On This Day ... in 1914 & Others
Royal Marines were landed at Ostend to help the Belgian defenders.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Harvey-Kelly of the Royal Flying Corps gained the first ever British victory in air-to-air combat despite flying an unarmed BE2 aircraft, managing to force a German Taube 2 to land purely by his aggressive flying.
According to 19 Squadron's history, in 1917 during an offensive patrol comprising three Spads being flown by Major Harvey-Kelly (by then having been awarded the DSO), Lieutenants Hamilton and Applin were engaged eleven Albatros's led by Baron Von Richthofen. Major Harvey-Kelly and Lieutenant Applin were killed in action, Major Harvey-Kelly being shot down by Ltn Kurt Wolff of Jasta 11. Lieutenant Hamilton was shot down & taken as a POW.
On the ground, Lance-Corporal Wyatt, Coldstream Guards, won the Victoria Cross by fighting a blaze in a farm building which threatened to drive British defenders out of their position, all the time under German fire. He then ignored a serious head wound to remain in the front line.
1918: In France, Sergeant Colley of the Lancashire Fusiliers was mortally wounded while organising a determined defence against heavy German counter-attacks. Despite his injuries, he remained in command of his scratch force until he died. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
From his citation:
For most conspicuous bravery and initiative when in command of a platoon in support of forward platoons which had been ordered to hold on at all costs. When the enemy counter-attacked in force, he rushed forward on his own initiative to help the forward line, rallying and controlling the men holding it. The enemy by this time were advancing quickly, and had already obtained a footing in the trench. Sgt. Colley then formed a defensive flank and held it. Out of the two platoons only three men remained unwounded, and he himself was dangerously wounded. It was entirely due to Serjt. Colley's action that the enemy were prevented from breaking through, and were eventually driven off. His courage and tenacity saved a very critical situation.
1940: The main Luftwaffe attacks came in the early evening against south coast targets. That night, Bomber Command mounted its first raid on Berlin in retaliation for the bombing of London the previous night. Little damage was caused, except to Goring's pride, he having claimed that enemy bombers would never reach Berlin.
1942: The Royal Australian Navy cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Hobart were part of the US-led fleet which engaged the Japanese in the Battle of the Solomons. Japanese efforts to reinforce their troops on Guadalcanal were driven back with the loss of an aircraft carrier.