Wednesday June 21st 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 21st June 1916:
Billets at Enquin-les-Mines
Training again continued. Orders were received that the Battalion should be ready to move on 24thJune.
Pte. Tom Darwin (see 12th 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 25th 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 2nd class flyer’. Next day was promoted to sergeant. On 3 Apr 1915 joined the BEF in France On 1 Jun 1915 was ‘graded 1st 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 2nd, 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 12th 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 10th 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.
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