On This Day ... in 1916 & Others
In France, Second Lieutenant Henry Kelly, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, took over command of his company which had suffered dreadful casualties.
Although eventually reduced to just Kelly and three others still in action, they managed to take a German trench. However, two of the four fell casualty and a German counter-attack outflanked the position, forcing them to retire. Kelly carried back a casualty, then went back out to bring other wounded men in.
He also received a Military Cross and bar among his other awards, later achieving the rank of Major. In 1936, he went to fight in the Spanish Civil War.
1917: Following the capture of Polygon Wood at the end of September, the next phase of the Third Ypres or Passchendaele offensive was the Battle of Broodseinde. Much of the fighting centred on a row of German pillboxes; their supposed similarity in appearance to northern English cottages earned them the sobriquet of "Tyne Cottages". Tbe position was captured by ANZAC troops on 4 October.
Eight Victoria Crosses were won at Ypres that day.
Sergeant Lewis McGee of the 40th (Tasmania) Australian Battalion captured a pillbox whilst armed only with a revolver; he was killed in action a few days later.
Private Sage, Somerset Light Infantry, threw himself on a German grenade which landed in a crowded trench. He survived the blast, but with appalling injuries.
At Zonnebeke, Lieutenant-Colonel Evans led a battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment with particular distinction, while Captain Robertson, commanding a section of tanks, advanced on foot through intense fire ahead of the vehicles to guide the drivers through the difficult terrain. He successfully guided the tanks to their target, but was killed shortly afterwards.
Sergeant Ockendon, Dublin Fusiliers, took two key strongpoints and a number of prisoners.
Corporal Greaves, Sherwood Foresters, took a blockhouse, then, all the officers having fallen casualty, took command of the company and organised a most effective defence.
Similarly, Private Hutt, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, found himself commanding the remains of a platoon after heavy casualties, but managed to capture 50 enemy prisoners, then extract his men when they found themselves isolated.
Sergeant Coverdale, Manchester Regiment, eliminated three snipers and two machine-gun nests.
After the war, the largest British and Commonwealth war cemetery anywhere in the world was sited around the ruins of the pillboxes, and named Tyne Cot. The Cross of Sacrifice was built on the foundations of the largest pillbox. 11,871 graves rest in the cemetery.
1940: Bad weather again limited Luftwaffe activity during the day, but the night saw the most intensive raids thus far.
1941: Lady Shirley, a small armed trawler in Royal Navy service, won a remarkable gunnery duel with the German submarine U-111 off the Canaries, sinking the U-boat and taking the crew prisoner.