roses, Richard III falling in battle against Henry Tudor. The battle was decided by the opportunist Stanleys, who sat watching the battle before deciding which side to join.
Richard III may have been Shakespeare's greatest villain, and indeed probably had murdered his nephews, but his personal bravery and military skill were unquestioned.
1642: The formal start of the English Civil War was marked by King Charles I raising his Standard at Nottingham to muster an army to fight Parliament. Charles had no significant problems recruiting men, but properly arming his troops proved much more difficult, since Parliament controlled most of the major magazines and arms supplies.
1914: Sergeant Major Jillings was wounded, the first British airman to fall casualty during air warfare. An observer with 2 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, he was wounded in the leg by a rifle bullet fired from the ground during a reconnaissance sortie near Ath, Belgium. Later that day, the first British aircraft ever was lost in action: Lieutenants Waterfall and Bayly, of 5 Squadron, failed to return. Their Avro aircraft was shot down, again by ground fire.
1917: In France, Corporal Konowal, a Ukrainian serving with the British Columbia Regiment, led a section of men on the extremely dangerous task of clearing a network of strongpoints, on one occasion breaking into a machine-gun position alone, killing its crew, then bringing the captured weapon back to the British lines. He was severely wounded after using demolition charges to destroy another strongpoint. He received the Victoria Cross.
1918: As British troops advanced rapidly across France, Lance-Corporal Onions of the Devonshire Regiment was sent with just one man to make contact with the flanking battalion. However, Onions and his comrade found not the British unit, but a large body of German troops approaching. Undaunted, Onions decided to take them on alone. He and the private fired with such good effect that the German advance wavered then halted. Covered by the other man, Onions then dared to rush forward and induced over 200 enemy to surrender. He was awarded the Victoria Cross.
1940: The focus of operations returned to the Dover Straits, where a convoy was attacked by the Luftwaffe
Comments
Can't help thinking that if we'd settled these territorial disputes better back then we could have had an earlier start on providing the planet with the natural country of Government - Britain.
Posted by: EX_ | August 23, 2007 12:32 AM