On This Day ... in 1769 & Others
HMS Endeavour, under Lieutenant James Cook, arrived off Poverty Bay, New Zealand. A subsequent landing party the following day became the first Europeans to set foot in the country.
It was nearly a hundred years until the first expedition led by Captain James Cook, aboard the Endeavour arrived off the east coast at Poverty Bay on the 6th October, 1769. He spent almost six months around the coast and landed many times seeking supplies and therefore made close contact with the many Maori tribes living there. He was forced to resort to arms on one occasion, but the incident settled down and most of the trading was done on a friendly basis.
He sailed northwards and remained in the area which he called the Bay of Island's, from November to December, 1769, the first European to enter the area and record details of life. He noted in his journal: "The inhabitants of this bay were far more numerous than at any other place visited and that they seemed to live on friendly terms although they did not seem to be united under one head."
Cook anchored his ship in a sandy bay near Motuarohia Island when over thirty-seven canoes came out to them. The Maori traded with the ships crew and officers in an amicable way, he recorded. Cook dispatched a party to go ashore from the Endeavour when, after landing, they were surrounded by about five hundred armed warriors. They became more alarmed when they began a war dance and were seen to draw the ships long boats from the waters edge further up the beach.
The ships crew were ordered to fire their muskets over the heads of the gathered crowd. The startled Maori warriors and people turned and ran away quickly, leaving the European crew standing alone on the shore.
Cook decided to make another attempt to land next day. He put ashore near a large fortified village or 'pa', which he called an ''Indian fort." He and his crew, including the botanist aboard, Joseph Banks, were greeted by the occupant's and offered fish for sale or barter, yams and sweet potatoes. While there, they witnessed and recorded the arrival of a giant war canoe, which contained over eighty armed maori warriors.
The Endeavour left the Bay of Islands, but became be-calmed near the Cavalli Islands and managed to gain enough wind to anchor in Doubtless Bay, which has a very deep water anchorage. Six canoes came alongside with the maori occupants offering fish for sale.
Finally, a strong breeze came up and Cook weighed anchor, setting sail northeast from the coast of New Zealand, heading into the Pacific Ocean and beyond.
1918: British and Commonwealth forces captured Sidon and Beirut as Allenby pursued the retreating Turkish army northwards.
In France, Sergeant-Major John Williams of the South Wales Borderers rushed a German strongpoint, taking fifteen prisoners. However, when the Germans realised Williams was alone, they turned on him and attempted to overpower him. He managed to fight them off, killing five of them, whereupon the survivors chose to surrender once more. Williams received the Victoria Cross.
His citation reads:
For most conspicuous bravery, initiative and devotion to duty on the night of 7th - 8th October 1918, during the attack on Villers Outreaux, when, observing that his company was suffering heavy casualties from an enemy machine gun, he ordered a Lewis Gun to engage it, and went forward, under heavy fire, to the flank of the enemy post which he rushed single handed, capturing fifteen of the enemy.
These prisoners, realising that Williams was alone, turned on him and one of them gripped his rifle. He succeeded in breaking away and bayonetting five enemy, whereupon the remainder again surrendered. By this gallant action and total disregard of personal danger, he was the means of enabling not only his own company but also those on the flanks to advance
1940: The Luftwaffe launched five significant raids in the south of England. London and Liverpool were the main targets during the night.
1950: In the autumn of 1950 when it seemed that the North Koreans had been defeated, the United Nations General Assembly authorised UN command forces to pursue North Korean troops across the 38th parallel. The subsequent advance precipitated China's entry into the war.
1951: In Korea, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers mounted Operation Commando: the drive towards Maryang-San and Hill 317. Known as 'The Hinge', it was the final obstacle to throwing the Chinese from the feature.
2001: US and UK forces commenced operations against the Al Qaida terrorist organisation and the Taliban regime harbouring them in Afghanistan. The Royal Navy fired submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles as part of the initial strikes.