1914: The Naval Wing was separated from the Royal Flying Corps, adopting the title Royal Naval Air Service.

1915: Two Victoria Crosses were won at Gallipoli. Captain O'Sullivan, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, stood exposed on an enemy parapet to throw grenades with greater accuracy, eventually falling wounded. Sergeant Somers, from the same battalion, was also decorated for a bombing attack, during which he repeatedly braved enemy fire to run back to the British lines to fetch more grenades for his men.

1916: The Somme offensive was launched. Originally planned as a joint British-French attack, the continuing slaughter at Verdun in the south significantly reduced the French forces available to participate. Rawlinson's Fourth Army led the assault, supported by Allenby's Third Army in the north. Despite a huge preliminary bombardment, much of the German barbed wire and defences remained intact to meet the attackers with murderous fire. Some 60,000 casualties were suffered on the first day, 19,000 of them fatal: the bloodiest day in the British Army's history, and the worst losses suffered by any one side in a single day during the First World War.

Kitchener's New Army of volunteer battalions bore the brunt of the losses. Probably the worst hit, in percentage terms, was the 10th Battalion of the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment, which lost 710 men killed and wounded. Newfoundland's small contingent suffered horrendously disproportionate losses: the Newfoundland Regiment suffered 91% casualties in less than 45 minutes.

Nine Victoria Crosses were won that day:

Major Loudon-Shand, The Yorkshire Regiment, mortally wounded whilst in the open helping his men climb over a German trench parapet to relative safety.

Captain Bell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was killed after mounting four successful lone attacks to eliminate German strong-points.

Captain Green, Royal Army Medical Corps, was killed attempting to bring in from No Man's Land a casualty, whose wounds he had previously dressed while under heavy fire in the open.

Sergeant Turnbull, Highland Light Infantry, was killed leading a grenade attack, having previously distinguished himself defending a captured position against repeated German counter-attacks.

Corporal Sanders, the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment, who, cut off with a group of thirty men under his command, took an enemy position and organised a brilliant defence against heavy attack for thirty-six hours.

Private McFadzean, Royal Irish Rifles, who flung himself on two grenades which lost their safety pins whilst being handed out in a crowded trench. He was blown to pieces, but his body absorbed sufficient blast to ensure only one other man was wounded.

Private Quigg, Royal Irish Rifles, who over a seven hour period in No Man's Land rescued in turn seven wounded men despite the enemy barrage.

Drummer Ritchie, Seaforth Highlanders, who stood exposed on an enemy trench parapet, playing the Charge to rally men in the appalling confusion of No Man's Land.

In the air, Major Rees, 32 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, was attacked by ten German aircraft whilst flying a DH2 fighter. He drove off three opponents damaged, then attacked another pair until he ran out of ammunition, despite being badly wounded in the process and temporarily losing control of his aircraft. He returned safely.

1940: An RAF Hampden piloted by Flying Officer Guy Gibson dropped Bomber Command's heaviest bomb of the war to date - a 2,000 lb weapon - in a night dive-bombing attack on the Scharnhorst at Kiel. The bomb overshot and fell on the town.

1945: A major amphibious operation put the Australian 7th Division ashore at Balikpapan in Borneo.