On This Day ... in 1642 & Others
At Powick Bridge, between Great Malvern and Worcester, Parliamentary cavalry and dragoons under Colonel Brown attempted to set up an ambush of a Royalist baggage train, heavily laden with silver plate donated to the King's cause by the Oxford colleges.
The baggage train, commanded by Sir John Byron, was known to be in Worcester, but was expected to run south as the main Roundhead army under the Earl of Essex approached. Unbeknown to Colonel Brown, Prince Rupert of the Rhine had hurried to Byron's aid, and Brown's troops ran straight into Rupert's at the bridge. Both sides were equally surprised - many of Rupert's men were resting in the shade of some trees - but the Royalists quickly mounted and charged, and the Parliamentarian cavalry were swiftly routed.
1918: In Palestine, Indian cavalry of the Deccan Horse came under flanking fire from Turkish machine-guns on a nearby hill.
Ressaidar Badlu Singh took six men and charged straight up the hill through the machine-gun fire. The hill proved to be defended by some 200 Ottoman infantry, and Singh was mortally wounded, but before he died he had forced the surrender of the entire Turkish company. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
1940: Heavy fighting took place over Kent as the Germans resumed major daylight attacks. During the night, London remained the main target, but raids were experienced the length of the country.
The Royal Navy, supported by de Gaulle's Free French launched an attack on the Vichy French at Dakar, Senegal. The operation was called off two days later, air strikes and naval bombardment having failed to break the defences.
1944: Heavy German attacks continued to punish 1st Airborne Division, still holding its position at Oosterbeek, whilst other attacks sought to cut the precarious line of communication for XXX Corps to the south. Improved weather allowed reinforcements for the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions to be flown into the territory seized south of the Rhine. 43rd Wessex Division meanwhile continued its efforts to secure the route from Nijmegen to Driel, held by the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade.
1950: During heavy fighting at Songju in Korea, Major Kenneth Muir, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, organised a determined defence to cover the withdrawal of casualties in the face of overwhelming Communist attackers. He finally fell mortally wounded. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.