100 Years Ago Today

[Flying Officer Kyte]

June 10th 1916.


2 airmen have fallen on Friday June 9th 1916.

A Mech 2 Ernest James Coleman, Kite Balloon Training Depot Royal Flying Corps. Killed in Motor-cycle accident at Sunbury 10 June 1916 aged 27.

Flt Sub-Lt George Knox Williams. No.3 (N) Wing Royal Naval Air Service. Accidentally Killed 10 June 1916 aged 28.


Claims.

There were no claims today.


Today’s highlighted casualties include:


Lieutenant Edward Lucian Ingpen (Northern Rhodesian Police) dies of wounds received during a small battle three days earlier at the German fort at Bismarckburg East Africa at age 25. His brother will be killed in December 1917 and they are sons of Arthur Robert Ingpen KC.





Lieutenant Cyril Aldin Smith DSO (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve attached Headquarters 6^th Division) is killed at age 39. He developed a bullet-proof shield and the Bangalore torpedo. He is known as the Admiral.

Lieutenant Douglas Guille Nisbet (South Wales Borderers) is killed at age 21. His brother will be killed next February.

Second Lieutenant Thomas Burton Forster (Royal Irish Regiment) is killed in action at age 30. He is the son of Major General John Burton, CB and his grandfather J B Forster (Wiltshire Regiment) was killed in the Crimea.

2^nd Corporal John Drummond (Royal Engineers) is killed. His son will be killed in July 1918.

Private Ernest Christopher Percival Thomas (Sussex Regiment) is killed at age 22. His brother will die following an operation in August.

Western Front.






German artillery very active near Ypres.

Tunstill's men.

Trenches north of SouchezThis sector contained two notorious saps, Solferino and Sevastopol, which extended out to within thirty yards of the German line and early in the morning both came under heavy fire from rifle grenades and trench mortars. The Battalion replied with more than one hundred 60lb trench mortar shells, “which succeeded in quietening the enemy for a time”. However, there were continued, sporadic exchanges over the course of the day and, as a result, “We applied for assistance which was immediately given”. Conditions were made much more difficult by heavy, thundery showers during the morning and heavy rain for much of the rest of the day; it was reported, somewhat laconically, that, “Dugout accommodation is very poor & consequently things are very unpleasant”.


As things became quieter in the evening, Capt. Tunstill wrote to the widow of Kayley Earnshaw (see 9^th June),
"It is with very great sorrow that I have to tell you that your husband was killed yesterday in doing his duty as a brave man. He was taking his machine gun team to the trenches when a trench mortar hit him, and he was killed on the spot. I knew nothing about it until today, and this evening it has been my duty to see him buried. There was no man in this Battalion more respected than your husband. He was one of the few who had won the D.C.M., and he had won the respect and admiration of every officer and man of the Battalion. It is difficult for me to tell you what I think, but I feel his death more perhaps than any other N.C.O. of this Battalion. I remember him as a civilian, and I knew him as a soldier, and you have my sympathy in losing a husband who was a very brave and valiant soldier. I have tonight seen him buried. He is buried some few hundred yards behind the firing line between two little woods. There were not many of us there, but those who were there grieved to lose a man who could be ill spared, and the thoughts of those there were with you”.

Sgt. Kayley Earnshaw DCM (Image by kind permission of Sue Lugton)

Image by kind permission of Sue Lugton

2Lt. Harry Foster (see 27^th August 1915) an officer with the machine gun section, also wrote to Mrs. Earnshaw,
"No words of mine can adequately express the sympathy which I, and indeed the whole machine gun section, wish to convey to you in your loss. Earnshaw was one of the finest men and the best soldier in the Battalion, and was respected by officers and men alike, and no man had more thoroughly earned the medal which was recently conferred upon him for distinguished conduct in the field”.

He also confirmed that Sergeant Tom Pickles (see 25^th February) had collected together Earnshaw’s personal effects and would send them on to the family. The loss of so popular and experienced an NCO as Earnshaw must have been a major blow to the Battalion as a whole, and especially to the morale of Tunstill’s Men.

Following Earnshaw’s death, Cpl. John Hartley (8^th December 1915) was promoted Sergeant.

Sgt. John Hartley

2Lt. Harry Foster, who was one of the Battalion’s original officers, has not been positively identified.


69^th Field Ambulance carried out works to improve casualty evacuation from the front line trenches (see 19^th May). Their War Diary reported that “New evacuation trench completed from RAP to junction of Morocco North and Labordie Trenches to avoid use of Bully Trench (up trench); advanced ambulance post, 1 NCO and 6 men, placed at this junction”.


Pte. Sam Shuttleworth (see 7^th June) who had been taken ill, suffering from tooth decay, some days earlier, was transferred from no.6 Casualty Clearing Station at Bruay to 4^th Stationery Hospital at Arques.



Eastern Front.



Russians take Dubno (Volhynia); enemy retire from Strypa; heavy fighting on whole front; 3,500 prisoners reported.
. Gen. Lechitsky progressed towards Czernowitz.

Southern Front.

Further Italian progress in Trentino.

Italian army attacks on the Asiago plateau and re-gains the territories lost in the Austro-Hungarian Strafexpedition of May 1916.


French occupy Thasos.




Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

Turks sink three British munition barges on Tigris.








Garrison of Mecca surrenders to Sherif.






This revolt was the result of negotiations between the French and British and Arab Chieftans. The goal was to weaken the Turkish forces and the Turkish garrison in Medina was attacked. The Sherif of Mecca declared Arab independence and the garrison in Mecca held by the Turkish was surrendered on June 10, 1916.





Advised by liaison officer T. E. Lawrence—“Lawrence of Arabia”—Arab troops would play a vital role in the Allied victory over the Ottoman Empire in World War I. The Arab Revolt of 1916–1918 also saw the development of guerrilla tactics and strategies of modern desert warfare. And the political intrigues surrounding the revolt and its aftermath were as significant as the fighting,
It was the beginning of the end of the Ottoman Empire and it was the beginning of a Hashemite kingdom whose capital was Mecca. Gradually it expanded northward. This battle left deep scars on the Middle East. Arab states came under strong European influence. The Ottoman caliphate ended and Palestine came under British rule, leading to the eventual existence of the state of Israel. The Sharif of Mecca was himself deposed by the rival Ibn Saud and his dream of an Arabian state stretching from Yemen to Syria remained unrealized.


Naval and Overseas Operations.

British occupy Mkalamo, on Pangani River (German East Africa).

Political, etc.

Compulsory service bill passed in New Zealand.

Italian ministry resigns.

Rob.

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks Rob, yet again, for the reports of the last few days. I've just caught up. I don't know how much time you spend researching, but do you ever get to go out : )?

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Answer to readers Query.

Thanks Mike,

Remarks like yours keep us going, although tonight's edition will be my last for some time due to other commitments to this site and the Anchorage, whilst Eric is on leave.
Time wise, it usually takes from an hour and a half to two hours a day, depending on the amount of traffic.
What takes the most time is verifying conflicting information, dates of death etc, filling in detailed reports behind the headlines, and finding the correct pictures to illustrate the news item. It is incredible how many men had the same names, but died years apart, or you just don't find a picture at all or it is miss titled, even of some quite high ranking Officers.

Then there is the need to scrounge paper, lead for the typeface, or printers' ink. You would just not believe how difficult it is to find at the Front.
Of course there is also the incessant problem of moving the Presses every few weeks, when the Army advances or retreats. No fun that.
To conclude, here is a picture taken by our roving photographer, of the chaps at work moving one of the two presses.



Yours the Editor.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

June 11th 1916.

3 airmen have fallen on Sunday June 11th 1916.

A Mech 1 Frederick W Brown Kite oyal Naval Air Service, Balloon Section, East Africa. Died 11 June 1916.

PO Mech Joseph Donnelly Royal Naval Air Service, H.M.S. 'President II' Armoured Car Division, Russia, Squadron 1. AccidentallyDrowned 11 June 1916 aged 28, in River Don at Kisetirinta, during a general bathing parade.

FS. Arthur Webb 30 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. 11 June 1916.

Claims.

No claims were made today.




Rudolph Stark served heroically in the 2nd Royal Bavarian Uhlans King during the First World War, winning his native Bavaria's Military Merit Order on 29 September 1915 and the Iron Cross, Second Class, on 11 June 1916.



Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Major E W R Hadden (Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry) is killed at age 25. He is the son of the late Reverend R H Hadden.



Lieutenant and Aide de Camp John Edward Raphael (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) is killed in action at age 35. He is a fine athlete, sportsman and double blue at Oxford and former Rugby International for England.



Lieutenant Dacre William Moore (Machine Gun Corps) is killed in action at age 23. He is the son of the Reverend William Richard Moore the Bishop of Kilmore and is a divinity student at Trinity College, University of Dublin.

Private Richard Gordon Crowley (Gloucestershire Regiment) dies of wounds at age 21. His twin brother will be killed next month.

Western Front.


French soldiers repulse German attacks west of Vaux Fort and at Thiaumont in the Battle of Verdun.





1295 S/Lieut. Henri Valentin Herduin, 17 Cie. 347e R.I.

Henri Herduin was born at Reims, Marne on 5th June 1881. He was a professional soldier who began his career with the 8e Régiment d'Infanterie Coloniale at Cherbourg in October 1899.
After service as art of the Expeditionary Corps in China between 1900 and 1903 and further service in Cochinchine between 1904 and 1907, Herduin returned to France where he transferred to the 147e Régiment d'Infanterie at Sedan. By now a sergeant, he remained at Sedan until 1914 when, during mobilisation on 3rd August 1914, he suffered a broken leg in an accident and was sent to hospital in Sedan. Though still recovering, Henri managed to evade the German occupation of Sedan and made his way towards Reims where he was soon in action in the defence of the city.
In October 1914, Sgt. Herduin was commended for his bravery, awarded the Medaille Militaire and promoted to Sous-Lieutenant. After transferring to the newly formed 347e Régiment d'Infanterie, he remained in the Champagne sector for the whole of 1915 before moving to Alsace for the first 5 months of 1916.
In the first week of June 1916, Sgt. Herduin arrived at Verdun and moved to the frontline at the Ferme de Thiaumont on 5th June.
On 8th June, attacking German forces overwhelmed the positions of the 347e R.I. and inflicted huge losses. With over half of his command dead, desperately short of ammunition, low on food and water and surrounded with no communications at Thiaumont, Henri, along with another surviving officer - S/Lt Pierre Millant of the 19e compagnie – decided to attempt a withdrawal under the cover of darkness. After returning to the French lines , Henri and S/Lt.Millant were ordered to return to their positions and recover the land lost by their regiment earlier in the day but, after explaining that this would be impossible with the 40 remaining (exhausted) survivors, they, instead, ordered their men to return to Verdun for a rest.
After remaining in Verdun for the next 48 hours, Lt. Herduin and S/Lt Millant were ordered to return with their men to the front line at Fleury devant Douaumont where they were to regroup with other survivors of the regiment. Upon arrival however, the officer commanding the remnants, Capitaine Delaruelle, received a communication from Colonel Bernard calling for the ‘immediate execution’ of Lts Herduin and Millant for the crime of abandoning their posts and dereliction of duty. Believing that there must have been a mistake, Delaruelle asked for written confirmation from Col. Bernard’s superior, General Boyer and sealed an explanatory note (from Herduin) in an envelope to be delivered by messenger. The messengers soon returned with the un-opened envelope but with further orders from Bernard. ‘No comment. Immediate execution’.
Lieut. Henri Herduin and S/Lt. Pierre Millant were executed by firing squad in the railway cutting at Fleury at 17:43 hrs on 11th June 1916.
Initially buried on the eastern edge of the Bois de Fleury, their bodies were re-interred in the military cemetery at Fleury in October 1919 before being exhumed again in the 1920’s. Henri is now buried in his family plot in the Cimetière de l'Est, Reims and Pierre Millant is buried in the Necropole Nationale at Douaumont.

Lt. Henri Herduin and S/Lt. Pierre Millant were granted posthumous pardons in October 1926.


Germans bombard Ypres heavily.


On 11th June 1916 a German patrol attacked the British Lines with grenades at a point defended by the 1st Essex Battalion. One German was shot by Lieutenant Wheatley but the the bomb exploded killing Lt Wheatley and Sergeant Edwards. Sadly on the same day 2nd Lieutenant W J McLean was seriously wounded while leading a wiring party in advance of the front line.


Tunstill's men.

Trenches north of Souchez.

A dismal day, with heavy rain falling for much of the day. There was little to report other than continued exchanges of rifle grenades. Two men from the Battalion were wounded overnight of 11^th/12^th whilst working on the defensive wire.

Charles Archibald Milford (see 28^th December 1915), who had been a leading figure in Tunstill’s original recruitment campaign, was commissioned Second Lieutenant with the West Riding Regiment, following his training with 28^th Battalion London Regiment (Artists Rifles).

L.Cpl. Lawrence Tindill, serving with 1^st/5^th Yorkshires (see 15^th May) began to receive the pay of his rank (he had previously held the rank unpaid ); he would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.

Cpl. Archibald (Archie) Allen, serving with the Army Service Corps in France, was admitted to no.2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remy, near Poperinghe; he was suffering from tonsillitis. Archie Allen would subsequently be commissioned and would serve with 10DWR. He was born 25^th June 1890 in Hockley, Warwickshire, and had been working as a clerk when war broke out. He had joined the ASC in August 1914 and had been promoted Corporal six months later. He had been in France since May 1915 and had spent four days in hospital after suffering an earlier bout of tonsillitis in January 1916.

Eastern Front.


"Brusilov's Offensive" continued (see 4th); Battle of the Strypa begins (see 30th).


Russians reach suburbs of Czernowitz; repel attacks near Dvinsk and Vilna; are checked at Lutsk and lose ground on Strypa; 7,000 prisoners reported.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres.

Skirmishes at Katiya; Turks bomb El Kantara (Egypt).




In the middle of June the No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps began active service with "B" Flight at Suez doing reconnaissance work and on 9 July "A" Flight was stationed at Sherika in Upper Egypt with "C" Flight based at Kantara

Russians repulse Turks at Platina (west of Trebizond).

Political.




Signor Salandra, Italian Premier, resigns (see 15th, and May 16th, 1915).



Today I fear that I must take my leave from this august news sheet for the foreseeable future. Pressure of work in other areas of the Drome and Anchorage force this decision upon me. It is with a heavy heart that I say farewell to my Editorial staff and workmates. However, I leave you all in the capable hands of your Editor in Chief, and have it on good authority that he has recruited a very capable young up and coming sub-editor to take my place.
Here for your edification are a couple of final pictures of myself and the team at work on this, my final edition.





Ed.

[Hedeby]

Thanks for everything over the past 20 months or so Rob, you took what started out as a one off and turned it into this thread, the most viewed and replied to thread on the entire forum.
Rest assured those of us you leave behind will not falter and will not fail. From now until November 2018 we shall keep the presses rolling and the stories flowing. (actually getting out before the start of the Somme is not a bad idea - I have writer's cramp just thinking about it...)

Hopefully circumstances may change and we hope that we will see you back in the editor's office before the war is over.

Thanks again for every one of your excellent and informative posts Rob.

[Rebel]

Hear, hear! I take this opportunity to second all of Chris's comments and add my own thanks and best wishes. Well done Rob, Salute! Rep posted.

[flash]

Thankyou for your magnificent effort in getting this into print Rob and to Chris for his solid support of you in this venture, we owe you much and I salute you both

[Hedeby]

Well this is something of a new era with Rob now managing The Anchorage as well as attending to all his administrative duties here. So we have a new editor in training who will be let loose on the stories next week. He is a very familiar face who I know will be an excellent addition to the editing team.. but more of that later, on with the war !

June 12th 1916

According to the RFC/RAF records - NO DEATHS ARE RECORDED FOR MONDAY JUNE 12TH 1916 (which is nice)

There was just the one claim by an ace on this day - and its a first victory for the Austro Hungarian Ace Oberleutnant Rudolf Weber who flying a Hansa Brandenburg C.1,shot down a Voisin over Zbaraz



Rudolf Weber joined the army in 1911 and served with Austro-Hungarian Infantry Regiment No. 31 on the Russian front in 1914. He transferred to the air service and received flight training as an observer in January 1916. With Flik 25 on the Russian front, Weber scored his first victory on 12 June 1916 but was badly wounded in the face by shrapnel. After recovering he became a pilot and was posted to Flik 2 in the spring of 1917. With this unit he scored 5 more victories before he assumed command of Flik 102G in early 1918. With the war over, Weber was returning home in a captured automobile when he was shot and killed by volunteer militia at a roadside checkpoint in Styria, Austria.


Hansa Brandenburg C.1

On a day we lost 252 men

Today’s losses include:

A battalion commander
Multiple sons of members of the clergy (no seriously? you have got to be kidding , I mean that hardly ever happens...)
Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Newton Heale (Indian Pioneers commanding 14th Northumberland Fusiliers) dies of blood poisoning from wounds at age 46. He served in the Somali campaign. His brother will die of wounds next May and they are sons of the Reverend James Newton Heale Vicar of Harbledown.
Private Orde Murray-Browne (Quebec Regiment) is killed in action at age 20. He is the son of the late Reverend Charles Chapman Murray-Browne Vicar of Hucclecote who lost another son at Jutland.



Ernest Newton Heale was born at Addington in Kent on the 28th of April 1870 the eldest son of the Reverend James Newton Heale, Vicar of Harbledown in Kent, of The Vicarage, St Margaret’s on Thames, Orpington also of St Thomas’ Bethnal Green and Isabella Margaret (nee Wingfield-Stratford) later of the Royal Military College Sandhurst and of Notting Hill. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in School House from January 1884 to July 1888. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Kent Artillery (Eastern Division) on the 5th of October 1889 and was commissioned in the regular army as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in on the 9th of April 1892. He embarked for overseas service with the 2nd Battalion on the 16th of December 1892 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 2nd of September 1894. He was seconded to the Indian Staff Corps on the 22nd of September 1894, although his promotion to Lieutenant was cancelled when his secondment to the Indian Army became permanent on the 14th of August 1896. He was promoted to Captain on the 10th of July 1901, to Double Company Commander on the 1st of December 1905 and to Major in the 121st Pioneers, Indian Army on the 9th of April 1910. He saw service in Somaliland in 1903 and 1904 and won the medal with clasp.

On the 18th of October 1915 he joined the 14th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers in the field at Armentieres and assumed command of the battalion from Colonel F.B. Morley the following day. He was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant Colonel, on his appointment, on the 19th of October 1915. He was promoted to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel on the 14th of January 1916. He died of cellulitis of the left leg at 11.30am on the morning of the 12th of June 1916 at No.3 General Hospital, Le Treport. He was mentioned in despatches. His brother, Lieutenant George Reginald Charles Heale MC 10th (Service) Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, was killed in action on the 3rd of May 1917. He is commemorated on the war memorial at All Soul's Church, St Margarets Twickenham in Middlesex and on the memorial at St Mary the Virgin Church at Nettlestead, Wateringbury in Kent. He is buried at Le Treport Military Cemetery Plot 2 Row O Grave 16.

The Western Front - Tunstill's Men

Trenches north of Souchez: The weather remained poor, with torrential rain during the evening, and there were further exchanges of rifle grenades and trench mortars. Orders were received for the Battalion to be relieved next day, as part of the relief of the whole of 23rd Division by 47th Division. However, the men of the Anson Battalion, were relieved overnight, 12th/13th and were re-united with their other Companies at Barlin. Pte. Tom Darwin (see 9th June), who had been absent without leave for four days, returned to the Battalion under circumstances which are unclear. It was ordered that he should be detained, awaiting trial on charges of desertion and losing his equipment.

Battalion Adjutant, Capt. Charles Bathurst (see 5th September 1915), was invalided back to England and his post was taken up by 2Lt. Hugh Lester (see 5th May), who was promoted Temporary Captain in his new capacity. A further statement was taken regarding the disappearance of 2Lt. Samuel Lawrence Glover in January (see 30th May). The informant on this occasion was Pte. John Edward Dolan, who had been wounded only a few days previously (see 9th June) and was being treated at no.2 General Hospital, Le Havre: “Lieut. Glover went out on patrol with four others, and one of them tore up the barbed wire. They got to the German trench and when on the parapet Lt. Glover was seen by the Germans and had to fire his revolver. They shot him and three of the others. One man got back next day and told us. I cannot remember his name, but for two days he was off his head and then recovered. He is still alive and with the Regiment, but I don’t know if he is still with B Company. This happened at Armentieres”.


Lt. Samuel Glover

Air War
Britain: Royal Flying Corps has taken 2,568 aircraft into service and struck off 1,427 in past year or 47.7% wastage. 8,403 aircraft on order (2,970 delivered); 15 training stations with 193 all ranks under instruction.

Western Front
Verdun: Germans carry French forward positions on Hill 321, 4 miles from Fort Vaux. Nivelle’s reserves down to 2,000 men. Tranchee des baionnettes (Ravin de la Dame, c.20 French infantry men of 137th Regiment buried with bayonets fixed) caused but French 21st Division holds.

Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive: Brusilov reports 192,992 PoWs, 216 guns, 645 MGs and 196 mortars captured. First of 4 corps until June 24 reinforces his troops.
Bukovina: Austrian XI Corps only has 3,500 out of 16,000 soldiers left.

Southern Fronts
Salonika: Sarrail ordered not to involve British in offensive and then to postpone it.

African Fronts
East Africa: British occupy Wilhelmstal (570 German civilians surrender). Belgian Southern Brigade beats 700* strong German rearguard at Ngawiogi.

Sea War
Adriatic: Italian destroyers raid Perenzo, Istria.

The United States (still not in the war - obviously...) Commissioned a new Battleship on this day USS Pennsylvania



USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) was the lead ship of the Pennsylvania class of United States Navy super-dreadnought battleships. She was the third Navy ship named for the state of Pennsylvania. She was laid down on 27 October 1913, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 16 March 1915, sponsored by Elizabeth Kolb of Philadelphia, and commissioned on 12 June 1916, with Captain Henry B. Wilson in command.

Upon commissioning, Pennsylvania was attached to the Atlantic Fleet. On 12 October 1916, she became flagship of Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, when Admiral Henry T. Mayo shifted his flag from Wyoming to Pennsylvania. In January 1917, Pennsylvania steamed for Fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea. She returned to her base at Yorktown, Virginia on 6 April, the day of the American declaration of war against Germany. She did not sail to join the British Grand Fleet since she burned fuel oil rather than coal, and tankers could not be spared to carry additional fuel to the British Isles. In the light of this circumstance, only coal-burning battleships were selected for this mission. Based at Yorktown, she kept in battle trim with Fleet maneuvers, tactics, and training in the areas of the Chesapeake Bay, intervened by overhaul at Norfolk and New York City, with brief maneuvers in Long Island Sound. While at Yorktown, on 11 August 1917, Pennsylvania manned the rail and rendered honors as Mayflower, with President Woodrow Wilson aboard, stood in and anchored. At 12:15, President Wilson returned the call of Commander, Battle Force, aboard Pennsylvania and was given full honors.

At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Pennsylvania was in drydock in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. She was one of the first ships in the harbor to open fire as enemy dive and torpedo bombers roared out of the high overcast. They did not succeed in repeated attempts to torpedo the caisson of the drydock, but Pennsylvania and the surrounding dock areas were severely strafed. The crew of one 5 inch (130 mm) gun mount was wiped out when a bomb struck the starboard side of her boat deck and exploded inside Casemate 9. Destroyers Cassin and Downes, just forward of Pennsylvania in the drydock, were seriously damaged by bomb hits. Pennsylvania was pockmarked by flying fragments. A part of a torpedo tube from Downes, about 1,000 lb (450 kg) in weight, was blown onto the forecastle of Pennsylvania. She had 15 men killed (including her executive officer), 14 missing in action, and 38 wounded. On 20 December, Pennsylvania sailed for San Francisco, arriving on 29 December. She underwent repairs until 30 March 1942.

On 18 August 1948, Pennsylvania departed Buckner Bay, Okinawa, under tow by two tugs. She arrived Apra Harbor, Guam on 6 September and entered drydock where a large sheet steel patch was welded over the torpedo hole and repairs to permit her to return to the United States under her own power were made. On 4 October, she sailed for home in company with the destroyer Walke and the cruiser Atlanta. On 17 October, her No. 3 shaft suddenly carried away inside the stern tube and the shaft slipped aft. It was necessary to send divers down to cut through the shaft, letting the shaft and propeller drop into the sea. Shipping water and with only one screw turning, Pennsylvania limped into Puget Sound Navy Yard on 24 October. Repairs were made to enable Pennsylvania to steam to the Marshall Islands where she was used as a target ship in the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini atoll during July 1946. She was then towed to Kwajalein Lagoon where she decommissioned on 29 August. She remained in Kwajalein Lagoon for radiological and structural studies until 10 February 1948, when she was sunk stern first off Kwajalein. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 February.

Two of her 14-inch guns are now kept outside the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

During her five years of World War II service, USS Pennsylvania travelled 146,052 miles (235,048 km) and fired 6,854 14-inch (360 mm) rounds at the enemy, with 31,678 shells from her 5-inch (130 mm) guns and 97,327 rounds from her anti-aircraft battery.



Political etc.

Admiral Jellicoe send this letter to the fleet...

“I desire to express to the flag officers, captains, officers and men of the Grand Fleet my very high appreciation of the manner in which the ships fought during the action of May 31, 1916. At this stage, when full information is not available, it is not possible to enter into details, but quite sufficient is already known to enable me to state definitely that the glorious seamen were most worthily upheld. Weather conditions of a highly unfavourable nature robbed the Fleet of that complete victory which I know was expected by all ranks. Our losses were heavy, and we miss many most gallant comrades, but although it is very difficult to obtain accurate information as to the enemy losses. I have no doubt that we shall find that they are certainly not less than our own. Sufficient information has already been received for me to make that statement with confidence. (Germany suffered 2,551 losses. Britain lost over 6,000.)

I hope to be able to give the Fleet fuller information on this point at an early date, but do not wish to delay the issue of this expression of my keen appreciation of the work of the Fleet and my confidence in future complete victory. I cannot close without stating that the wonderful spirit and fortitude of the wounded had filled me with the greatest admiration. I am more proud than ever to have the honour of commanding a Fleet manned by such officers and men.

J.R. Jellicoe, Admiral Commanding-in-Chief”



and finally (don't tell a certain Capt. E. Blackadder !) on this day we see the cinema release of Charlie Chaplin's latest film - 'The Fireman'



Story: The Tramp has a job, as an incompetent fireman at Station 23. Caught up in an insure-and-burn scheme, he has to rescue fire chief’s intended from the flames…

Filming for The Fireman took place at a real fire station—Fire Station #29, located at 158 South Western, which had opened just three years before (it only closed in 1988, making it potentially the Los Angeles fire station that was in continuous use the longest). This decision gave the short some very high production values, as Chaplin was able to fully utilise the premises and the (horse-drawn) fire trucks stored there—presumably all subject to them being withdrawn from the film if there were an emergency call out. In addition to the fire station, real fires mounted by the production team at two separate condemned houses added further spectacular production value. Scenes of Chaplin rushing to get to the fires, with the fire fighter crew hanging on to the buggy for dear life, recall some of the old Keystone rough-and-tumble chases from two years before. Even when they reach the site of the fire, the firemen insist on limbering up before they dare tackle the blaze…

The Contemporary View: ‘There is an abundance of the rough comedy which secures laughs. The best laughs are when the prop engine falls apart. The rescue of the girl from the top storey is a good hit, also the general business around the firehouse.’—Variety, June 1916

[Mike George]

Thanks Chris for your time and posts.

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks to both Rob and Chris for all of this. There are some great snippets of information put up here and i love reading them - except when they are rather sad like the Lt Herduin execution - that was just outrageous Cheers both of you. Mike

[Hedeby]

June 13th 1916

1 AIRMAN HAS FALLEN ON TUESDAY JUNE 13TH 1916

Air Mechanic 2nd Class Frederick Henry Edward Brand 16 Squadron RFC. Died of his wounds 13 June 1916 aged just 18. Son of Frederick Edward and E. E. Brand, of London he is buried at BRANDHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY WEST-VLAANDEREN BELGIUM

We have a new Ace in the making today with a pilot claiming his first and second victories on the same day. Hauptmann Otto Jindra (Austro-Hungarian Empire) of Flik 11. Flying his Albatross B.1 he shot down two Moraine Saulniers over Dubowice. What is even more remarkable about this is that not only was Jindra the observer (rather than the pilot) he was only armed with a pistol and a revolver !!!!

Jindra was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's second highest scoring two-seater ace in World War I. Posted to Flik 1 as an observer on 10 September 1914, he scored 9 victories and was shot down three times. In January 1918, he briefly commanded Fliegerersatz-kompanie 11 before he assumed command of Fliegergruppe G, the Austro-Hungarian bombing group on the Italian front. While serving in this capacity, he was badly injured in a night flying accident. Post-war, Jindra became the Commander in Chief of the Czech Air Force. Jindra graduated from the Artillery Academy in Vienna in 1905, and went into the 14th Mountain Artillery Regiment. He was promoted to Oberleutnant in December 1912. With the outbreak of war, Jindra served as battery commander and regimental adjutant as his regiment swung into combat at the Battle of Lemberg on the Eastern Front. He won the Bronze Military Merit Medal in this action.



Jindra applied for a transfer to aviation. When it came through, he was directly assigned to Flik 1 as an observer on 10 September 1914.[3] Jindra soon became a master at controlling artillery fire from the observer's seat, using a radio transmitter installed by Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg. However, on 14 November 1914, Jindra and his pilot were brought down by the riddling fire of a Russian cavalry unit. They counted 180 bullet holes in their crashlanded plane, pulled their personal gear from the wreckage, and headed home, leaving a torched wreck behind them.



In late January 1915, Flik 1's commanding officer was taken prisoner. Despite being a non-pilot, Jindra was selected to replace him. On 13 June 1915, Jindra was flying as an observer for Max Libano in an Albatros B.I when the pair were attacked by two Russian Morane-Saulnier monoplanes. Despite being armed with only a pistol and a carbine, the Austro-Hungarians managed to down both attackers. On 27 August, Jindra scored again. On 1 September, he was raised to Hauptmann. Later in the year, he began to learn piloting right there in his squadron. By 11 December, he was qualified as a Feldpilot, receiving his badge on the 20th.

On 5 January 1916, Jindra fought his first dogfight as a pilot. He made a forced landing when slightly wounded, with a punctured gas tank. It was not until 29 March that he would score his first win as a pilot. On 9 April 1916, he became an ace. Three days later, he would participate in an air raid that would rattle the Russians; Jindra took Godwin Brumowski as his gunner, and they attacked a military parade being reviewed by Czar Nicholas II. They scattered the parade with seven small bombs and shot down two of the four intercepting Russian planes. Jindra would score twice more in 1916,but flying a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I. On 29 September, Jindra and his gunner would hit an attacking Russian pilot in the throat, and the Russian would die immediately after crash-landing. On 18 December, Jindra would swoop on a Russian observation balloon and Jindra's observer would kill the observer and destroy the balloon. In January 1918, Jindra was reassigned to command Flek 11. However, he was soon reassigned again, to command a bomber group Fliegergruppe G. Before he could settle into this command, he was severely injured in a night flying accident, which ended his participation in the war.

A day of increased losses as we lose 623 men...

Today’s losses include:

The 1912 winner of the Canadian Inter Collegiate Tennis Championship double with his partner who will be killed in 1918
The son of a General
Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Captain Ross Penner Cotton (Central Ontario Regiment) is killed at age 23. He is the son the Major General W H Cotton and his brother was killed eleven days earlier and they are buried in the same cemetery.
Lieutenant Oswald Wetherald Grant (Western Ontario Regiment) is killed by a shell at age 23. With his partner Hugh D’Alton Livingston (killed August 1918) he won the Canadian Inter-Collegiate Tennis Champions in 1912. He is the son of the Reverend Dr. Andrew S Grant.
Lieutenant Maurice Russell Henderson (Central Ontario Regiment) is killed at age 22. His brother will die at home just before the Armistice is signed in November 1918.
Second Lieutenant Denis William Amos Santler (East Surrey Regiment) is killed at age 25. His brother was killed on the first day of 1915.
Private Bernard Christopher Innes-Browne (Quebec Regiment) is killed in action at age 35. He is the brother of Lieutenant Colonel Ambrose Innes-Browne (King’s Own Scottish Borderers) who will be killed in action in April 1918.
Private Frankly Heath (East Surrey Regiment) is killed at age 24. His brother will be killed in August.
Private Robert Cormack (Seaforth Highlanders) dies of wounds. His brother will be killed next month.
Private James Howard Allan (Manitoba Regiment) is killed at age 28. His brother will be killed in September.

Tunstill's Men (and more from the author/playwright J.B. Priestley)

Trenches north of Souchez: In the early morning of a dull and showery day a British mine gallery in the sector was located by the Germans and exploded, but without causing any casualties or any significant damage above ground. However, there followed an increase in German shelling and one of the shells did find its mark, making a direct hit on one the dugouts. Two men were killed, one wounded and five others admitted to hospital suffering from shell shock. One of those shell-shocked was J.B. Priestley. Writing years later he recalled, “One day it had to happen. It was June now, hot again, thirsty weather, a lot of chalk dust about, and we were in the front line on a beautiful morning*. The platoon rations had just come up. I sent Private O’Neill down the communications trench to bring up some water – and sixteen years went by before we saw each other again. I helped a young soldier, who had only just joined us out there, to take the rations into a dugout, not a deep dugout but a small one hollowed out of the parapet. In this dugout I began sorting out the bread, meat, tea, sugar, tinned milk, and so on, to give each section it’s proper share, a tricky little job. I had done it many times before, hardly ever to anybody’s complete satisfaction; but on this morning I suspect that it saved my life. After the explosion when everything had caved in, nobody was certain I was there, but several fellows knew the platoon rations were in there somewhere; that stuff would have to be dug out. There I was then, deciding on each section’s share, when I heard a rushing sound, and I knew what it meant and knew, though everything had gone into slow motion, I had no hope of getting away before the thing arrived. Just as on earlier and later occasions when I have thought all was up, the first shrinking terror was followed, as I went into the new slow time, by a sense of detachment. I believe from what I learnt long afterwards that the Minenwerfer landed slap in the trench, two or three yards away. All I knew was that the world blew up.”

*Priestley’s recollection of the weather conditions is very much at odds with the contemporary reports of conditions; it is hard to account for this as the date and details of the event are very clearly established.


J.B. Priestley in uniform

Following his recovery, Priestley served out the remainder of the war in various administrative capacities and never returned to the Battalion. The two men killed were Ptes. Harry Bower and Smith Hardaker; neither of them from Tunstill’s Company. However, Hardaker had lived in Crosshills and it fell to CQMS Frank Stephenson (see 23rd December 1915) of Tunstill’s Company, who was from the neighbouring village of Cowling, to convey the news to Hardaker’s wife. News of Hardaker’s death, and the letters received by his widow, was subsequently reported in the Craven Herald (23rd June and 7th July)

African Fronts
East Africa: Pegasus gun slightly wounds Lettow at South Hill HQ against Kondoa Irangi.
Lake Nyasa: *British land and occupy Alt Langenburg.

Western Front

Ypres: Canadians recapture Zillebeke-Sanctuary Wood positions lost on June 2.



British artillery shelled the German lines on Mount Sorrel and Tor Top for four hours each day from 9th June. Unable to be spotted from the air, the effects were uncertain. Final orders for the attack were issued on 11th June, and zero hour was fixed for 1.30am on 13th. The depleted Canadian battalions were formed up into two composite Brigades for the attack. On the left, 2nd, 4th, 13th and 16th Battalions under George Tuxford would go for Tor Top. On the right, Louis Lipsett would have 1st, 3rd, 8th for the effort at Mount Sorrel, with 7th holding Hill 60. 5th, 10th, 14th and 15th Battalions were held as close reserve under Brigadier-General Garnet Hughes. The bombardment was lengthened and intensified on 12th June, and the attacking units moved into position without incident. Smoke screens were laid down by the artillery and Stokes mortars (indeed, 20th (Light) Division, on the left of the Canadians across the Menin Road near Railway Wood, also used smoke, under cover of which they mounted four successful trench raids as the bigger effort opened to their right). The leading waves moved out into no man’s land under cover of the barrage and the smoke, and waited for zero in driving rain.



The assault began on time at 1.30am, and the Canadian infantry quickly took the German front lines. More than 190 prisoners were taken in the first minutes. A heavy German bombardment opened on the newly captured positions, which combined with the mud (after days of rain) and the already churned-up nature of the ground made the spade work of consolidation of the position very difficult. It was simply impossible to be sure where the original front lines had been, so numerous were the water-filled shell holes and mine craters. As it turned out, the new posts that were dug – it was not possible to make a continuous line – were in places a hundred yards behind the original position, but it did not matter. The Germans had been pushed off the Mount Sorrel and Tor Top ridge, and the Canadians had most successfully executed their first deliberately planned attack on the Western Front. A combination of excellent staff work and planning, brilliantly executed artillery work in poor weather and the formidable courage of the Canadian infantry, had saved the day.

Between 2 June and 14 June 1916, the Canadian Corps lost a total of 73 officers and 1053 other ranks killed; 257 officers and 5010 other ranks wounded; 57 officers and 1980 other ranks missing, a total of 8430. German losses recorded were 32 officers and 1191 other ranks killed; 71 officers and 3911 other ranks wounded; 6 officers and 554 other ranks missing, a total of 5765. It is generally believed that German methods of reporting wounded differed and that losses were about the same on both sides. Today, a monument known as Mount Sorrel sits by the Sanctuary Wood Museum near Ypres. The inscription reads: “Here at Mount Sorrel and on the line from Hooge to St. Eloi, the Canadian Corps fought in the defence of Ypres April-August 1916”.
Less than three weeks after the Battle for Mount Sorrel, Allied forces launched the Battle of the Somme.

The Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood Museum near Ypres in Belgium contains an impressive partially restored British World War One trench system. Located near to the original front lines, the Sanctuary Wood Trenches were left in place by the owner of the land after the war and were preserved in-situ from that time. A museum was later opened at the site and the trenches were partially-restored to ensure they survived the increasing number of visitors. Today visitors can explore these trenches and covered passageways as well as a section of the underground tunnel system. The Hill 62 Sanctuary Wood Museum itself is a small, family-run affair and contains a number of artefacts from the site as well as images from the war

Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive – Galicia: Lechitski retakes Sniatyn for third time in war.

Middle East
Arab Revolt: 1,000-strong Turk Mecca garrison surrenders after damaging Kiswa Mosque.
Egypt: 7 Egyptians suspected of German espionage arrested from two Cairo hotels.

The War at Sea

There were four ships reported as lost on this day...

SMS Herman Kaiserliche Marine The auxiliary cruiser was sunk in the Baltic Sea by four Imperial Russian Navy destroyers with the loss of about 60 of her 90 crew.
Maria C. Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea east of Ustica by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Motia Italy The coaster was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) north of Ustica by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
San Francesco di Paola Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea (39°50′N 13°45′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine)

[Mike George]

Thanks again, many thanks.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I must thank Chris foe taking over from me at short notice, and providing another interesting edition for yesterday.
Rob.

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks Chris. Enjoyed that. Never seen a photo of Priestley before. Interesting!

[Hedeby]

Rob and I have been using Tunstill's Men as a source for a year now - and I never realised until very recently that J.B.Priestley was one of their number.

[Hedeby]

THE SNIPERS TIMES SPECIAL EDITION - CAPTAIN HARRY GILBERT TUNSTILL'S MEN

For many months now we have read about life on the Western front through the reports, diaries and letters of 'Captain Tunstill's Men' The Sniper's times thinks it is about time we brought you the story behind the story. It is in every way as thought provoking and as tragic as the tales the men tell in their diaries and letters home which we read on a weekly basis. It is particularly poignant for me as the men involved come from a small area of the country which I hold in a very special place.

On Friday, September 4, 1914, a letter was published in the weekly edition of the Craven Herald and Wensleydale Standard. It changed the lives of hundreds of local residents. Here, Dr Bill Smith look at what happened next.

THE letter to the Craven Herald and Wensleydale Standard ran to just 432 word. Its message was simple.

It was an appeal by local businessman Harry Gilbert Tunstill “to raise 99 men from this district and so form, together with my own enlistment, one whole company of 100 strong … rallying to the country’s call for soldiers in the desperate struggle now confronting the nation and upon which depends our very existence as an empire”.



Tunstill’s appeal struck a chord with the local population and in little more than two weeks he had raised his company. On Monday, September 21, Tunstill, with his fellow recruits from the Craven District, departed to begin their military training. En route to Halifax, they were joined by other contingents from the wider area to form a whole company, 240-strong, who were to become A Company in the newly-formed 10th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment.

To the locals they were, and would remain throughout the war, Captain Tunstill’s Men.

Harry Gilbert Tunstill (known to all as Gilbert) was 33 years old in September 1914. His great-grandfather had established a cotton spinning business in the Burnley area in 1834 and the company had prospered over the past 80 years, leaving the Tunstills wealthy and well-known. Gilbert himself had been educated at Charterhouse School and then worked as a land agent. So it was that when Tunstill made his appeal in September 1914, with the endorsement of a wide range of local dignitaries, notably the renowned Walter Morrison of Malham Tarn, it attracted great attention not only in the local press but also among the wider community. More than the 100 he had requested came forward but, with some failing their initial medical examinations, the final number of recruits who assembled in Settle on Saturday, September 19, came to 87 (including Tunstill himself).

On the following Monday (21st) the men departed by train via Skipton to Silsden and Steeton and then marched on to Keighley. By the time they were ready to move on by train that same evening to the Regimental Depot at Halifax, the company numbered some 240. Tunstill’s men had been joined by volunteers from Keighley (50); Grassington (18); Cowling (18); Ilkley (16); Bingley (11); Skipton (ten); Burley (ten); Earby (eight); Menston (eight); Addingham (two); and Silsden and Otley (one each). Tunstill’s Company, along with the rest of the Battalion, spent the next year in training, at a variety of locations across the south of England, before finally in August 1915, embarking for France. The Battalion remained on active service for the remainder of the war. Their first engagement came within weeks of their arrival in France, on the fringes of the British attack at the Battle of Loos in September 1915. There followed a very trying winter and spring spent in harsh conditions at a variety of locations on the Western Front.

Although not involved on the infamous first day of the Somme offensive in July 1916, they were in action on the Somme between July and October, suffering heavy casualties.In September 1916, Tunstill himself was invalided home and served out the remainder of the war in England. The winter of 1916-17 and the following spring were spent largely in the Ypres Salient, with regular turns in the front line. In June 1917 they attacked on the first day of the Battle of Messines and in September were engaged in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). In November 1917 the Battalion was sent to the Italian Front where they would serve out the remainder of the war.



The Italian campaigns may not, in the popular imagination, have the same resonance as the Western Front, but weather conditions could be brutal and the fighting, on occasion, fierce. The Battalion was in the forefront of the final allied advance across the River Piave in October 1918. It was not until April 1919 that the Battalion, including the survivors of Tunstill’s original recruits, finally returned to England. The impact of the war on the men of Tunstill’s Company, on their families and on the wider community cannot be reduced to mere statistics, but the numbers are startling. Of the original 87 volunteers from Tunstill’s personal campaign, one in four (22 men) were killed and many others discharged from the Army on grounds of wounds or ill health incurred during service.

We can only speculate on the lasting impact of the war on Gilbert Tunstill himself. What is known is that on July 8,1931, 15 years to the day after leading his men into action on the Somme, Gilbert Tunstill took his own life.

[Hedeby]

Attachment 199203

June 14th 1916

Yet again according to the RFC/RAF records - NO DEATHS ARE RECORDED FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 14TH 1916

There were no aerial victory claims today either.

On a day we lost 346 men

Today’s losses include:

Multiple sons of members of the clergy
Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Lieutenant George Ross McGusty (Royal Irish Rifles) is killed in action at age 22. He is the son of George Alfred McGusty, KC.



Lieutenant Geoffrey Anthony St John Jones (Middlesex Regiment) is killed at age 27. He is the son of the Reverend Alfred Henry Jones Vicar of St Martin’s Stamford.
Lieutenant Howard James MacLaurin (Manitoba Regiment) is killed in action at age 28. His brother was killed while serving as a private in the same regiment in April 1916.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Noel Bingley (Machine Gun Corps) is killed at age 32. He is the son of the Reverend John Thomas Bingley.
Private Hugh Neil Lamont (Alberta Regiment) dies of wounds received at Ypres at age 29. He is the son of the Reverend I Lamont.
Private Cyril George Ettrick Moore (Manitoba Regiment) is killed at age 27. His brother will be killed in November 1918. They are sons of the Reverend George Moore Vicar of Packington.

Capt Tunstill's Men: The Battalion began the first of a series of moves which would take them back into reserve and training where they could then be prepared for their role in the ‘big push’ which was being widely anticipated. The first stage was a ten mile march from Fosse 10 to Camblain Chatelain. The march took them over familiar ground, via Hersin and Barlin, arriving at 5pm. The men were then billeted and “made as comfortable as possible”. The recent enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of 2Lt. Samuel Lawrence Glover in January (see 12th June) elicited a response from the German government, via the American Embassy. The War Office now confirmed to Glover’s father that the information received was, “Died. Disc transferred from the Army Higher Command. No further details”

Western Front
After the request from Marshal Joffre, Commander-in-Chief of the French forces on the Western Front to General Haig for an earlier launching of the Somme offensive, an order was issued that as many raids as possible be launched along the British front between 20th-30th June. This action was designed as an attempt to try and deceive the German High Command as to the real front of the attack, to wear him out, and to reduce his fighting efficiency.

Southern Fronts
Isonzo: Italians retake Adria shipyard and hills at Monfalcone, repel Austrian counter-attacks on June 17.
Trentino: Italian counter-offensive ordered. Last Archduke Charles infantry assault on Mt Ciove. Cagliari Brigade holds for 2/3 losses despite its 35th Division HQ being hit (June 12). Conrad accuses Dankl (Eleventh Army) of co*ordination failures, latter relieved of command at own request.



Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive – Pripet: Marwitz’s X Corps arriving at Kovel from Verdun. Austrian cavalry (3 divisions + 1 brigade) plug 30-mile gap between Fourth and First Armies against Russian cavalry.

Sea War
North Sea: King George V visits Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow until June 15. Beatty letter (from June 9) to Jellicoe offers ‘deepest sympathy in being baulked of your Great Victory’ in the battle of Jutland.
Baltic*: Russian destroyers attack German convoy, sink auxiliary cruiser Hermann, 2 torpedo boats and also claim 2 steamers.
Royal Navy submarine E19 (Cromie) survives 34 German aircraft bombs (June 10 and 12).



HMS E19 was an E-class submarine of the Royal Navy, commissioned in 1914 at Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. During World War I she was part of the British submarine flotilla in the Baltic. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Francis Cromie,[2] E19 was, in September 1915, the last of five British submarines to manage the passage through the Oresund into the Baltic Sea. She was then able to sink several German ships, most notably on 11 October 1915 when she sank four German freighters just south of Öland within a few hours and without any casualties. On 7 November 1915 E19 sank the German light cruiser SMS Undine. E19 was scuttled by her crew outside Helsinki 1.5 nm south of Harmaja Light, Gulf of Finland, along with E1, E8, E9, C26, C27, and C35 to avoid seizure by advancing German forces who had landed nearby

Meanwhile the German submarine U-35 continues to wreak havoc with 4 more confirmed sinkings....

Antonia V Italy The schooner was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea (42°05′N 13°00′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Giosue Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea (41°00′N 11°35′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
San Francesco Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea (41°15′N 12°00′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Tavolara Italy The coaster was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) off Civitavecchia, Lazio (41°50′N 14°25′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived

Politics
France: Allied Paris Economic Conference (until June 21, 8 nations), enemy to be denied favoured trade treatment for fixed postwar period. Britain approves on August 2.

Neutrals

USA: President leads Preparedness Parade, Washington.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established this day — June 14 — as Flag Day. Congress followed up in 1949 by enacting a statute that officially recognized Flag Day.
Flag Day, however, is not an official federal holiday. While the statute leaves it to the president’s discretion to proclaim its observance, every president since Wilson has done so.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the U.S. flag of the United States, which occurred on this day in 1777 by means of a resolution adopted by the Second Continental Congress. It also marks the birthday of the U.S. Army; Congress authorized “the American Continental Army” on June 14, 1775.
On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday. New York designates the second Sunday in June as Flag Day and makes it a state holiday.
Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisconsin, is the site of the first formal observance of Flag Day. In 1885, Bernard Cigrand, a grade school teacher, held the first recognized formal observance of Flag Day there. The school has since been restored; a bust of Cigrand honors him at the National Flag Day Americanism Center in Waubeka.

So to all our American friends - HAPPY FLAG DAY

[Nightbomber]

A very interesting story, Chris. Many thanks for sharing it. The more I read about the Great War and the more stories I read in this thread the more I understand the impact of this war on your nation's history. Such individual stories tell even more than military statistics.

[mikeemagnus]

Many thanks Chris, particularly for the story behind Captain Tunstill's Men. Not a happy ending, sadly! Thanks also for the following daily report, although I was unable to access the attachments for some reason! Cheers, Mike

[Hedeby]

Sorry about the attachments - they were there when I posted them

[Hedeby]

15th June 1916

There was one airman lost on this day:

Air Mechanic 2nd Class Samuel William Edward Dewhurst 15 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Unfortunately I cannot find any more information.

There was one aerial victory claim today - all be it an unconfirmed one. It could have been the first victory for Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider who whilst flying a Lloyd C.III claimed to have shot down a seaplane over the Sarca Valey



Oberleutnant Ernst Strohschneider was an Austro-Hungarian flying ace during World War I. He was credited with 15 confirmed aerial victories during his rise to the simultaneous command of two fighter squadrons. He died in a flying accident on 21 March 1918.
Ernst Strohschneider was born on 6 September 1886 in Aussig an der Elbe (present day Ústí nad Labem), Czech Republic. He was of Sudeten German parentage, and his family was well-to-do. When old enough, he joined the infantry and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the reserves in January 1913. He was serving with the 28th Infantry Regiment on the Serbian front when World War I began.

Strohschneider was wounded by a bullet in the tibia early in the war, on 28 August 1914. After hospitalization, he was posted to a Guards unit, the 42nd Infantry Regiment on the Russian Front. He went into bitter winter battle at the Chryszcata Heights in the Carpathian Mountains and suffered a knee wound on 9 February 1915. He returned from hospital after this injury to command a machine gun section. On 19 September 1915, he was wounded for the third time, and captured by the Russians. He escaped to friendly lines. After convalescence, he was then invalided from the army as unfit for further service. He joined the Luftfahrtruppen and was trained as an aerial observer at the Officer's Flight School at Wiener-Neustadt by March 1916. He was posted to Heinrich Kostrba's Flik 23 in the South Tyrol, where his first win went unconfirmed. More notable were his long and hazardous reconnaissance flights deep into enemy territory and his bombing missions flown through heavy antiaircraft fire. Once transferred to Flik 28 along the Isonzo, he soon trained as a pilot, returning to Wiener-Nieustadt. While attending school there, he taught student observers while also undergoing flight training. He qualified as a pilot on 30 December 1916, and received Austrian Pilot Certificate No. 596 on 30 January 1917. The new pilot was posted to Flugegeschwader I on the Isonzo line. Here he and Julius Arigi flew as fighter escort to the unit's bombers[6] and Strohschneider scored his first two victories despite a certain lack of finesse at the controls, as on 17 April 1917, he wrecked Hansa-Brandenburg D.I serial number 28.08. However, this assignment saw him awarded the Silver Military Merit Medal with Swords, as well as the Military Merit Medal Third Class.

Strohschneider was then transferred from his general purpose assignment to a fighter squadron at Prosecco when he was appointed second-in-command of Flik 42J. He would score nine victories during his tenure with this squadron. He would also befriend Reserve Leutnant Franz Gräser, with whom he ultimately shared seven victories. However, in an incident that demonstrated Strohschneider's belief in the rigid Austro-Hungarian class structure, he was the squadron's sole officer who did not congratulate an enlisted fellow ace on a medal awarded in October 1917. The incident did not harm Strohschneider's professional reputation; on 29 October he was commended by his superiors for his exemplary temporary command of his squadron. He was then posted to command of a fighter unit, Flik 61J on 28 December 1917, the first reserve lieutenant to do so. He was joined by his friend, Franz Gräser, at Flik 61J's field at Motta di Livenza. Strohschneider also found himself simultaneously commanding a second fighter squadron while its commander Karl Nikitsch was ill. Under Strohschneider's leadership, Flik 61J undertook a wide variety of missions. It flew fighter interceptions, fighter escort missions, strafed trenches and artillery batteries, and attacked enemy airfields and naval ships. They also flew night sorties. Strohschneider was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown, Third Class, with War Decoration and Swords for his feats.

On the night of 20 March 1918, Ernst Strohschneider took off in Phonix D.I s/n 228.36 to accompany a five plane night mission against an Italian position at Zenson di Piave. His return in the early morning hours of 21 March ended in a fatal crash. He was posthumously honored with the Knight's Cross of the Order of Leopold with War Decoration and Swords.



The Lloyd C.II and its derivatives, the C.III and C.IV were reconnaissance aircraft produced in Austria-Hungary during the First World War. They were based on the Lloyd company's pre-war C.I design, and like it, were conventional biplanes with swept-back wings.

After the outbreak of World War I, the original aircraft was refined somewhat by Lloyd designers Wizina and von Melczer, featuring a reduced wingspan and wing area but increased weight. An 8 mm Schwarzlose machine gun was added on a semi-circular mount for an observer. Beginning in 1915, one hundred examples of this type were built – fifty by Lloyd at their plant in Aszód, and another fifty by WKF in Vienna. Apart from their service with the Austro-Hungarian flying service, ten C.IIs saw service with Poland. These were captured in Malopolska in November 1918 and were used as trainers until being withdrawn from service in 1920. The C.III was almost identical except for the use of a 120 kW (160 hp) Austro-Daimler engine, which increased the top speed to 133 km/h (83 mph). Production again was by both Lloyd and WKF, with total production amounting to 50-60 machines. The C.IV also used the Austro-Daimler engine, and small batches were produced by both Lloyd and WKF.

On a day we lost 224 men...

Today’s losses include:

A General
Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War
A man who will lose two brothers in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Brigadier General Hubert John Du Cane CB MVO (General Staff and Royal Artillery) dies on service at home at age 56. He is the son of Major General ‘Sir’ Edmund F Du Cane KCB.



Lieutenant Charles Lambert Jones (Gloucestershire Regiment) is accidentally killed at age 19. His brother will be killed in September 1918.


Private Frederick Benjamin Williams (Gloucestershire Regiment) is killed at age 31. His two brothers will also be killed in the Great War.
Private Aubrey Thomas James (Alberta Regiment) is killed at age 23. His brother will be killed in September 1918.

Western Front: Tunstill's Men: Billets at Camblain Chatelain A quiet day, spent in cleaning kit and equipment and preparing for a further move next day. Meanwhile, the Divisional Trench Mortar Battery was detached and sent to the Somme area to be made ready to participate in the bombardment of the German lines ahead of the planned ‘big push’; they would not re-join 23rd Division until 18th July.

Western Front
Verdun: French success at Douaumont (and on March 7).


Aerial picture of the already by the German troops captured Fort Douaumont in front of Verdun

Middle East
Armenia: General Abatsiev’s 10,000 men capture Bitlis after surprise night bayonet charge in blizzard, taking 1,000 PoWs and 20 guns. 2 Russian battalions land at Atina to advance on Trebizond, 60 miles in the west, more land at Mapavri (night 6/7). General Lyakhov occupies Rize, port 30 miles from Trebizond (March 8), drives Turks beyond river Kalopotamus on March 9.
Mesopotamia: *Gertrude Bell arrives at Basra to be Arab Bureau representative.

Sea War
North Sea: First Royal Navy minelaying submarine E24 lays minefield close to Elbe, but lost on next sortie (March 21).

Yet another remarkable day for U-35 who claims another FIVE victims

Adelina Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Pionbino Channel (43°00′N 10°05′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Annetta Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Ligurian Sea (43°10′N 10°05′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Audace Italy The sailing vessel was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Cape Corse, Corsica, France (43°30′N 9°15′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Sardinia United Kingdom The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 38 nautical miles (70 km) west of Gorgona, Italy (43°30′N 8°50′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
S. Maria Italy The barque was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 10 nautical miles (19 km) north of Cape Corse by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine)

Neutrals
Portugal: Portuguese seize 4 German ships at Madeira.
USA: Gore-Mclemore Senate Resolution against American sailing in belligerent ships and denying passports, but defeated on March 7.

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks also for the following daily report, although I was unable to access the attachments for some reason!

I can see them now, thanks Chris

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks for the post of 15th. Interesting write up about Oblnt Strohschneider. I'm still in the rapid learning curve stage and had never heard of the Lloyd C series before.

[Hedeby]

Thanks for the post of 15th. Interesting write up about Oblnt Strohschneider. I'm still in the rapid learning curve stage and had never heard of the Lloyd C series before.

I like to think I know quite a bit and I have never heard of the Lloyd C series either- you are not alone Mike

[Hedeby]

June 16th 1916

According to RFC and RAF records NO DEATHS ARE RECORDED FOR FRIDAY JUNE 16TH 1916

There was one aerial victory claim today, and its another first victory from an Austro Hungarian pilot. Oberleutnant Georg Kenzian of Flik 24 was flying a Hansa Brandenburg C.I when he shot down a Farman biplane South of Asiago.



Oberleutnant Georg Kenzian followed his father's profession of arms, and served the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I. He became a fighter ace, scoring eight aerial victories. After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in the aftermath of World War I, he became a citizen of German Austria and defended his new nation against invasion. Georg Kenzian Edler von Kenzianshausen was born in Linz, Austria in 1894. He was the son of an army officer, and had aspirations of following his father's profession. In 1913, Kenzian joined Engineer Battalion Nr. 2 of the Austro-Hungarian Army. By the time World War I began, he had been commissioned as an officer; he went into action against the Russians. He was wounded on 18 December 1914. After healing, he returned to the Engineers and was promoted to Oberleutnant in September 1915. Shortly after this, he volunteered for the Luftfahrtruppen.

Beginning in February 1916, Kenzian trained as an aerial observer and in April was posted to Fliegerkompanie 24 at the Pergine Valsugana Airfield on the South Tyrol front. On 16 June 1916, Kenzian scored his first victory. After a second win, while manning the gun in the rear seat of József Kiss's Hansa-Brandenburg two-seater, Kenzian and his pilot were shot down and wounded on 27 July. It took Kenzian three months to recuperate; during this period, he was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown Third Class with War Decoration and Swords. In the midst of February 1917, Kenzian was assigned to the aviation school at Wiener-Neustadt in the dual capacities of student pilot and aerial observer instructor. By July, he was qualified as a pilot, having earned Austrian Pilot's Certificate number 721 on the 12th. In August, he was packed off to Fliegerkompanie 55J as its deputy commander under Josef von Maier. Kenzian would score seven more victories while with Flik 55J, and be awarded the Gold Bravery Medal for Officers and the Military Merit Cross, Third Class. The squadron would serve so well at Haidenschaft and Pergine that it was dubbed the Kaiser Staffel (Emperor's Squadron). On 4 May 1918, Karl Patzelt's death in action left Fliegerkompanie 68J leaderless. Kenzian was granted command of the fighter squadron at Colle Umberto and led it into combat over the Battle of the Piave in June. He won the Silver Military Merit Medal with Swords. In October 1918, he was transferred to command of Fliegerkompanie 42J at Pinzano when its commander was KIA, and led it until war's end.

On a day we lost 271 men:

Today’s losses include:

An Albert Medal winner
A grandson of the 3rd Baron de Freyne of Coolavin
Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War
A man who will lose two brothers in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Lieutenant Harold Stewart Gough (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) is killed in action at age 21. He is the son of Colonel the Honorable G H Gough CB.
Second Lieutenant Valentine Douglas French (Munster Fusiliers) is killed at age 28. His brother will be killed on the second day of the Battle of the Somme and they are grandsons of the 3rd Baron de Freyne of Coolavin.
Corporal James F Young (Manitoba Regiment) is killed in action at Mount Sorrel. His brother will die of influenza in March 1919.
Private Percy White May (Sherwood Foresters) is killed at age 27. His brother will be killed in August 1918.
Private Charles Shellam (Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry) dies as a prisoner of war in Turkey at age 25. He has two brothers who will die in the Great War, one in 1915 and the other just after the Armistice in November 1918.



At Blandford, during grenade practice, a live bomb thrown by one of the men under instruction falls back into the trench. Petty Officer Alfred Place rushes forward, pulls back two men who are in front of him and attempts to reach the grenade with the intention of throwing it over the parapet. Unfortunately the bomb explodes before he can reach it and inflicts fatal injuries on Petty Officer Place. By his coolness and self-sacrifice Petty Officer Place probably saved the lives of three other men. For his action he will be awarded the Albert Medal posthumously.



Western Front

More from Tunstill's men writing from Billets at Camblain Chatelain: he Battalion formed up at 9.45am and marched eleven and a half miles via Berfay, Bellary and Estree Blanche, to Enquin-les-Mines. The march was duly completed with the Battalion arriving at 3pm. 2Lt. Henry Dawson (see 24th May), accompanied by an NCO from each Company, had been detailed to follow in rear of the Battalion in order to “pick up any stragglers”. The War Diary reported, “To say the Battalion had such a trying time during the last few days and that only 12 men fell out during the march, it is a very creditable performance”. The Divisional Trench Mortar Battery, having arrived on the Somme the previous day, began preparing themselves for the part they would play in the British bombardment of the German lines; over the next few days they selected their gun positions in the Auchonvillers sector and began to dig in their guns and carry up large quantities of ammunition. Cpl. Vincent Edwards (see 3rd April) serving with 28th (Reserve) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, having been wounded in February, received a mention in dispatches. He would later be commissioned and join 10DWR.

SERGT. KAYLEY EARNSHAW, D.C.M., KILLED
News was received on Wednesday that Sergt. Kayley Earnshaw, D.C.M., of 10th West Yorks. (sic.), had been killed in action by a trench bomb. The news was received by Sergeant Earnshaw's wife, who resides at Scosthrop, near Airton, and when it became known in Malhamdale great sympathy was expressed for the widow and family. The following letter was received from Captain Tunstill:- "It is with very great sorrow that I have to tell you that your husband was killed yesterday in doing his duty as a brave man. He was taking his machine gun team to the trenches when a trench mortar hit him, and he was killed on the spot. I knew nothing about it until today, and this evening it has been my duty to see him buried. There was no man in this Battalion more respected than your husband. He was one of the few who had won the D.C.M., and he had won the respect and admiration of every officer and man of the Battalion. It is difficult for me to tell you what I think, but I feel his death more perhaps than any other N.C.O. of this Battalion. I remember him as a civilian, and I knew him as a soldier, and you have my sympathy in losing a husband who was a very brave and valiant soldier. I have tonight seen him buried. He is buried some few hundred yards behind the firing line between two little woods. There were not many of us there, but those who were there grieved to lose a man who could be ill spared, and the thought of those there were with you."

Mr. Harry Foster, a machine gun office, wrote:- "No words of mine can adequately express the sympathy which I, and indeed the whole machine gun section, wish to convey to you in your loss. Earnshaw was one of the finest men and the best soldier in the Battalion, and was respected by officers and men alike, and no man had more thoroughly earned the medal which was recently conferred upon him for distinguished conduct in the field. Sergt. Pickles has collected the articles of personal value which he had with him, and is sending them on to you in due course. I cannot say any more to you, except to tell you that he died instantly (I was there just after he was hit), and without suffering any pain, and I can only hope the thought that he died while doing his duty to his King and country, like the man he was, will be some slight comfort and consolation to you."



Secret War
France: Mata Hari books into Grand Hotel, Paris, takes many military lovers but falls in love with Russian Captain Maslov during August.



Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 1876 – 15 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy and executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.

Margaretha Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.[3] She was the eldest of four children of Adam Zelle (2 October 1840 – 13 March 1910) and his first wife Antje van der Meulen (21 April 1842 – 9 May 1891).[4] She had three brothers. Her father owned a hat shop, made successful investments in the oil industry, and became affluent enough to give Margaretha a lavish early childhood[5] that included exclusive schools until the age of 13.[6]

Soon after Margaretha's father went bankrupt in 1889, her parents divorced, and then her mother died in 1891. Her father remarried in Amsterdam on 9 February 1893 to Susanna Catharina ten Hoove (11 March 1844 – 1 December 1913), by whom he had no children. The family fell apart, and Margaretha moved to live with her godfather, Mr. Visser, in Sneek. In Leiden, she studied to be a kindergarten teacher, but when the headmaster began to flirt with her conspicuously, she was removed from the institution by her offended godfather. A few months later, she fled to her uncle's home in The Hague.

In 1903, Zelle moved to Paris, where she performed as a circus horse rider using the name Lady MacLeod, much to the disapproval of the Dutch MacLeods. Struggling to earn a living, she also posed as an artist's model. By 1905, Mata Hari began to win fame as an exotic dancer. She was a contemporary of dancers Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis, leaders in the early modern dance movement, which around the turn of the 20th century looked to Asia and Egypt for artistic inspiration. Critics would later write about this and other such movements within the context of Orientalism. Gabriel Astruc became her personal booking agent. Promiscuous, flirtatious, and openly flaunting her body, Mata Hari captivated her audiences and was an overnight success from the debut of her act at the Musée Guimet on 13 March 1905. She became the long-time mistress of the millionaire Lyon industrialist Émile Étienne Guimet, who had founded the Musée. She posed as a Javanese princess of priestly Hindu birth, pretending to have been immersed in the art of sacred Indian dance since childhood. She was photographed numerous times during this period, nude or nearly so. Some of these pictures were obtained by MacLeod and strengthened his case in keeping custody of their daughter. Mata Hari brought a carefree provocative style to the stage in her act, which garnered wide acclaim. The most celebrated segment of her act was her progressive shedding of clothing until she wore just a jeweled bra and some ornaments upon her arms and head.She was seldom seen without a bra as she was self-conscious about being small-breasted. She wore a bodystocking for her performances that was similar in color to her own skin. Although Mata Hari's claims about her origins were fictitious, it was very common for entertainers of her era to invent colorful stories about their origins as part of the show. Her act was successful because it elevated exotic dance to a more respectable status and so broke new ground in a style of entertainment for which Paris was later to become world famous. Her style and free-willed attitude made her a popular woman, as did her eagerness to perform in exotic and revealing clothing. She posed for provocative photos and mingled in wealthy circles. Since most Europeans at the time were unfamiliar with the Dutch East Indies, Mata Hari was thought of as exotic, and it was assumed her claims were genuine. By about 1910, a myriad of imitators had arisen. Critics began to opine that the success and dazzling features of the popular Mata Hari were due to cheap exhibitionism and lacked artistic merit. Although she continued to schedule important social events throughout Europe, she was held in disdain by serious cultural institutions as a dancer who did not know how to dance. Mata Hari's career went into decline after 1912. On 13 March 1915, she performed in what would be the last show of her career.[11] She had begun her career relatively late for a dancer, and had started putting on weight. However, by this time she had become a successful courtesan, known more for her sensuality and eroticism than for her beauty. She had relationships with high-ranking military officers, politicians, and others in influential positions in many countries. Her relationships and liaisons with powerful men frequently took her across international borders. Prior to World War I, she was generally viewed as an artist and a free-spirited bohemian, but as war approached, she began to be seen by some as a wanton and promiscuous woman, and perhaps a dangerous seductress.

We shall hear more about this young lady as the war progresses.



Western Front
Verdun: Unsuccessful German attacks west of Hill 304.

Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive – Pripet: Austro-German counter-offensive until June 24. Marwitz’s 12 1/2 divisions gain only a few miles on river Stokhod against Kaledin (2,000 PoWs and 4 guns) for 40,000 casualties.

Southern Fronts
Trentino: Italian counter *offensive until July 24 with 4 corps (177 battalions + 800 guns vs. 168 battalions + 680 guns) recap*tures Mt Magari and Cima Isidora (June 18). Cadorna decides Isonzo attack will aim just to take Gorizia.

Middle East
Arabia: 1,505-strong Turk Jeddah garrison with 16 guns surrender after naval and seaplane bombardment.

African Fronts
East Africa: 5th Indian Light Infantry (400 soldiers) occupy Mwakijembe south of coastal border and Jasin on June 17. Belgians occupy Urundi capital Kitega (King submits on June 27).

Sea War
Channel: Destroyer HMS Eden sunk by collision with SS France. (although some reports show this as the 18th we will cover it here)

HMS Eden was a Hawthorn Leslie type River-class destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1901 – 1902 Naval Estimates. Named after the River Eden in northern England, she was the second ship to carry this name since it was introduced in 1814. She was laid down on 12 June 1902 at the Hawthorn Leslie shipyard at Hebburn-on-Tyne and launched on 13 March 1903. She was completed in June 1904. She differed from the other boats of the class by having Parsons turbines instead of reciprocating steam engines. On her trials she made 26.2 knots (48.5 km/h; 30.2 mph), and was the fastest boat of the class. Her original armament was to be the same as the turtleback torpedo boat destroyers that preceded her. In 1906 the Admiralty decided to upgrade the armament by landing the five 6-pounder naval guns and shipping three 12-pounder 8 hundredweight (cwt) guns. Two would be mounted abeam at the fo'c'sle break and the third gun would be mounted on the quarterdeck.

After commissioning she was assigned to the East Coast Destroyer Flotilla of the 1st Fleet and based at Harwich. She was used for a lot of test runs with her conventionally-powered sister Waveney to ascertain whether her turbines represented an improvement.

In April 1909 she was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla on its formation at Harwich. She remained until displaced by a Basilisk-class destroyer by May 1912. She was assigned to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla of the 2nd Fleet with a nucleus crew. In the early morning of 28 January 1910 while under the command of Lieutenant Oliver M F Stokes she broke loose from her moorings in bad weather and sank at the Harbour Jetty under the East Cliff at Dover. She was refloated on 30 January and repaired. On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by alpha characters starting with the letter 'A'. The ships of the River class were assigned to the E class. After 30 September 1913, she was known as an E-class destroyer and had the letter ‘E’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel.

In early 1914 when displaced by G-class destroyers she joined the 9th Destroyer Flotilla based at Chatham tendered to HMS St George. The 9th Flotilla was a patrol flotilla tasked with anti-submarine and counter mining patrols in the Firth of Forth area. By September 1914, she was deployed to the Dover Patrol based at Portsmouth. Here she provided anti-submarine, counter mining patrols and defended the Dover Barrage. On the night of 18 June 1916 HMS Eden collided with the transport SS France in the English Channel. She sank with the loss of her commander, Lieutenant A C N Farquhar and 42 officers and men. The damaged transport rescued 33 officers and men. Today, her wreck lies in 34 m (112 ft) in the waters near Fécamp.

[mikeemagnus]

No RFC deaths today huh! Must have stopped training for a holiday! It's almost unbelievable just how many potential pilots were killed in training (more than 8,000 British alone I understand) and yet they kept on coming. Makes you think doesn't it? Re the aerial victories - the last I don't know how many reports all seem to be for Central Powers pilots. Are the Entente lot going through a lean patch right now or is it just a matter of available records?
Maternal grandfather was a Captain in the Kings Royal Rifles around this time - wonder if he knew Lt Gough! I'll have to show my wife the story of "Margaretha" Mata hari. My wife's name is also Margaretha and she is from near leiden in Holland. Mmmmmmm!
Enjoyed the days posting a lot. many thanks. Mike

[Hedeby]

No RFC deaths today huh! Must have stopped training for a holiday! It's almost unbelievable just how many potential pilots were killed in training (more than 8,000 British alone I understand) and yet they kept on coming. Makes you think doesn't it? Re the aerial victories - the last I don't know how many reports all seem to be for Central Powers pilots. Are the Entente lot going through a lean patch right now or is it just a matter of available records?
Maternal grandfather was a Captain in the Kings Royal Rifles around this time - wonder if he knew Lt Gough! I'll have to show my wife the story of "Margaretha" Mata hari. My wife's name is also Margaretha and she is from near leiden in Holland. Mmmmmmm!
Enjoyed the days posting a lot. many thanks. Mike

It has been a bit Austro Hungarian heavy of late I must say - but I guarantee a swing back to the Western front with some Iconic names taking centre stage - some unfortunately for the last time.......

[mikeemagnus]

Cheers Chris

[Hedeby]

News from the editor's desk, our new recruit has passed muster with the ladies of the typing pool and will be making his debut on Monday, so that leaves me to cover off the weekend starting this evening.
Today's post is brought to you by glass of Chateauneuf du Pape (White 2012) and the haunting sounds of 'A forest' by The Cure (I found an awesome 14 minute live version that is incredible) (if you like that sort of thing)

June 17th 1916

RAF/RFC records show one airman lost on this today but other sources show the loss of a second pilot - this is part of the difficulty when some sources record the actual date of death whilst some record the date it was first recorded or reported.

F.E.8 7598, RFC Crashed on test flight over Farnborough, the pilot 2Lt William Boyle Power (29) is killed



Son of William and Julia Power, of Plymouth; husband of Mary Power, 21 Bewley St., Kirkdale, Liverpool.Buried in Aldershot Military Cemetery, Hampshire, England, Grave AH. 346. Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral under Droitwich casualties as Power William Boyle, 2nd Lieutenant. The Royal Flying Corps. First served overseas on 19th November 1914 as a Corporal, rising to the rank of Sergeant. Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 30th May 1916. Awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The 1914 Star was later deleted by the authorities and amended to the 1915 Star.

Air Mechanic 3rd Class John Nicholas from the Royal Flying Corps Recruits Depot - two brave men lost no enemy anywhere near them another example of just how dangerous training was...

One man who wasn't lost (miraculously) was this chap: While on a photographic reconnaissance over Houthulst Wood and when very seriously wounded in the head by fire from an anti-aircraft gun, and half blinded by blood, Captain Malcolm McBean Bell-Irving (Royal Flying Corps) steers for the nearest aerodrome and, feeling that he cannot last out, lands safely in a small field well within our lines. After giving orders for the safe delivery of his photographs he collapses. His pluck and skill no doubt saves both his life and that of his observer, Second Lieutenant Allan Wenman Smith. Lieutenant Smith will be accidentally killed in England next March. Captain Bell-Irving is the brother of ace Alan Duncan Bell-Irving and Richard Bell-Irving whose son will be killed in March 1945. Capt. Bell Irving goes on to win the MC flying for 66 and 88 Squadrons and lives on until 24th April 1971.



On a day we lost 457 men

Today’s losses include:

A grandson of the 2nd Viscount Hardinge of Lahore and King’s Newton
The son of a member of the clergy
Multiple families that will lose two, three and four sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Major Patrick Robert Hardinge MC (Cameronians) dies of wounds at age 23. He is the grandson of the 2nd Viscount Hardinge of Lahore and King’s Newton.
Second Lieutenant Alister McLean Thomson (Wellington Regiment) is killed at age 25. He is the son of the late Reverend Alexander Thomson.
Second Lieutenant Vernon Robertson Lipp (Royal Fusiliers) is killed at age 26 less than 3 weeks after his brother died on service in India.
Private Walter Ellis (Devonshire Regiment) is killed in Mesopotamia. His two brothers will be killed over the next few months the first next month.
Private James Clayton (Gordon Highlanders) is killed at age 20. He is the third of four brothers who are killed in the Great War.

After the Austro Hungarian focus of the past we days, the aerial action really hots up with seven pilots all claiming victories on this day...

Jean Marie Dominique Navarre (France) claims his 12 kill - shooting down an EA over Samogneux. However this was to be Navarre's last kill as he was shot down over the Argonne on 17 June 1916, Navarre suffered a head wound from which he never fully recovered. Following a two year stay at an asylum in Paris, he returned to the front but flew no more combat missions. In 1919, having been selected to fly a Morane-Saulnier through the Arc de Triomphe during a post-war celebration, Navarre was killed in a crash while training for the event.



Maxime Albert Lenoir (France) claims his 4th kill by downing an LVG over Septsarges

Kurt Wintgens (Germany) claims his sixth kill shooting down a Farman South of Château-

Lieutenant Colonel Alan Machin Wilkinson (24 Squadron RFC) claims the only double of the day with kills three and four by shooting down an Eindecker and an ALbatross C whilst flying his DH2.

Jan Olieslagers (Belgium) claims his second kill (and first one since Sept. 1915) by downing a Fokker D.II over



Eugene Gilbert (France) claims his 5th (and final victory) by shooting down a two seater whilst piloting his Moraine Saulnier. For this he awarded his Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur

"Sergeant Pilot of escadrille MS23, on return from reconnaissance he engaged a German plane. He attacked it with such audacity and skill that his observer was able to kill the observer, wound the pilot, and hit the radiator with four bullets from a carbine, forcing the enemy plane to land in French lines." Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur citation



and finally, and opening his account on this day we have:

Captain Lancelot Richardson 25 Squadron RFC (Australia) shoots down an Eindecker over Don whilst flying patrol in his F.E.2b (6337)


Richardson - Pusher Ace

When Lancelot Lytton Richardson enlisted on 24 September 1914, he completed an Attestation Paper that started his military records. On his attestation, he listed his birthplace as Young, his age as 19, his occupation as "grazier", and his mother, Elizebeth Greedy Richardson, as his next of kin. His mother was not widowed, though there was no mention of Richardson's father. Despite his youth, Lancelot Richardson had been involved in some minor legal trouble in Barraba, New South Wales. Nevertheless, he was accepted for service in a cavalry regiment. Serjeant Richardson was commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps on 28 December 1915. Appointment as a Flying Officer followed, on 16 May 1916. He was assigned to 25 Squadron on 3 June to fly a Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b pusher. Two weeks later, he and his observer teamed with two other FE.2 crews to drive a Fokker Eindekker down out of control for Richardson's first victory. Nine days later, on 26 June, Richardson had Leslie Court aboard as observer/gunner when they forced another Eindekker to land. On 2 July, Richardson forced an Albatros two-seater reconnaissance plane to land. Then, on 20 July, with Court manning the guns, Richardson teamed with another British aircrew to destroy one Eindekker and drive another down out of control; he was now an ace, but was wounded in the process.

Richardson was promoted to Temporary Captain on 1 January 1917,[5] and returned to combat duty in early 1917 as a flight leader in the same squadron. With William Meggitt manning the guns, Richardson drove a German two-seater out of control on 15 February 1917. On 17 March 1917, he capped his career as an ace by sharing in the destruction of an Albatros D.II. On 11 May 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross. On 13 April 1917, Richardson fell to his death under the guns of Hans Klein of Jasta 4.

Its another quiet day for Tunstill's men on the Western Front: Once settled in billets at Enquin-les-Mines the Battalion was engaged in training and preparations for the part they would take in the forthcoming battle, with the emphasis on “manoeuvres, practising attacks, wood-fighting, artillery formations. Also the men have been practised in the handling of arms, musketry, extended order drill and all movements which are necessary in the present war”. The billets were considered good, the weather remained fair and the Battalion was reinforced by a draft of men fresh from training in England. The Battalion Memoir reported, “This period was most enjoyable, the weather was good and the men very keen and fit. We had a large and particularly good draft from North Shields. Billets were also good and we had some very successful Battalion sports”. Pte. Sam Shuttleworth (see 10th June) who had been undergoing medical treatment for tooth decay over the previous days, was discharged to duty. However, he did not re-join the Battalion, but was instead posted to 23rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples. L.Sgt. Mark Allan Stanley Wood, serving with 16th West Yorkshires, was discharged from hospital, having spent the previous nine days being treated for suffering from seborrhea (see 8th June). He would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.

Western Front
Verdun: Germans repulsed at Mort Homme-Thiaumont-Hill 320. French gains on Hill 321, Germans repulsed there on June 18 and 19.

Eastern Front
Brusilov offensive – Bukovina: Lechitski’s XII Corps reoccupies Czernowitz, crosses river Prut to west as Austrians retreat to river Sereth and beyond (June 19).

Southern Fronts
Trentino: Austrian CoS Conrad calls off Trentino offensive.

Air War
Western Front: First French ace Navarre shot down and severely wounded over the Argonne, never flies again. Royal Flying Corps observers engage 73 targets, 30 Anglo*-German air combats (1 German plane crashes).

The loss of Zeppelin L-48

On the night of 16th June 1917, the L48 was one of four airships sent to attack London. After dropping bombs on Harwich, the airship tried to return home by heading east. However its compass had frozen at the high altitude and, unknown to its crew, it drifted
north in the dark along the Suffolk coast. The airship was caught in searchlights and antiaircraft guns opened up, although the Zeppelin was too high to be harmed by these. Several aircraft took off to attack the airship, but although firing at the Zeppelin, the
planes could not gain the altitude to inflict any damage. In an effort to escape British airspace before dawn, the Zeppelin captain gave orders to descend to reach more favourable winds. Captain RHMS Saundby in his aircraft, noticed the descent beginning, and attacked again. His bullets hit the Zeppelin this time and the tail of the airship ignited and the huge airship began to fall to earth, lighting up the sky as it did so. The vast structure crashed into the ground at Holly Tree Farm in Therberton, near Leiston, Suffolk. Three of the German crew managed to jump out of their gondola as it hit the ground and then watched in horror as the flames consumed the entire Zeppelin, as well as their 16 fellow crew members.



There were three survivors from the crash of Zeppelin L48 at Theberton near Leiston on June 17 1917, the first and last men to escape from a burning airship in England. Another died from his burns on the last day of the war. What happened to them is evidence of respect and compassion shown to those generally regarded as ruthless enemies. A 1930s visitor to Theberton recalled: “When we came across the grave of the crew of a German airship we found a man trimming as he would trim the graves of Englishmen. Friendly hands were bringing wild flowers.” The man trimming the grave was a war veteran, one of two survivors of a 40-strong company that fought in France. Yet every November 11 he stood there, observing the two minutes’ silence. All 16 men buried at Theberton were later moved to the German military cemetery in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire.

It was warm and clear on the Suffolk coast on the afternoon of June 16.

At the Royal Flying Corps’ Orfordness airfield Captain Robert Saundby relaxed on a bench outside the frame-ad-canvas hangar. Lieutenant Frank Holder was playing tennis with friends at Sudbourne. Both had seen intensive action over the Western Front in France so Suffolk was probably seen as a quiet sector where they could recover for a spell.

That same afternoon four Zeppelins lifted off from Nordholz near Cuxhaven north Germany. L48, commanded by Franz Eichler was the last to get into the air. She crossed the Suffolk coast a little north of the Deben at 17,000 ft. Eichler decided to head towards Ipswich, dropping nine high explosive bombs on Falkenham, 16 on Kirton and three on Martlesham. They fell mostly in fields, doing little damage. But that and ground anti-aircraft fire made some people think that a naval battle was happening. At 3 am the Zeppelin received a radio message from a German observation ship in the North Sea. It reported a good westerly at 13,000 ft, which cheered Eichler. He was in trouble and reckoned that the tail wind would blow them safely home. His luck had run out over Harwich harbour. L48 was losing height, her forward engine failed and rudder controls were faulty. Worse, an air attack was under way. The Zeppelin started drifting from side to side and, instead of going east, turned north towards Aldeburgh and Leiston at a height that favoured three fighters from Orfordness. They shared the honours for downing her.

Often out of sight from each other as they attacked in the dark from different angles, they fired incendiary bullets a target into a target that, once they closed to within 500ft, must have looked like a barn door to a rifle club. Both Holder and his observer, Sergeant Sydney Ashby, were equipped with guns in their aircraft, the first to be built by Ipswich company Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies at their Fore Street factory. Holder’s jammed after emptying his first drum of ammunition, but they used seven drums in all and saw flames spreading in the airship. Saundby reported: “In the middle of my third drum the Zeppelin caught fire at one point and almost immediately became a mass of flame.” Second Lieutenant Watkins, a Canadian flying the other fighter, saw the Zeppelin burning after he had triggered a series of short bursts. “She broke into a V shape and fell slowly past me, the flames roaring so loudly that I could hear them over the sound of my engine,” he wrote. L48’s second in command, Otto Meith, was hurled back against the wall of the radio compartment. With earphone on he had not heard a warning of the attack. A big explosion was followed by smaller ones as gas tanks were touched off. He was pushing against the wall then the Zeppelin struck the cornfield.

The control gondola was split from the rest of the airship, something broke Meith’s thighs and he suffered burns. He woke up in hospital to hear a voice asking him: “Do you want a cigarette?”
Executive officer Heinz Ellerkamm was the other L48 man to survive the war. “The ship was crashing at a terrific rate and the air whistled as she cut her way through it,” he remembered. “The gas bags were burning away like mad – a sound just like greasy paper does when you throw it on the fire. “Suddenly the ship’ stern crashed to pieces with a fearful din. I only knew that a chaotic jumble of girders, bracing wires, benzene tanks and metal fittings were coming down on my head. “My fur coat was burning on my back. I was imprisoned in a cage, the bars of which were a glowing red-hot mass. With all my s strength, I pushed against a girder. Another girder gave way in front of me and left a gap free. “ I crawled along he ground and felt grass. I rolled over two or three times, then found myself in the open air.” Mr and Mrs Ulkey of Holly Tree Farm saw the crash a quarter-mile away. Over the coming hours they provided well water for thirsty servicemen, notably a cyclists’ battalion of the Suffolk Regiment that threw a cordon around the wreckage. Despite all efforts to keep people away, countless bits and pieces were taken and may still be shown as souvenirs in Suffolk homes. An estimated 30,000 people visited the crash site.



The full story of Theberton's Zeppelin can be found here...

[Hedeby]

Ok just realised the Zeppelin story is actually 1917 - bugger, apologies but its interesting anyway and it was today - so it's a special 99 years ago today piece...

[Mike George]

Thanks for our time on doing this I wish I could give you reputation points every time I read this.

[Hedeby]

Just knowing that people read it is reward enough - thanks Mike

[Hedeby]

SPECIAL EDITION

June 18th 1916

Today's special edition highlights (and hopefully pays tribute to) the loss of one of the most famous fighter pilots of all time - the only man to have a manoeuvre named after him. There are other claims and losses today as well as the rest of the news and I will cover that off in a second post today, but we will start with the death of Oberleutnant Max Immelmann - The Eagle of Lille



In the late afternoon of 18 June 1916, Immelmann led a flight of four Fokker E.III Eindeckers in search of a flight of eight F.E.2b reconnaissance aircraft of 25 Squadron Royal Flying Corps over Sallaumines in northern France. The British flight had just crossed the lines near Arras, with the intent of photographing the German infantry and artillery positions within the area, when Immelmann's flight intercepted them. After a long-running fight, scattering the participants over an area of some 30 square miles, Immelmann brought down one of the enemy aircraft, wounding both the pilot and observer.[citation needed] This was his 16th victory claim, though it would go unconfirmed. At 21:45 hours that same evening, Immelmann in Fokker E.III, serial 246/16 encountered No. 25 Squadron again, this time near the village of Lens. Immediately, he got off a burst which hit RFC Lt. J.R.B Savage, pilot of FE.2b pusher serial 4909, mortally wounding him. This was his 17th victory claim, though Max Mulzer was later credited with the victory. The crew of the second aircraft he closed on was piloted by Second Lieutenant G.R. McCubbin with Corporal J. H. Waller as gunner/observer, and was credited by the British with shooting Immelmann down. On the German side, many had seen Immelmann as invincible and could not conceive the notion that he had fallen to enemy fire. Meanwhile, British authorities awarded McCubbin the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Service Medal and sergeant's stripes for Waller.

The German Air Service at the time claimed the loss was due to (friendly) anti-aircraft fire. Others, including Immelmann's brother, believed his aircraft's gun synchronisation (designed to enable his machine gun to fire between the whirling propeller blades without damaging them) had malfunctioned with catastrophic results. This is not in itself unreasonable, as early versions of such gears frequently malfunctioned in this way. Indeed, this had already happened to Immelmann twice before (while testing two- and three-machine gun installations), although on each occasion, he had been able to land safely. McCubbin, in a 1935 interview, claimed that immediately after Immelmann shot down McCubbin's squadron mate, the German ace began an Immelmann turn, McCubbin and Waller swooped down from a greater altitude and opened fire, and the pioneer German ace fell out of the sky. Waller also pointed out later that the British bullets could have hit Immelmann's propeller.

Damage to the propeller resulting in the loss of one blade could have been the primary cause of the structural failure evident in accounts of the crash of his aircraft. The resultant vibration of an engine at full throttle spinning half a propeller could have shaken the fragile craft to pieces. At 2,000 meters, the tail was seen to break away from the rest of Immelmann's Fokker, the wings detached or folded,[20] and what remained of the fuselage fell straight down, carrying the 25-year-old Oberleutnant to his death. His body was recovered by the German 6 Armee from the twisted wreckage, lying smashed and lifeless over what was left of the surprisingly intact Oberursel engine (sometimes cited as under it), but was only identified because he had his initials embroidered on his handkerchief.



Immelmann was given a state funeral and buried in his home of Dresden. His body was later exhumed, however, and cremated in the Dresden-Tolkewitz Crematorium.

Here is another account of Immelmann's last fight which gives us a real insight into what happened from the German viewpoint...

BERLIN, June 24.—The Lokal Anzeiger prints a field letter from an eyewitness of First Lieutenant Immelmann's death flight.

"It was 9 in the evening," says the letter, "when the rat-tat of aerial machine guns lured me out of my quarters, and I saw at a height of several thousand yards five aeroplanes in a hot fight; two Fokkers and three English and French biplanes. The tiny, swift Fokkers were like swallows in comparison with the big, lumbering but sure flying double-deckers. There was an increased liveliness aloft as the Fokkers overtook the biplanes and bore down on them with frightful speed. Amid a mad rattle of five machine guns our hearts stood still. Now the Fokkers have reached the enemy, but have turned themselves loose again. Then they pounce with fresh strength on the biplanes, now flying in confused circles. One of the Fokkers has singled out his prey and doesn't leave him. While the big biplane only seeks to fly lower or higher, the Fokker cuts off the escape each time. Suddenly the big machine reels. "'Hurrah; he's hit!' is roared from a thousand throats. I was watching closely, and noticed that the Fokker, too, was making curious tumbling motions, righting itself like an animal mortally wounded, then fluttering down, first slowly, then faster. A sudden jerk brings the machine again to a horizontal position. Thank God, I think, and breathe easier, when suddenly the Fokker overturns completely, the tail falls away, one of the wings flutters off, and, with an uncanny whistling sound, the machine precipitates from 6,000 feet earthward and strikes with a dull thud.

"I ran as fast as possible to the spot. The motor had buried itself deep in the earth, [burying] the pilot under it. A crowd of soldiers quickly gathered. "'It's a Frenchman,' say some. Another answers, 'Unfortunately, it's a German.' But he gets threatening looks from the crowd. Meanwhile some of us have with great effort succeeded in turning over the motor, and several officers appear and supervise the examination of the dead. Is it an Englishman, Frenchman, or German? None knows for certain. "At last we have opened the leather coat. The first thing we see is the Pour le Merite decoration. Immelmann or Boelcke? An anxious silence fell on all standing around. Then we found the Iron Cross and then the monogram 'MI' on the shirt."'Our poor Immelmann!' said a high officer present, and sadly we repeated it."

The Tägliche Rundschau also prints a letter from an eyewitness:

"Immelmann didn't make it easy for his enemies," says the letter. "He had already shot down three enemy fliers, and at the time of his death plunge he was engaged in a fight with two enemy machines. While he was pursuing and firing at the one his Fokker was hit by the other. Probably a steel truss was broken, but Immelmann had bitten himself so firmly into his enemy that he didn't notice it. He continued to pursue his victim until suddenly the tail broke off, and Immelmann and his rudderless Fokker plunged to his death. His half-annihilated enemy was then brought down by Immelmann's comrades, also in Fokkers."

The present-day Luftwaffe has dubbed Squadron AG-51 the "Immelmann Squadron" in his honour.

and wherever Aerodrome members (and others) gather to play our game you will hear the phrase "I'm playing an Immelmann"



R.I.P Max Immelmann - a valiant and deadly foe

[Hedeby]

June 18th 1916

There were five british airmen lost on this day (You know I wish there was a site that I could access for the French and Central Powers as well, to give a more rounded picture...)

2nd Lt. Cyril Robertson Bertram 26 (South African) Squadron RFC - Killed while flying 18 June 1916 aged 24

Flight Sergeant (FS?) E.M. Hutchins 26 (South African) Squadron RFC - Killed while flying 18 June 1916.

2nd Lt. Stuart Gordon Ridley - 17 Squadron RFC Died 18 June 1916 aged just 19

2nd Lt. Clarence Elias Rogers 25 Squadron RFC - Killed in Action 18 June 1916 aged 24

2nd. Lt. John Raymond Boscawen Savage 25 SQuadron RFC -



Killed in Action over German lines 18 June 1916 and buried with Military honours. Lt. Savage was the f17th and final aerial victory for Max Immelmann who was himself shot down and killed soon after the fight the Lt. Savage (see previous post) John Raymond Boscawen Savage was born at Bradford on 3 August 1898, and educated at a Winchester prep school and Oundle College. He joined the Royal Flying Corps on his 17th birthday, gained his pilot's certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane at Brooklands on 18 October 1915, his wings on 3 February 1916, and was sent to the front the following month. He was killed in aerial combat on 18 June 1916, in a dog fight with the legendary German air ace Max Immelmann. In this action Savage was mortally wounded, being forced to land his plane behind German lines south of Lens, where he succumbed to his injuries and his Observer was taken prisoner. At the time of his death he was still only 17 years of age and his Commanding Officer wrote to his father: "Your son was a very gallant boy and I wish with all my heart that he was back with us."

Franz Immelmann wrote in his book - Max Immelmann, The Eagle of Lille -

"Continuous fire from both barrels induces the Vickers to make for the front in a steep dive….. The Englishman puts his Vickers down smoothly on a meadow close to Lens. My brother has taken good aim at his last victim, as the numerous hits on the machine testify. The pilot has been wounded in the shoulder, and considerable loss of blood has induced him to make the speediest possible landing." It was immediately after this that Max Immelmann lost his life. His machine was seen to disintegrate in the air and it is thought likely that he was the victim of one of the greatest technical shortcomings of the Fokker. The official German report on his death concluded that he had shot off his own propeller.

There were four pilots claiming victories on this day - as already mentioned Max Immelmann shot down his 16th and 17th victims before falling himself.

Lt. Colonel Alan Machin Wilkinson who followed up his 'double' from the previous day with another victory in his DH.2 by shooting down an Albatross C South East of Achiet le Grand.

Sous Lieutenant Andre Jean Delorme claims his second kill shooting down an Aviatik C over German lines



and finally on this day claiming his 4th victory was Leutnant Max Ritter von Mulzer who shot down F.E.2b (6940)



On a day we lost 389 men

Today’s losses include:

A 17 year old victim of Max Immelmann
A man whose brother will be killed in September 1918

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Second Lieutenant John Raymond Bowcawen Savage (Royal Flying Corps) becomes Max Immelmann’s last victim when his FE2b is shot down. The 17-year old was last in the direct line of the ‘fighting Savages’ of Ards, County Down. His father fought with the Royal Field Artillery in the Great War; his grandfather, Colonel H J Savage, 91st Highlanders, fought in the South African War; his great grandfather, General J B Savage, fought with the Royal Engineers in the Peninsular War and his great great grandfather, General ‘Sir’ John Boscawen Savage KCB, commanded the Royal Marines at the Battle of the Nile (1798). See above
Lance Corporal Charles Wyman (Warwickshire Regiment) is killed at age 21. His brother will be killed in September 1918.

The Western Front

A bombing raid occurs to Al Arish aerodrome takes place by eleven BE2c of which three are hit by ground fire. Relatively little damage is caused on the ground.

A very lazy day behind the lines for Capt. Tunstill's men - There was a Brigade Church Parade and time allowed for rest.

Sinai:
11 Royal Flying Corps BE2cs (3 fall to ground fire) bomb EI Arish airfield, destroy 1 aircraft and set fire on two hangars.

On 18th June 1916, in the course of an organised air raid on El Arish, Captain Ryneveldt, RFC, had his machine damaged by a bullet which pierced his engine oil-sump, and he had to land on the beach. A BE2c biplane, carrying two officers - Captain S Grant-Dalton, RFC (Pilot) and 2nd. Lieut. Paris (Observer) - came down beside the Martinsyde. The latter was set on fire, as it was unfit to fly, and after many difficulties the three officers succeeded in rising in the BE2c. Captain Dalton flew his heavily-burdened machine a distance of 90 miles back to the aerodrome without mishap. For this exploit he was awarded the DSO

Verdun: Balsley first American volunteer fighter pilot shot down in action; no serious injuries.

H. Clyde Balsley, a slinder, hawk nosed youth of twenty, had worked in his mothers bakery in San Antonio, Texas before coming to France in 1915 as a volunteer ambulance driver. The young Texan, upon arriving at the N.124, was at first viewed with skepticism because of his youth and inexperience. Balsley's youthful enthusiasm, coupled with his capacity for hard work soon won over the hardened pilots of the Escadrille.

The average fighter pilot, on the Western Front, had a life expectancy of two weeks. Every time a new pilot returned from a patrol he believed that his chances for survival improved. This thinking was not without merit. On the other side of the coin, the pilots who had been on the front lines for several months began to believe that they had out lasted thier luck and were living on borrowed time. The truely critical period was was the first few days of combat.

Clyde Balsley's short career was typical of green pilots on both sides of the war in mid 1916. Balsley had flown a number of practice missions behind the Front before being taken on patrol into enemy territory. On the morning of June 18, Captain Thenault, leading the patrol had reached the Front with Rockwell, Prince, and Balsley. Flying at 15,000 feet they confronted the uppermost of a three layer enemy group. This was the largest single group, estimated at 40 aircraft, that any of them had ever seen. Thenault swept wide of the enemy, cautiously coming up behind them with the three Americans following, but staying out of range of enemy fire.



The uppermost layer of enemy aircraft were made up of 15, two-seater Aviatik B1 reconnasiance aircraft. One of the Aviatek's then dropped down and slid below them. Prince took the bait and nosed down on the enemy aircraft with Balsley following. Prince's helmet was hit by the enemy gunner but the bullet missed his head. He dove past the Aviatik and continued to race for home. With the Aviatik coming up in Balsley's sights at close range he fired his Lewis only to hear the report of a single round, his gun had jammed. With no time to clear his weapon an now with two Aviatiks on his tail he evaded the enemy by diving into a cloud but one of the following bullets struck him in the hip and exploded against the bone. Even though wounded he managed to pull the Nieuport out of the dive just above the tree tops. With his aircraft still loosing altitude he cleared the trenches of the forward French Infantry only to be snagged by the barb-wire at the reserve trenches. The Nieuport flipped over on it back and Balsley released the catch on his seat belt and fell to the ground. Four French soldiers crawled to him and drug him back to a holding area for the wounded. A doctor there injected him with antitetanus serum and tagged him to be sent to the hospital at Vadelaincourt. Captain Thenault unable to locate either Prince or Balsley assumed them both to be dead. He decided to withdraw and return to base rather than take on the suicidal odds that faced them. Balsley spent six weeks at Vadelaincourt before being sent to an American hospital at Neuilly. He underwent surgery eight times and was not able to return to the United States until the fall of 1917. The French decorated him with the Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre. H. Clyde Balsley finished the war as a Captain in the United States Air Service stationed in Washington D.C.

Middle East
Arab Revolt: Turk papers announce Sherif Hussein‘s deposition.

African Fronts
East Africa: Sheppard occupies Handeni, Kraut retreats on Central Railway.

Neutrals
USA: 80,000 militia called up to police Mexican border.

Home Fronts
Germany: Death of Colonel General Moltke the Younger (aged 68) at Berlin.
Britain: War costing now over £6 million per day.

On 18 June 1916, an article entitled "Hero of the Hour in Russia, Described Intimately by One Who Knows Him Well" by Brusilov's brother-in-law, Charles Johnson, appeared in the New York Times.



Brusilov's operation achieved its original goal of forcing Germany to halt its attack on Verdun and transfer considerable forces to the East. It also broke the back of the Austro-Hungarian army, which suffered the majority of the casualties. Afterward, the Austro-Hungarian army increasingly had to rely on the support of the German army for its military successes. On the other hand, the German army did not suffer much from the operation and retained most of its offensive power afterward. The early success of the offensive convinced Romania to enter the war on the side of the Entente, though that turned out to be a bad decision since it led to the failure of the 1916 campaign. Russian casualties were considerable, numbering up to half a million, but enemy casualties were almost triple. The Brusilov Offensive is listed among the most lethal offensives in world history. The Brusilov Offensive was the high point of the Russian effort during World War I, and was a manifestation of good leadership and planning on the part of the Imperial Russian Army coupled with great skill of the lower ranks. The Brusilov offensive commanded by Brusilov himself went very well, but the overall campaign, for which Brusilov's part was only supposed to be a distraction, because of Evert's failures, became tremendously costly for the Imperial army, and after the offensive, it was no longer able to launch another on the same scale. Many historians contend that the casualties that the Russian army suffered in this campaign contributed significantly to its collapse the following year.

The operation was marked by a considerable improvement in the quality of Russian tactics. Brusilov used smaller, specialized units to attack weak points in the Austro-Hungarian trench lines and blow open holes for the rest of the army to advance into. These were a remarkable departure from the human wave attacks that had dominated the strategy of all the major armies until that point during World War I. Evert used conventional tactics that were to prove costly and indecisive, thereby costing Russia its chance for a victory in 1916. The irony was that other Russian commanders did not realize the potential of the tactics that Brusilov had devised. Similar tactics had also been used on the Western Front, most notably at Verdun earlier in the year, and would henceforth be used to an even greater degree by the French and Germans - who utilized "storm troopers" to great effect in the 1918 offensive - and slightly later the British, although given the higher force-space ratio in the West, much greater concentration of artillery fire was needed to make progress. Breakthrough tactics were later to play a large role in the early German blitzkrieg offensives of World War II and the later attacks by the Soviet Union and the Western Allies to defeat Germany, and continued until the Korean War and the First Indochina War. This helped to end the era of mass trench warfare in all but a few nations, most of them localized in Africa.

The War at Sea

More victories for the unstoppable U-35

Aquila Norway The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 100 nautical miles (190 km) off Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France (41°15′N 5°30′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Beachy United Kingdom The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 98 nautical miles (181 km) north east by east of Port Mahon, Minorca, Spain (40°50′N 5°40′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMS Eden Royal Navy The River-class destroyer collided with France ( France) in the English Channel off Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, France and sank. (see previous posts)
Mendibil-Mendi Spain The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the Shipwash Lightship ( United Kingdom) (52°09′N 1°46′E). Her crew survived.
Olga France The cargo ship was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 110 nautical miles (200 km) west by south of Cape Felene (41°00′N 5°55′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rona United Kingdom The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 212 nautical miles (393 km) east by south of the Capo de Melle (40°55′N 5°45′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived

[mikeemagnus]

Many thanks again Chris. Indeed, RIP Max Immelmann et al.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I agree Max Immelmann fully deserved a special edition Chris.
Rob.

[Hedeby]

June 19th 1916

Well its my last edition for a couple of weeks as I hand over to our new editor from tomorrow, I'm sure he will do a brilliant job and I look forward to reading rather than writing the thread for a while... unfortunately seems like a very quiet day today and I am not finding much in the way of material.

3 AIRMEN HAVE BEEN LOST ON MONDAY JUNE 19TH 1916

Air mechanic 1st Class John Albert Garside 17 Squadron RFC: Died of Exposure 19 June 1916 aged 27, after forced landing in B.E. 2c in Libyan Desert, east of Aswan on 16 June 1916. With 2nd Lieut S G Ridley.

2nd Lieutenant S.G. Ridley 17 Squadron RFC, shot himself after forced landing in B.E. 2c in Libyan Desert, east of Aswan on 16 June 1916. (see above)

Letters which have been received from Egypt report the death of a gallant young officer of the Royal Flying Corps, under circumstances which will claim a high place in the fast-growing record of fine deeds and noble self-sacrifice which is being yielded by the war. The officer referred to is Lieut. S. G. Ridley, second son of Mr. T. W. Ridley, of Coatham, Redcar, the chairman of the Tees-side Munitions Committee and the letters indicate that his life was deliberately sacrificed, at a loneiy spot in the Egyptian desert, in the hope that a companion would thereby have the chance of returning to safety The hope, unfortunately, was not realised, and both officer and man perished, but evidence was left behind which establishes the heroic unselfishness of Lieut. Ridley's last moments. At present the details of the circumstances are not available for publication an official announcement being awaited.
Lieut. Ridley was quite young, but had shown signs of great promise. At the time of the outbreak of war he had only just left school, and the news of his death comes on his 24th birthday. He joined the 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment (Territorials) as a private, but after a few months received a commission in another battalion, and last July he was transferred to the Flying Corps, with which he did good work in France for several months. He was regarded by his colleagues as a clever, aviator, and his death cuts short a promising career. (Yorkshire Post)

2nd. Lieutenant John Gibson 8 Squadron RFC: Accidentally Killed while flying 19 June 1916 aged 28.

On a day we lost 259 men...

Today’s losses include:

A man whose brother was killed as a member of the crew of RMS Lusitania
Families that will lose two and three sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Lieutenant Clifford Spearing Cole (Gloucestershire Regiment) becomes the first officer in his battalion to be killed in the Great War when he dies at age 20.
Private Alfred Edward Taylor (Suffolk Regiment) is killed at age 24. His younger brother will die of wounds in September 1918.
Ordinary Seaman Maxwell Hill Morrice (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) dies at home at age 31. His brother was lost in the sinking of S S Lusitania as a crew member.
Private Alexander noble (48th Canadian Highlanders) dies at home at age 25. He is the last of three brothers who are lost in the Great War.

Tunstill's Men : The parents of 2Lt. Samuel Lawrence Glover who had been officially posted as missing in action since January (see 14th June) wrote in acknowledgement of the recent confirmation of their son’s death: “Mr. and Mrs. J. Glover present their compliments to the Military Secretary and wish to thank him for the kindly tone of his letter though it contained the very sad notice of their son’s death. They will be most grateful to have further details if any come to hand later. They also wish to express their thanks for the kind message of sympathy from the Army Council”.



Pte. Edmund Peacock (see 14th June) was discharged to duty with 9DWR, having spent the previous two weeks in hospital suffering from trench fever and myalgia; he had originally been a member of Tunstill’s Company but had been invalided back to England having been wounded in November 1915 and subsequently posted to 9DWR.


L.Cpl. George Liddemore (see 15th February) was formally discharged from the army on grounds of sickness. He had been posted back to England having been taken ill in February. It is unclear what happened to George after the war, other than that he died in 1973.

Pte. Frank Hargrave (see 26th May), who had originally served with Tunstill’s Company, but latterly with 9DWR, re-joined his Battalion from the Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, following a seven-week spell in hospital.

Cpl. Maurice Harcourt Denham (see 20th May), re-joined the Battalion from 23rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, where he had been following recent medical treatment.

payment of £68 5s. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances for the late 2Lt. Harry Thornton Pickles (see 12th May)

There was just the one aerial victory claim on this day: Lieutenant Jean Chaput of the French Air Service who claimed his fifth victory by shooting down an EA over Varvingay.



Chaput joined the army in 1913 and served in the infantry before transferring to the French Air Service in 1914. After receiving a Pilot's Brevet in February 1915, he was assigned to MF28 where he quickly rose in rank, was wounded in combat on 15 June and received the Médaille Militaire a few days later. Wounded again on 10 July, Chaput did not return to duty until January 1916. Assigned to N57 in May 1916, he was wounded for the third time on 24 August and was unable to return to duty until May 1917. In April 1918, Chaput assumed command of Spa57 but was killed in action the following month when his SPAD XIII was shot down by Hermann Becker of Jasta 12.

Air War
Germany – FRENCH LEAFLET RAID ON BERLIN: Lieutenant Marchal, in special Nieuport monoplane operating from Nancy drops hundreds of leaflets proclaiming war guilt of German and Austrian Imperial Houses and force lands at Kholm, Poland; taken PoW by Austrians he later escapes (June 19-20)

There were five ships lost on this day:

Corton Lightship United Kingdom World War I: The lightship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) north east by east of Lowestoft, Suffolk (52°31′N 1°50′E) with the loss of five of her crew.
Ems Germany The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Kattegat by a Royal Navy submarine. Her crew survived.
France et Russie France The three-masted schooner was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 50 nautical miles (93 km) north of Sóller, Mallorca, Spain (40°45′N 2°40′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Mario C. Italy The barquentine was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Cap Calabria, Spain (40°32′N 3°45′E) by SM U-35 ( Kaiserliche Marine).[
Saint Jacques France The trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Le Havre, Seine-Maritime

[mikeemagnus]

Many thanks for the interesting posts Chris. Welcome to the new editor

[Flying Helmut]

Thanks heaps Chris!

I am a few posts behind; not enough time to read everything, so thorough is the work you produce! I WILL catch up, though - don't want to miss anything!

[Mike George]

Thanks for you time and effort great read.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

June 20th 1916
Anniversary:200^th anniversary of the Waterloo dispatch being landed at Broadstairs beach

Today we lost - 286

Today’s losses include:

• A Flintshire police officer
• A South African Rugby International
• A Silver Cup winning athlete
• The son of a member of the clergy
• A man whose father was killed in 1915
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Captain Miles Myles Henry O'Donovan, Royal Munster Fusiliers, attached 8th Battalion, was killed in action on June 21st, 1916. He was the second son of The O'Donovan, C.B., D.L.t J.P., and Madam O'Donovan, of Liss Ard, Skibbereen. Lieut. O'Donovan was in his 20th year, and was educated at Bilton Grange, Rugby, and Marlborough College, Wilts. He had not been long gazetted to his regiment, but had already earned the highest tribute from his Colonel and officers for his fine soldierly duties

• Second Lieutenant Clive William Neely (Royal Fusiliers attached North Lancashire Regiment) is killed in Mesopotamia at age 30. His brother was killed in April 1915.
• Second Lieutenant Robert Campbell McIntyre (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) is killed in action at age 20. His father was killed in May 1915 while traveling to visit his son after he was wounded.
• Second Lieutenant John Inch (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) is killed at age 23. He is the son of the Reverend Alex S Inch.
• Sergeant Mortimer Francis Murphy (Lancashire Fusiliers) dies of wounds at age 27. He won two Silver Cups for sports and gymnastics.
• Private Walter B G Sinclair (Australian Infantry) is killed in action at age 20 at Fromelles. His brother will be killed in May 1917.
• Private Gerald W Thompson (South African Infantry) is killed at Katanga, East Africa at age 29. He took part in the 1912-13 South Africa rugby union tour earning three caps.
• Private Robert John Hughes (Welsh Guards) is killed at age 29. His is a Flintshire policeman and his brother a Birmingham policeman will be killed next year.

Homefront:
A Martinsyde S.1 No 696, 11th Reserve Squadron, Northolt, spun in from 3000ft, London area. 2Lt George Edmund Vernon Aimer (30) killed (New Zealander).



Appeal for furniture for Women Land workers: To the Editor – An Appeal – Dear Sir, Will you kindly make it known through the medium of your paper, that the Women’s Farm Labour Sub-Committee has had the offer of several empty cottages for the extra women workers who are required upon the land, but is unable to utilise these cottages at present for want of furniture. We have one case in which furniture is urgently required at the moment. I should be most grateful, therefore, if anyone who could lend beds, chairs, tables, crockery etc., for this most patriotic purpose, would communicate with me at the Shirehall. I could then make arrangements for the furniture to be fetched.
Mary A. Partington, Hon. Secretary Women’s Farm Labour Sub Committee. Shirehall 20th June 1916.


Western Front:

Verdun: Battle of Verdun continues. Tremendous German barrage begins.

New French standard-gauge railway ready.

Tunstills Men, Tuesday 20^th June 1916:

Billets at Enquin-les-Mines

Training continued.

Pte. Booth Dean Hartley was sent home from France having been taken ill. He had been one of the Earby volunteers who had been added to Tunstill’s original recruits in September 1914. He was born on 23^rd October 1888 and was the third of four children of Greenwood and Elizabeth Hartley; his father had been licensee of the White Lion Hotel in Earby, but he had died on 6^th February 1913. Booth himself had been working as a twister in the local cotton mills.
Pte. Thomas Smith of 10DWR (though not of Tunstill’s Company), died at 22^nd Casualty Clearing Station and was buried at Bruay Communal Cemetery; he had been injured while attached to 176^th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.
2Lt. Henry Kelly arrived in France en route to join 10DWR. He was born 10^th July 1887, the eldest son of Charles and Jane Kelly. His father was originally from Ireland but the family was settled in Manchester. Henry was educated at St Patrick's School and Xaverian College, both in Manchester. After moving to King Street in Moston he was employed as a sorting clerk at the Newton Street sorting office and joined the Manchester Royal Engineers Territorials. On 5^th September 1914 he enlisted with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders as a Private. He transferred to the Manchester Regiment and was promoted Lance Corporal and two weeks later Sergeant Major. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 12^th May 1915.

Eastern Front:
Germans penetrate Russian lines at Smorgon (Vilna), but are driven out; Russians cross Sereth (south of Czernowitz).


Southern Front:
Slight Italian advance on Asiago plateau.


African, Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres:
Capture of Mecca, Jeddah and most of Taif, and siege of Medina, by Sherif of Mecca, reported.

Qasr-i-Shirin (West Persia) taken by Turkish forces.

Mesopotamia: Kut POW’s entrain at Ras-al-Ain in open trucks.


East Africa: 5th South African Infantry lose heavily to Boedecker detachment 6 miles south of Pongwe.


Southern Tunisia*: c.800-2,000 Tripolitanians attack 2,000 strong Dhibat garrison, wipe out 100-man relief force but routed at Battle of Bir-el-Moghri (until June 30), still 12,684 French soldiers in area.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 4

2Lt Aimer, G.E.V. (George Edmond Vernon) (See home front).
2Lt Cooke, J. (John) (Ex Durham Light Infantry) 8 Squadron.
AMech2 Gardner, C.H. (Charles Herbert) 59 Syuadron.
2Lt Paterson, D.W.S. (David William Stewart) 8 Squadron.


North Sea:
French-supplied pigeons help rescue downed Royal Naval Air Service seaplane.

Western Front:
Leutnant Albert Dietlin claimed his 1^st of 9 kills with FFA60, thought to be in the vicinity of Gony Pypes

Leutnant Otto Schmidt claimed his 1^st of 20 kills with FFA25. Location unknown.

Southern Front:
Georg Kenzian, Flik 24, rear gunner in a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (61.23) shot down a Farman near Monte Cimone. His 2^nd kill.

Josef Kiss, Klik 24, flying a Hansa-Brandenburg C.I (61.23) shot down a Farman near Monte Cimone. His 1^st kill.



Lieutenant Jozsef Kiss de Elemer et Ittebe was a World War I flying ace for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was credited with 19 aerial victories. He was the most successful Hungarian ace in the war.

Born 26 January 1896, Kiss's father was a gardener at the Pozsony military academy. His grandfather was Lieutenant-General Erno Kiss one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad who were executed in 1849. When the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war against Serbia, Kiss promptly dropped out of school and enlisted in the 72nd Infantry Regiment of the Austro-Hungarian army despite the fact that his truncated education would keep him from the officer's ranks. On 26 October 1914 he went into action against the Russians in the Carpathian Mountains. He was severely wounded there, and sent home to convalesce. While on convalescent leave he became interested in the Austro-Hungarian air service. He applied, was accepted, and trained at Wiener-Neustadt.
He graduated as a sergeant pilot in April 1916, and was assigned to the newly founded Flik 24. He scored his first victory on 20 June 1916 while still flying a two-seater Hansa-Bradenburg C.I; he and observer Georg Kenzian forced down a Farman. While flying the two-seater Hansa-Brandenberg he forced down two three-engined Caproni bombers, one of which holed his plane 70 times. He was then upgraded to a single seated fighter Hansa-Bradenburg D.I . By November 1917 he had amassed seven victories, including four forced down and captured.

He was then transferred to Flik 55J flying the Albatros D.III. Kiss' personal aircraft was painted black with a large white 'K' on either side of the fuselage, and he would wield it with a courage bordering on recklessness. Comrades included fellow aces Julius Arigi and Josef von Maier, who formed the rest of his flight, and the three of them became known as the Kaiser Staffel (Emperor's Squadron). As Kiss's score mounted he was turned down for commissioning as an officer because of his humble family background and incomplete schooling.

He was seriously wounded again in late January 1918 but returned to duty only two months after having some of his bowel surgically removed. His last victory was on 28 January 1918. He flew without any further triumphs until he was killed in action on 24 May 1918 by Lt. Gerald Birks of No 66 Squadron. His final score of 19 included at least seven enemy aircraft forced down and captured and 9 victories shared with other pilots.

Kiss was posthumously promoted to Leutnant; he was the only noncommissioned officer in the Austro-Hungarian military to be so promoted. His funeral was held three days after his death, at the Italian airfield at Pergine Valsugana. A sizable flyover of opposing Allied planes, including British, French, and Italians, dropped a funeral wreath with a note attached. It read: "Our last salute to our courageous foe.".
Kiss's girlfriend Enrica Bonecker never married, and she visited his grave daily for the next 52 years.

Naval and Overseas Operations:
Shipping Losses:
Mercury..........Russia: The ship struck a mine and sank in the Black Sea 12 nautical miles (24km) off Odessa with the loss of 272 lives.

Oxelsund........Sweden: The cargo ship capsized and sank in Gefle Bay with the loss of 1 crew member.

Mediterranean:
Vice-Admiral Sir C Thursby takes over Royal Navy Eastern Mediterranean Squadron from Robeck (to 3rd Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet).

South Africa: General Smuts' despatch on operations in German East Africa published.

Political:

France:
Prime Minister Briand defends French Balkans policy and wins 300+ majority in secret Chamber debate, but Delcasse wishes 400,000-500,000 enemies were at Salonika and not opposite Verdun.

Anglo-French tank developers first meet when British tank Mk 1 is demonstrated to Estienne at Morly.

The Mark I was a development of Little Willie, the experimental tank built for the Landships Commitee by Lieutenant Walter Wilson And William Tritton between July and September 1915. It was designed by Wilson in response to problems with tracks and trench-crossing ability discovered during the development of Little Willie. A gun turret above the hull would have made the centre of gravity too high when climbing a German trench parapet (which were typically four feet high), so the tracks were arranged in a rhomboidal form around the hull and the guns were put in sponsons on the sides of the tank. The reworked design was also able to meet the Army requirement to be able to cross an 8 ft (2.4 m) wide trench.
A mockup of Wilson's idea was shown to the Landships Committee when they viewed the demonstration of Little Willie. At about this time, the Army's General Staff was persuaded to become involved and supplied representatives to the Committee. Through these contacts Army requirements for armour and armament made their way into the design. The prototype Mark I, ready in December 1915, was called “Mother” (previous names having been "The Wilson Machine", "Big Willie", and "His Majesty's Land Ship Centipede"). Mother was successfully demonstrated to the Landships Committee in early 1916; it was run around a course simulating the front including trenches, parapets, craters and barbed wire obstacles. The demonstration was repeated on 2 February before the cabinet ministers and senior members of the Army. Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, was sceptical but the rest were impressed. Lloyd George, at the time Minister of Munitions, arranged for his Ministry to be responsible for tank production.
The Landships Committee was re-constituted as the "Tank Supply Committee" under the chairmanship of Albert Stern; Ernest Swinton, who had promoted the idea of the tank from the Army angle was also a member. General Haig sent a staff officer Hugh Elles to act as his liaison to the Supply Committee. Swinton would become the head of the new arm, and Elles the commander of the tanks in France.
The first order for tanks was placed on 12 February 1916, and a second on 21 April. Fosters built 37 (all "male"), and Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon, and Finance Company, of Birmingham, 113 (38 "male" and 75 "female"), a total of 150.
When the news of the first use of the tanks emerged, Lloyd George commented,
"Well, we must not expect too much from them but so far they have done very well, and don't you think that they reflect some credit on those responsible for them? It is really to Mr Winston Churchill that the credit is due more than to anyone else. He took up with enthusiasm the idea of making them a long time ago, and he met with many difficulties. He converted me, and at the Ministry of Munitions he went ahead and made them. The admiralty experts were invaluable, and gave the greatest possible assistance. They are, of course, experts in the matter of armour plating. Major Stern, a business man at the Ministry of Munitions had charge of the work of getting them built, and he did the task very well. Col Swinton and others also did valuable work."
— David Lloyd George

Neutrals:

USA: (It was all happening ‘Over there’). From March-June 1916 the United States mounted an armed expedition to Mexico to quell raids initiated by prominent Mexican leader Pancho Villa into the U.S.
Allegedly sponsored by the German government Villa launched a raid into the State of Chihuahua on 11 January 1916, capturing and killing 19 U.S. citizens. This was followed on 9 March with a raid upon Columbus in New Mexico, killing 11 citizens.
Following U.S. protests Mexico's President Venustiano Carranza undertook to deal with Villa but insisted that the U.S. not interfere. However with the U.S. rapidly losing patience with Carranza, General Frederick Funston - U.S. commander along the border - was ordered to despatch an armed U.S. column into Mexico in pursuit of Villa (to be taken dead or alive). To that end Funston placed General John Pershing in command of the expedition.
Pershing led 4,000 U.S. troops into Mexico on 15 March 1916, remaining there until early 1917. On 29 March 1916 a U.S. force of 400 men defeated a larger number of Villa's followers. Nevertheless U.S. troops remained to mop up the remnants of Villa's supporters; these troops increasingly came into contact - and armed conflict - with official Mexican troops sent by President Carranza to deal with Villa, the first of which took place on 12 April 1916.
Increasing clashes led to a very real threat of war between the U.S. and Mexico; on 18 June 1916 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson called out the National Guard to deal with the Mexican problem. As these were gathering along the Mexican border President Carranza backed down, releasing a group of captured U.S. troops and despatching a note of apology on 4 July 1916, in which he suggested convening a conference to prevent future issues.
Reproduced below is U.S. Secretary of State Robert Lansing’s reply to a May 1916 formal letter of complaint from Mexican President Carranza.

Washington, June 20, 1916.

Sir: I have read your communication, which was delivered to me on May 22, 1916, under instructions of the Chief Executive of the de facto Government of Mexico, on the subject of the presence of American troops in Mexican territory, and I would be wanting in candour if I did not, before making answer to the allegations of fact and the conclusions reached by your Government, express the surprise and regret which have been caused this Government by the discourteous tone and temper of this last communication of the de facto Government of Mexico.

The Government of the United States has viewed with deep concern and increasing disappointment the progress of the revolution in Mexico.
Continuous bloodshed and disorders have marked its progress. For three years the Mexican Republic has been torn with civil strife; the lives of Americans and other aliens have been sacrificed; vast properties developed by American capital and enterprise have been destroyed or rendered non-productive; bandits have been permitted to roam at will through the territory contiguous to the United States and to seize, without punishment or without effective attempt at punishment, the property of Americans, while the lives of citizens of the United States, who ventured to remain in Mexican territory or to return there to protect their interests, have been taken, in some cases barbarously taken, and the murderers have neither been apprehended nor brought to justice.It would be difficult to find in the annals of the history of Mexico conditions more deplorable than those which have existed there during these recent years of civil war.

It would be tedious to recount instance after instance, outrage after outrage, atrocity after atrocity, to illustrate the true nature and extent of the widespread conditions of lawlessness and violence which have prevailed.
During the past nine months in particular, the frontier of the United States along the lower Rio Grande has been thrown into a state of constant apprehension and turmoil because of frequent and sudden incursions into American territory and depredations and murders on American soil by Mexican bandits, who have taken the lives and destroyed the property of American citizens, sometimes carrying American citizens across the international boundary with the booty seized.

American garrisons have been attacked at night, American soldiers killed, and their equipment and horses stolen. American ranches have been raided, property stolen and destroyed, and American trains wrecked and plundered. The attacks on Brownsville, Red House Ferry, Progreso Post Office, and Las Peladas, all occurring during September last, are typical. In these attacks on American territory, Carranzista adherents and even Carranzista soldiers took part in the looting, burning, and killing. Not only were these murders characterized by ruthless brutality, but uncivilized acts of mutilation were perpetrated. Representations were made to General Carranza, and he was emphatically requested to stop these reprehensible acts in a section which he has long claimed to be under the complete domination of his authority.

Notwithstanding these representations and the promise of General Nafarrete to prevent attacks along the international boundary, in the following month of October a passenger train was wrecked by bandits and several persons killed seven miles north of Brownsville, and an attack was made upon United States troops at the same place several days later. Since these attacks, leaders of the bandits well known both to Mexican civil and military authorities, as well as to American officers, have been enjoying with impunity the liberty of the towns of Northern Mexico. So far has the indifference of the de facto Government to these atrocities gone that some of these leaders, as I am advised, have received not only the protection of that Government, but encouragement and aid as well.

Depredations upon American persons and property within Mexican jurisdiction have been still more numerous. This Government has repeatedly requested in the strongest terms that the de facto Government safeguard the lives and homes of American citizens and furnish the protection which international obligation imposes, to American interests in the northern States of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora, and also in the States to the south. For example, on January 3rd, troops were requested to punish the bands of outlaws which looted the Cusi mining property, eighty miles west of Chihuahua, but no effective results came from this request.

During the following week the bandit, Villa, with his band of about 200 men, was operating without opposition between Rubio and Santa Ysabel, a fact well known to Carranzista authorities. Meanwhile a party of unfortunate Americans started by train from Chihuahua to visit the Cusi mines, after having received assurances from the Carranzista authorities in the State of Chihuahua that the country was safe and that a guard on the train was not necessary.
The Americans held passports or safe conducts issued by authorities of the de facto Government. On January 10th the train was stopped by Villa bandits, and eighteen of the American party were stripped of their clothing and shot in cold blood, in what is now known as the "Santa Ysabel massacre."
General Carranza stated to the agent of the Department of State that he had issued orders for the immediate pursuit, capture, and punishment of those responsible for this atrocious crime, and appealed to this Government and to the American people to consider the difficulties of according protection along the railroad where the massacre occurred.

Assurances were also given by Mr. Arredondo, presumably under instructions from the de facto Government, that the murderers would be brought to justice, and that steps would also be taken to remedy the lawless conditions existing in the State of Durango. It is true that Villa, Castro, and Lopez were publicly declared to be outlaws and subject to apprehension and execution, but so far as known only a single man personally connected with this massacre has been brought to justice by Mexican authorities. Within a month after this barbarous slaughter of inoffensive Americans, it was notorious that Villa was operating within twenty miles of Cusihuiriachic and publicly stated that his purpose was to destroy American lives and property. Despite repeated and insistent demands that military protection should be furnished to Americans, Villa openly carried on his operations, constantly approaching closer and closer to the border.

He was not intercepted nor were his movements impeded by troops of the de facto Government and no effectual attempt was made to frustrate his hostile designs against Americans. In fact, as I am informed, while Villa and his band were slowly moving toward the American frontier in the neighbourhood of Columbus, N.M., not a single Mexican soldier was seen in this vicinity. Yet the Mexican authorities were fully cognizant of his movements, for on March 6, as General Gavira publicly announced, he advised the American military authorities of the outlaw's approach to the border, so that they might be prepared to prevent him from crossing the boundary. Villa's unhindered activities culminated in the unprovoked and cold-blooded attack upon American soldiers and citizens in the town of Columbus on the night of March 9th, the details of which do not need repetition here in order to refresh your memory with the heinousness of the crime. After murdering, burning, and plundering, Villa and his bandits, fleeing south, passed within sight of the Carranzista military post at Casas Grandes, and no effort was made to stop him by the officers and garrison of the de facto Government stationed there.

In the face of these depredations, not only on American lives and property on Mexican soil, but on American soldiers, citizens, and homes on American territory, the perpetrators of which General Carranza was unable or possibly considered it inadvisable to apprehend and punish, the United States had no recourse other than to employ force to disperse the bands of Mexican outlaws who were with increasing boldness systematically raiding across the international boundary.

The marauders engaged in the attack on Columbus were driven back across the border by American cavalry, and subsequently, as soon as a sufficient force to cope with the band could be collected, were pursued into Mexico in an effort to capture or destroy them. Without cooperation or assistance in the field on the part of the de facto Government, despite repeated requests by the United States, and without apparent recognition on its part of the desirability of putting an end to these systematic raids, or of punishing the chief perpetrators of the crimes committed, because they menaced the good relations of the two countries, American forces pursued the lawless bands as far as Parral, where the pursuit was halted by the hostility of Mexicans, presumed to be loyal to the de facto Government, who arrayed themselves on the side of outlawry and became in effect the protectors of Villa and his band. In this manner and for these reasons have the American forces entered Mexican territory. Knowing fully the circumstances set forth, the de facto Government cannot be blind to the necessity which compelled this Government to act, and yet it has seen fit to recite groundless sentiments of hostility toward the expedition and to impute to this Government ulterior motives for the continued presence of American troops on Mexican soil.

It is charged that these troops crossed the frontier without first obtaining the consent or permission of the de facto Government. Obviously, as immediate action alone could avail, there was no opportunity to reach an agreement (other than that of March 10th-13th, now repudiated by General Carranza) prior to the entrance of such an expedition into Mexico if the expedition was to be effective. Subsequent events and correspondence have demonstrated to the satisfaction of this Government that General Carranza would not have entered into any agreement providing for an effective plan for the capture and destruction of the Villa bands.

While the American troops were moving rapidly southward in pursuit of the raiders, it was the form and nature of the agreement that occupied the attention of General Carranza, rather than the practical object which it was to obtain-the number of limitations that could be imposed upon the American forces to impede their progress, rather than the obstacles that could be raised to prevent the escape of the outlaws.
It was General Carranza who suspended through your note of April 12th all discussions and negotiations for an agreement along the lines of the protocols between the United States and Mexico concluded during the period 1882-1896, under which the two countries had so successfully restored peace on their common boundary.

It may be mentioned here that, notwithstanding the statement in your note that "the American Government gave no answer to the note of April 12th," this note was replied to on April 14th, when the department instructed Mr. Rodgers by telegraph to deliver this Government's answer to General Carranza.
Shortly after this reply the conferences between Generals Scott, Funston, and Obregon began at El Paso, during which they signed on May 2nd a project of a memorandum ad referendum, regarding the withdrawal of American troops. As an indication of the alleged bad faith of the American Government, you state that though General Scott declared in this memorandum that the destruction and dispersion of the Villa band "had been accomplished," yet American forces are not withdrawn from Mexico.

It is only necessary to read the memorandum, which is in the English language, to ascertain that this is clearly a misstatement, for the memorandum states that "the American punitive expeditionary forces have destroyed or dispersed many of the lawless elements and bandits ... or have driven them far into the interior of the Republic of Mexico," and, further, that the United States forces were then "carrying on a vigorous pursuit of such small numbers of bandits or lawless elements as may have escaped." The context of your note gives the impression that the object of the expedition being admittedly accomplished, the United States had agreed in the memorandum to begin the withdrawal of its troops.

The memorandum shows, however, that it was not alone on account of partial dispersion of the bandits that it was decided to begin the withdrawal of American forces, but equally on account of the assurances of the Mexican Government that their forces were "at the present time being augmented and strengthened to such an extent that they will be able to prevent any disorders occurring in Mexico that would in any way endanger American territory," and that they would "continue to diligently pursue, capture, or destroy any lawless bands of bandits that may still exist or hereafter exist in the northern part of Mexico," and that it would "make a proper distribution of such of its forces as may be necessary to prevent the possibility of invasion of American territory from Mexico." It was because of these assurances and because of General Scott's confidence that they would be carried out that he said that American forces would be "gradually withdrawn." It is to be noted that, while the American Government was willing to ratify this agreement, General Carranza refused to do so, as General Obregon stated, because, among other things, it imposed improper conditions upon Mexico.

Notwithstanding the assurances in the memorandum, it is well known that the forces of the de facto Government have not carried on a vigorous pursuit of the remaining bandits, and that no proper distribution of forces to prevent the invasion of American territory has been made.
I am reluctant to be forced to the conclusion which might be drawn from these circumstances that the de facto Government, in spite of the crimes committed and the sinister designs of Villa and his followers, did not and does not now intend or desire that these outlaws should be captured, destroyed, or dispersed by American troops or, at the request of this Government, by Mexican troops.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

May I add as a post script that it is a great honour to temporarily take over from the WingCo (Rob), I hope I can rise to the occasion and carry on in the great tradition where he left off.

[Hedeby]

Splendid first edition Neil - loved the Mexican war bit - you forget sometimes that there was stuff happening outside of the Great War

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I am sure that you will do us all proud Squadron Leader.
Kyte.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

A few items added late due to computer link glitches. But all sorted and back on track.

[mikeemagnus]

Really good first post Neil. Many thanks for that. I for one really do appreciate all the hours of research and typing that must go into preparing this each day. A truly mammoth undertaking!

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Wednesday June 21^st 1916

Anniversary:

On this day in 1913 Georgia Broadwick became the first woman to jump from an aeroplane.

Today we lost: 252

Today’s losses include:
A man whose father was killed last year.
The son of a member of the clergy.
Multiple families that will loose two sons in the Great War.

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Captain John Lyonel Lukin Johnston (Leinster Regiment) is killed at age 20. He is the son of the Reverend Robert Edwin Johnston Vicar of Marden.
Lieutenant Hugh Elliot (Liverpool Regiment) is killed in action on Salonika at age 20. His father Hugh was killed in action in July 1915.
Sergeant William Chapman (Essex Regiment) dies on service in Palestine. His brother was killed in action last December.
Private Sidney Richard Murden (Northamptonshire Regiment) is killed at age 24. His brother will be killed next August.

Homefront:



The Corton Light Vessel (Master William Henry Emmerson Rudd) is sunk when she strikes a mine four miles east north east from Lowestoft. Five are killed including her 59-year old master.

Western Front

Battle of Verdun: Germans repulsed at Mort Homme and west and south of Vaux Fort; German gains in Firmin Wood and Chenois Wood.


Moat of Fort Vaux


German attack on Fort Vaux


Another attack goes over the top at Verdun.

A communique issued yesterday morning stated:-"A German attack to-day north of hill 321 was repulsed. Our air squadrons dropped 61 heavy projectiles on the tracks and railway station at Vouziers, where the movement of trains was reported." Yesterday evening's communique stated: "After a sharp bombardment an enemy detachment attempted to approach our lines near Avrecise, but were repulsed with grenades. There was a violent bombardment north of Thiaumont, and in the sector of Vaux, Chapetre, and Scuville. An enemy air squadron bombarded a village south of Verdun, killing and wounding several German prisoners, who were camped there."

Tunstills Men, Wednesday 21^st June 1916:

Billets at Enquin-les-Mines

Training again continued. Orders were received that the Battalion should be ready to move on 24^thJune.

Pte. Tom Darwin (see 12^th June), who had been absent without leave for four days stood trial by Field General Court Martial on charges of desertion and losing his equipment by neglect. He was found not guilty on the first charge but guilty on the second. The sentence passed was that he should serve one years’ imprisonment, without hard labour.
Cpl. Thomas Walsh (see 25^th November1915), who had been wounded in September 1915 and had been evacuated to England for treatment, re-joined the Battalion.

Thomas Walsh (seated), pictured in 1917, along with fellow senior NCOs, (left to right) Luke Dawson, Charles Edward Parker and 'Benson' (not positively identified)

(Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton)

Charles Edward Parker was, like Walsh, one of Tunstill's original volunteers (see 17th September 1914)

Having been sent back to England the previous day, Pte. Booth Dean Hartley was admitted to Dundee War Hospital, where he was to be treated for heart disease.

Eastern Front:
Russians occupy Radautz (south of Czernowitz); Germans repulsed in areas of Dvinsk, Vilna and Lutsk; Russians take trenches on Strypa.

Southern Front:
Further Italian advance on Asiago plateau.

African, Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres:
Sir J. Maxwell's despatches on operations in Egypt (16 June 1915 to 9 April 1916) published.

East Africa: c.240 British land on Ulenge island (Tanga Bay) and wade to mainland.

Turkey: German officials at Islahie railhead treat 39 British Kut PoWs too ill to continue as rest march into Taurus Mts (June 22), reach Adana by train (June 24) then sent back for railway labour.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

Capt. Cooper, H.A. (Herbert Ambrose): 11 Squadron. Crashed in a Nieuport 16.


According to a newspaper article Herbert Cooper was the youngest of his Honor Mr Justice Cooper. He was educated at Kings College in Auckland. Being interested in engineering, he took up a position with the Manawatu railway workshops in Wellington. Poor health forced him to change he career and after a period of studying farming at Lincoln College he took up a bush site at Waitetuna between Raglan and Hamilton. After two and half years farming in 1913 Herbert took off to England to the Graham White flying school. At the outbreak of war he volunteered his services and became the first Zealander to join the Royal Flying Corp in England.

Herbert Ambrose Cooper earned his Royal Aero Club aviator’s certificate (No. 729) in January 1914 then returned home to New Zealand, only to arrive back in England on 19 Jul 1914. On outbreak of war he enlisted at South Farnborough on 10 Aug 1914 as an AM2 (No. 1389), being ‘graded 2^nd class flyer’. Next day was promoted to sergeant. On 3 Apr 1915 joined the BEF in France On 1 Jun 1915 was ‘graded 1^st class flyer’. He was commissioned on 13 Jul 1915. On 28 Jul 1915 was posted to No. 6 Squadron. By 23 Aug 1915 was flying with No. 11 Squadron, remaining with that unit until his death in a flying accident on 21 Jun 1916.

Eng Lt. Stuart, M. (Marlin): RNAS. (Aged 54)

Western Front:

Lieutenant Jean Chaput, unit N57, shot down 2 enemy aircraft. The first north east of St. Mihiel and the 2^nd, a Rumpler C, near Fort Genicourt.


Naval and Overseas Operations:

Britain: First of three Kipling articles in The Times (and on June 23 and 28) paying tribute to Royal Navy Submarine Service ‘The Trade’.

Shipping Losses:

Francoise d’Amboise: France: The barque was sunk in the North Sea 68 nautical miles (126km) north west of Fair Isle by SM U-22. (This was U-22’s 12^th kill). The crew survived, rescued by a Swedish ship.


U-22

Otis Tarda: Netherlands: The coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 11 nautical miles (20km) south west of the Newarp Lightship. Her crew survived.

Political:

Germany: War profits taxation law.

Greece:
Entente Governments send Note to Greece demanding demobilisation and change of Government. (Accepted.) (See 27th.)
Greek Cabinet (Skouloudhis) resign (see November 6th, 1915).
M. Zaimis forms new Ministry (see September 11th).

France:
Recommendations of Paris Economic Conference issued.

Neutrals:

Spain:
German U-boat *U35 delivers Kaiser letter to King at Cartagena.


Sea plane transfers dispatches to U-35

USA:
Boston Rube Forster no-hits NY Yankees, 2-0

Mexico:



In June 1916, Gen. Pershing was informed that Pancho Villa could be taken at Carrizal, west of Ahumada. When he sent Captains Boyd and Morey to investigate with C and K troops of the 10^th Cavalry, they were confronted by Mexican Army troops, not Villa's men. Boyd ordered the men to attack anyway. In the resulting battle, the American attack was repelled.



By legend Villa supposedly watched with delight as his two enemies fought it out with each other. However, this story is of doubtful veracity as Villa was badly injured at the time and being pursued by both the American Army and the federal Carrancistas. The cavalry lost two officers (Charles T. Boyd and Henry R. Adair) and ten men killed and 23 taken prisoner.


US Prisoners of War

The Mexican forces lost 45, including the commanding officer, Gen. Felix U. Gomez.



This clash caused enough tension that war between the US and México seemed possible. The simultaneous deterioration of German-American relations while World War 1 raged made any escalation in México undesirable and so negotiations followed which would leave America free to enter World War 1.

[mikeemagnus]

Thanks Neil

[Mike George]

Thanks again for you to take the time to do this.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Another first class presentation Neil.
Rob.