100 Years Ago Today

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Timed that one right for Hawker to be post 2000.

[Hedeby]

Nicely done on Hawker Neil - and as you say, nice timing for number 2000

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Congrats on the 2000th post Neil.
Rob.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Attachment 212310
Friday 24th November 1916

Today we lost: 357

The trawler Dhoon (Skipper Allan McDonald Ramsay) is sunk by a mine near the Newarp Light Vessel, Great Yarmouth. In addition to her skipper being killed at age 42

• Signalman John Gibb Lawrie is killed at age 21. His two brothers also will be killed in the Great War. They are two of the twelve lost in the sinking.
  

Today’s losses include:

• The son of a member of the clergy
• Multiple families that will lose two and three sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Second Lieutenant Charles George Conrad Moncrieff (East Yorkshire Regiment) dies of wounds at age 20. He is the son of the Reverend James Moncrieff a Congregational Minister.
• Private George Maynard (West Surrey Regiment) dies of wounds. His brother was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
• Private Raymond Holstein Pflaum (Australian Infantry) is killed at age 19. His brother will be killed in September 1917.

Air Operations:

Germany: 9 RNAS bombers raid Dillingen air works and shoot down a German fighter near Trier (and on December 27).

Arabia – First bombing of Hejaz Railway: 2 RFC Martinsydes, from 14 & 67 Squadron from Sinai cause only slight damage to targets north of Maan.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 3

Flt Sub-Lt Hope, W.H. (William Hayhurst), 8^th (N) Squadron, RNAS. Died of Wounds while Prisoner of War of wounds received 23 November, aged 23.

A Mech 2 Lovesay, E. (Ernest), No.11 Kite Balloon Section, RFC.

A Mech 2 Murphy, J.P., No. 4 Kite Balloon Section, RFC. Aged 22.

Claims: 4

Attachment 212311
Maj Christopher Draper claims his 4^th confirmed victory, flying a Sopwith 11/2 Strutter for 3 Wing, RNAS. After obtaining an Aviator's Certificate in October 1913, Christopher Draper entered the Royal Naval Air Service in January 1914. Posted to 3 Naval Wing in 1916, he achieved his first four victories flying the Sopwith 1/1/2 Strutter.

Attachment 212312
Sous Lt Jean Pie Hyacinthe Paul Jerome Casale, 24N, claims his 4^th confirmed victory, he shot down a balloon.

Attachment 212313
Lt Hartmuth Baldamus, claims his 7^th confirmed victory with Jasta 9, shooting down a Nieuport 12 near Aure. When the war began, Baldamus joined the German Air Service. After scoring five victories with FFA 20, he was reassigned to Jasta 5 but failed to score as a single-seat fighting pilot until he was posted to Jasta 9 in November 1916. He scored four victories by the end of the year and nine more victories in 1917.

Attachment 212314
Lt Hermann Pfeiffer claims his 7^th confirmed victory with Jasta 9, shooting down a Nieuport 12 near Aure. (Pfeiffer was killed in a crash whilst test flying a captured Nieuport Scout.)

Home Fronts:

Britain: Death of Sir Hiram Maxim, 1889 inventor of modern machine gun, aged 76, London.

Western Front
In France as a result of a serious railway accident a man is pinned down by the legs under some heavy girders. The wreckage is on fire and the flames have already reached the man’s ankles. Captain Charles Reginald Hoskyn (Royal Army Medical Corps) crawls into a cavity in the flaming wreckage and after releasing one of the man’s legs, amputates the other, whereupon the man is drawn out alive Captain Hoskyn retaining hold of the main artery until a tourniquet can be put on.

Tunstills Men Friday 24th November 1916:

Winnipeg Camp
Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued.

The harsh trench conditions continued to generate illness among the men and it seems to have been around this time (although the precise date has not been established) that one of Tunstill’s original recruits, Pte. Sydney Hoar (see 19^th May), was evacuated to England suffering the effects of trench fever. He would spend at least six weeks in hospital in Glasgow.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported on the award of the Military Medal to CSM Billy Oldfield (see 20^th October) for his actions at Le Sars in October:

GRASSINGTON N.C.O. AWARDED MILITARY MEDAL
According to the official record, Company Sergeant Major William Oldfield, of Grassington, was on October 4^th, awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry in the field. His Battalion was attacking near Le Sars, when he, with the help of a comrade, brought in two wounded men from the middle of No Man’s Land under very heavy shrapnel and machine-gun fire.
Writing to his sister, Sergeant Major Oldfield says: “I was one of the few who got through the German wire, along with Sergeant Davis (see 20^th October). I helped to bandage some wounded men, and then we started to make our way back. All the time they were firing on us, we dare not get up to walk back, but had to crawl out of one shell hole into another, helping the wounded along as best we could. Altogether, it took me about two hours to get about fifty yards”.

Eastern Front:

Mackensen crosses the Danube at Sistova, Islatz, etc.

Naval Operations:

Shipping Losses: 3

Political:

Russia: Prime Minster and Foreign Minister Stuermer resigns.Trepov succeeds.

Neutrals:
Admiral Fournet demands 10 mountain batteries by December 1, sees King on November 26.

Anniversary Events:

1859		Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. The first printing of 1,250 copies sells out in a single day.
1863		In the Battle Above the Clouds, Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's forces take Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1864		Kit Carson and his 1st Cavalry, New Mexico Volunteers, attack a camp of Kiowa Indians in the First Battle of Adobe Walls.
1874		Joseph Glidden receives a patent for barbed wire.
1902		The first Congress of Professional Photographers convenes in Paris.
1912		Austria denounces Serbian gains in the Balkans; Russia and France back Serbia while Italy and Germany back Austria. Attachment 212315

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Saturday 25^th November 1916

Today we lost: 255

Today’s losses include:

• The son of a late Honourable Chief Justice
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War
• The son of a member of the clergy

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Major John Redmond Meredith (General List and Canadian Infantry) dies at home at age 38. He is the son of the late Honorable Chief Justice ‘Sir’ William Ralph Meredith.
• Second Lieutenant Basil Lister James (East Kent Regiment attached North Lancashire Regiment) is killed at age 21. His brother will be killed in May 1917 and they are sons of the Reverend Charles Lister James.
• Sergeant William Ward MM (Quebec Regiment) is killed in action at age 29. His brother was killed in April of this year.
• Private Henry French (Bedfordshire Regiment) dies of wounds received in action at age 26. His brother will be killed in April 1917.
• Private Herbert Gerald Montagu (Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry) is killed at age 24. His brother will be lost in the crash of HM Airship R 38 on 24^th August 1921.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

A Mech 2 Apted, W. (William), School of Aerial Gunnery, RFC. Aged 38.

A Mech 2 Chiverton, J.W. (James Wyatt), 5 Squadron, RFC. Died of wounds aged 35.

Claims: 4


Maj Francesco Baracca claims his 5^th confirmed victory with 70 Sq, shooting down a Hansa-Brandenburg CI near Chiarzo.

Lt Luigi Olivi claims his 4^th confirmed victory with 76 Sq.


Lt Ferruccio Ranza claims his 3^rd & 4^th confirmed victory with 77 Sq.


Praporshik Nikolai Kirillovich Kokorin claims his 1^st confirmed victory. With little education and a bleak future, Kokorin joined the army on 23 December 1910 serving first with the Vislyanskaya Mine battalion before his transfer to the air service on 21 January 1914. Assigned to the 4^th Corps Air Detachment on 4 September 1915, he was engaged in aerial combat on several occasions while flying reconnaissance missions but failed to score any victories. Promoted to Praporshik (Ensign), his unit was moved to Luzk in August 1916. After flying the SPAD A.2, his squadron was reequipped with Nieuport scouts and on 25 November 1916, he scored his first victory in aerial combat. Three days after scoring his fifth victory, Kokorin was shot down by members of FFA 242.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Saturday 25^th November 1916:
(Report late, dispatch rider stuck in mud)

Winnipeg Camp
Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued.

Lt. Dobson, of 69^th Field Ambulance, (see 6^th November), left the Battalion to return to his unit, presumably because Battalion Medical Officer Capt. Cecil Berry (see 6^th November) had returned to duty.

Acting Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 18^th November)departed from England to re-join the Battalion at the end of a one-week leave.

The London Gazette carried official notice of the award of the Military Cross to Lt. Frank Redington (see 15^th November) for his actions at Le Sars: “When the enemy attacked down a communication trench he went forward down the trench by himself with a bag of bombs and held up the attack for ten minutes, until assistance arrived, when he drove the enemy back and established a block”. Rev. T. Haworth, Linthwaite Vicarage, Huddersfield, wrote a reference in support of an application for a commission to be made by L.Cpl. Fred Dyson (see 9^th September), 23^rd Northumberland Fusiliers (4^th Tyneside Scottish); Dyson would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR. Rev. Haworth stated that:

“Lance Corporal Fred Dyson, who is on active service in France, informs me that he is applying for a Commission in the Artillery (sic.) and for that purpose requests a testimonial from me. I have the greatest pleasure in acceding to his request.
I have known him all his life and therefore have had constant opportunity in observing his life and character. He was brought up in our Day and Sunday Schools. He was a member of our Choir for many years and also a Communicant of our Church. At the time of his enlisting he was a certified teacher in our Day Schools and also a teacher in our Sunday School. He had a successful career at the Leeds University, where he obtained his degree of B.A. His moral character is irreproachable. I can thoroughly recommend him for a Commission and believe that he would prove an excellent officer and a credit to the service”.


Pte. Edward Smitham, the eldest son of Sgt. George Edward Smitham (see 2^nd September), who had attested for service (though underage), was transferred from 2^nd (Garrison) Battalion West Yorks to 25^th (Works) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry based in Skipton.

Eastern Front:

Rumania: Falkenhayn’s ‘s Group Kraftt occupies Rimnik south of Rotenturm Pass (Falken*hayn’s German troops foiled at Slatina November 25-26). Mackensen turns Aluta position by advancing towards Alexandria and Rosiori. Rumanian authorities begin leaving Bucharest for Jassy as general retreat ordered.

Naval Operations:

The French Pre-dreadnought ‘Suffren’.

Eastern Atlantic: Unescorted French old battleship Suffren (making only 9 kts) sunk with all hands by U-52 off Lisbon.

Shipping Losses: 6

Political:

Germany: German Patriotic Auxiliary Service Bill presented to Reichstag.

Anniversary Events:

2348 BC		Biblical scholars have long asserted this to be the day of the Great Deluge, or Flood.
1863		Union ends the siege of Chattanooga with the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
1876		Colonel Ronald MacKenzie destroys Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife’s ‘s village, in the Bighorn Mountains near the Red Fork of the Powder River, during the so-called Great Sioux War.
1901		Japanese Prince Ito arrives in Russia to seek concessions in Korea.
1914		German Field Marshal Friedrich von Hindenburg calls off the Lodz offensive 40 miles from Warsaw, Poland. The Russians lose 90,000 to the Germans’ 35,000 in two weeks of fighting.

[mikeemagnus]

Just about catching up with a lot of posts missed recently. A belated congrats on your 2000th post. That's a lot of work under the bridge Many thanks for that. Thanks also for the latest two, especially the one on Hawker. That was very interesting indeed. Cheers for now.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Sunday 26^th November 1916

Today we lost: 271

Second Lieutenant C Hubert Gordon Punnett (Canadian Infantry) is killed in action at age 40. He is the son of George Punnett the builder of St Saviour’s Church, Tonbridge and he was the first child baptized in the church.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

Pte Cox, F.D. (Francis Daulman), 22 Squadron, RFC. Died of wounds aged 24.

Capt Lillywhite, R.J. (Robert John), 3 Squadron, RFC. Killed in a flying accident.

Claims: 2

Sous Lt Andre Jean Delorme claims his 3^rd confirmed victory.

Sous Lt Victor François Marie Alexis Regnier claims his 3^rd confirmed victory.

Western Front

Germany:OHL issues equivocal instruction on role of forthcom*ing Siegfried Stellung (Hindenburg Line): ‘Just as in times of peace, we build fortresses, so we are now building rearward defences. Just as we have kept clear of our fortresses, so we shall keep at a distance from these rearward defences’.

Some of the dense rows of barbed wire that protected the Hindenburg Line.

Tunstills Men Sunday 26^th November 1916:

Winnipeg Camp

Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued.

Battalion Adjutant Lt. Hugh William Lester (see 23^rd November) re-joined after his short period of leave.

Lt. Frank Redington MC (see 25^th November) departed for England on leave.

Eastern Front:



Mackensen reaches Alexandria and is in touch with Falkenhayn.

In mid-November, after several tactical defeats in the Southern Carpathians (Bran-Campulung, Prahova Valley, Jiu Valley) Falkenhayn concentrated his best troops (the elite Alpen Korps) in the south for an attack on the Vulcan Pass. The Battle of Vulcan Pass was launched on 10 November. One of the young officers was the future Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. On 11 November, then-Lieutenant Rommel led the Wurrttemberg Mountain Company in the capture of Mount Lescului. The offensive pushed the Romanian defenders back through the mountains and into the plains by 26 November. There was already snow covering the mountains and soon operations would have to halt for the winter. Advances by other parts of Falkenhayn's Ninth Army also pushed through the mountains; the Romanian army was being ground down by the constant battle and their supply situation was becoming critical.



On 23 November, Mackensen's best troops crossed the Danube at two locations near Svishtov. This attack caught the Romanians by surprise and Mackensen's army was able to advance rapidly towards Bucharest against very weak resistance. Mackensen's attack threatened to cut off half the Romanian army. In response, the Romanian Command prepared a counter-offensive known under the name of the Battle of the Arges (part of the Battle of Bucharest) and designated the recently promoted General Constantin Prezan to lead it. The plan envisaged the checking of the advance of the German Ninth Army from the north and north-west, as well as the encirclement and annihilation of the German-Bulgarian-Turkish units deployed south-east of Bucharest. It was a bold undertaking, using the entire reserves of the Romanian army, but it needed the cooperation of Russian divisions to contain Mackensen's offensive while the Romanian reserve struck the gap between Mackensen and Falkenhayn. However, the Russian army would not endorse the plan and did not support the attack.

Southern Front:



French and Serbs capture Hill 1,050 (7 miles north-east of Monastir).

Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

East Sinai railway reaches Mazar.

Lake Nyasa: Wahle’s 303-strong rearguard with 1 gun and 3 MGs surrender at Ilembule (Lower Nyassa) to Murray’s 450 motorized troops

Naval Operations:

North Sea: German destroyers raid Lowestoft (Royal Navy armed trawler Narval sunk) as diversion while disguised raider Moewe leaves Kiel on second cruise (returns to Kiel on March 22, 1917).

Shipping Losses: 6

Anniversary Events:

1688		Louis XIV declares war on the Netherlands.
1774		A congress of colonial leaders criticizes British influence in the colonies and affirms their right to “Life, liberty and property.”
1789		George Washington proclaims this a National Thanksgiving Day in honor of the new Constitution. This date was later used to set the date for Thanksgiving.
1812		Napoleon Bonaparte’s army begins crossing the Berezina River over two hastily constructed bridges.
1825		The Kappa Alpha Society, the second American college Greek-letter fraternity, is founded.
1863		The first National Thanksgiving is celebrated.
1901		The Hope diamond is brought to New York.
1907		The Duma lends support to Czar in St. Petersburg, who claims he has renounced autocracy.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Monday 27^th November 1916

Today we lost: 329

Today’s losses include:

• The first two victims of future German Ace Werner Voss
• The son of the Member of Parliament for Camborne Division of Cornwall
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Lieutenant Victor Arthur Strauss (Army Service Corps attached Royal Flying Corps) is killed in action at age 22. He is the son of Arthur Strauss MP for the Camborne Division of Cornwall.
• Private Albert James Brinsmead (Australian Infantry) is killed at age 21. His brother was killed last August.

Air Operations:

Durham, E. Yorks., W. Yorks., Cheshire, Staffs. 27^th/28^th November 1916
This raid by ten navy Zeppelins was the first since the destruction of L.31 on the night of 1st/2nd October. Two of them, L.24 and L.30, turned back early and L.36 failed to cross the coast. One group aimed for the north-east and the other targeted the north Midlands.

The first of the north-east group, L.34, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Max Dietrich, approached Blackhall Rocks just north of Hartlepool at 11.30pm. Four minutes later, as she passed over Castle Eden, a searchlight at the village of Hutton Henry located her. L.34 turned south-east towards the searchlight, and as she did so she was seen by 2nd Lieut. Ian Pyott of No.36 Squadron flying a BE2c from Seaton Carew.


A Schutte Lanz Zeppelin caught in search lights near Elwick in an air raid on Hartlepool just before midnight on 27 November 1916.

Another searchlight, near the village Elwick, west of Hartlepool, now picked up L.34 and Dietrich responded by dropping 12 HE bombs as he neared it. Two damaged telegraph wires in fields on either side of the main Sunderland to Stockton road, while one dug a hole at the crossroads. Three more bombs fell close to the searchlight, the nearest landing 150 yards away, while one exploded close to Dove Cote Farm where it demolished a cow byre (injuring two heifers), smashing windows and breaking doors in the farmhouse. The final three bombs landed harmlessly in fields.


Just as L.34 began dropping her bombs at Elwick, Pyott opened fire on her without result as he dived and passed beneath her great bulk. L.34 now headed east back towards the coast with Pyott flying on a parallel course, preparing to attack again. As he reached West Hartlepool at 11.40pm, Dietrich began dropping the first of 16 more bombs, probably to enable him to climb away from his attacker. Four HE bombs fell in fields at West Park on the western edge of West Hartlepool, followed by two in Ward Jackson Park. Moments later a salvo of bombs landed in Hartley Street, Lowthian Road and the Poplar Grove section of Hart Road. Beyond Hart Road bombs landed in allotments and one demolished the stand at the football ground in Clarence Road. They killed one man and three women, while injuring two men, five women and four children. They also wrecked 15 houses and shattered windows in 455 houses and 121 shops, some of which also suffered damage to doors, walls and roofs. But as L.34 dropped her last bombs, she was under heavy AA gunfire as Pyott made his second attack. This time his bullets took effect, L.34 began to burn, flames spread quickly through the Zeppelin and she crashed into the sea about a mile off the coast. Max Dietrich and his 19-man crew all perished.


On her maiden flight to England, L.35, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Ehrlich, came inland six minutes after L.34, at Hawthorn, just over four miles north of her compatriot. Picked up by the Seaham searchlight and AA gun, Ehrlich turned back. At 11.45pm he aborted the raid, having seen L.34 burst into flames over the sea about 12 miles away. He dropped no bombs and took L.35 out to sea near Easington Colliery.

L.14, commanded by Hauptmann Kuno Manger, was the first of the second group, crossing the coast at 9.10pm near Tunstall, east of Hull. Manger initially approached Hull but then turned away from the city and headed back towards the coast. At 9.20pm two mobile 13-pdr guns at Cowden fired 26 rounds at L.14. In response Manger released 18 HE and 26 incendiary bombs, which fell between Mappleton and Rowlston Hall without causing any damage. L.14 then headed up the coast to Barmston where two more mobile 13-pdr guns fired 14 rounds at her. She turned back southwards and, now drifting with the wind, approached Hull again at 10.15pm. But when the 12-pdr gun at Sutton, on the north-east edge of the city, fired eight rounds at her, Manger restarted the engines and turned away. L.14 crossed the coast near Spurn Head at 10.25pm.

At 9.20pm, L.16, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans-Karl Gayer, came inland over Filey Bay on the North Yorkshire coast. It was Gayer’s first time over England and he spent a little under three hours wandering over North Yorkshire. He initially followed a south-west course, approaching Selby where the AA gun at Hemingborough Grange fired at 10.10pm, joined by another at Cliffe and one at Wood House. Gayer steered away and dropped three HE and six incendiary bombs over Sharlston at 10.32pm, where the coke ovens at the colliery were burning, resulting in a few broken windows. At Cudworth, west of Barnsley, he dropped an incendiary bomb at 10.40pm. Two minutes later, two HE bombs fell at Monk Bretton. L.16 then turned back to the north-east, passing over South Hiendley and dropping two HE and two incendiaries (both failed to ignite). None of these last seven bombs caused any damage. Just before 11.00pm, L.16 released four HE and four incendiaries (all duds) over the northern edge of Pontefract. Four bombs fell in Pontefract Park, one in the railway yard at the Prince of Wales Colliery, while another at the colliery fell within 30 yards of the gunpowder store. Another landed in a field close to Towend’s farm stack yard and the last in a field nearby. The only damage caused by the bombs were a few broken windows. From Pontefract, Gayer headed south-west, dropping six HE bombs at Featherstone at 11.10pm. Again, they failed to inflict any damage. L.16 then returned towards Pontefract, passing north of the town. At 11.15pm she dropped single incendiary bombs at Lumby and at Monk Fryston, which landed harmlessly, before reaching Tadcaster at 11.27pm. From there she headed towards York, but as she approached the city from the west, the AA guns at Acomb opened fire at 11.35pm and Gayer veered away. L.16 now headed back towards the coast. At about 12.25am an HE bomb landed at West Farm, Helperthorpe. It failed to detonate and similarly, a bomb on a farm at Boythorpe was also a dud. Gayer dropped his last five HE bombs as he passed the village of Foxholes. They all landed in fields but the blast damaged a cottage roof and smashed windows. L.16 went back out to sea just south of Scarborough at 12.35am under fire from two 13-pdr AA guns.

L.13 and L.22 crossed the coast at Flamborough Head together at 10.05pm. Five minutes later they separated at Burton Agnes with L.13, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Franz Eichler, heading for York. At about 11.00pm, Eichler dropped a sighting incendiary bomb at Yapham, about 12 miles east of the city centre. Something caught his attention because moments later 21 HE and three incendiary bombs rained down harmlessly on open fields in the parish of Barmby Moor. Continuing towards York, the AA gun at Acomb engaged L.13 and Eichler changed course, releasing two HE and 21 incendiary bombs shortly after 11.15pm on the northern edge of the city. These all fell in an area bounded by Wigginton Road, Fountayne Street, Haxby Road and Stanley Street, wrecking one house and damaging several others. A man and a women suffered minor injuries. L.13 now set course back to the coast, passing Pocklington at 11.35pm and Driffield around midnight. She dropped five incendiaries harmlessly at Wold Newton at 12.25am before finally heading out to sea 25 minutes later just north of Scarborough, with AA gunfire sending her on her way.

Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Hollender, on his maiden voyage over Britain in L.22, crossed the coast with L.16 and parted company at Burton Agnes, but Hollender struggled to make an impact. L.22 headed south-west as far as the village of Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. Moments later, however, the searchlight and AA gun at Willitoft caught her and opened fire. Hollender turned away, slowly heading south-east. At 11.16pm, L.22 reached the Humber near Goole and crossed and re-crossed the river before skirting Hull and reaching Leven to the north of the city at 12.04am. Twenty minutes earlier Hollender looked on as a bright flare in the sky some 70 miles away signified the destruction of L.34. Having dropped no bombs, L.22 crossed the coast near Hornsea at 12.20am under fire from the AA guns at Cowden. She sustained some damage from this fire, which contributed to a bad landing back in Germany where she remained out of service for six days.

The last of this second group of raiders, L.21, crossed the Yorkshire coast at Atwick, just north of Hornsea, at 9.20pm. Her commander, Kapitänleutnant Kurt Frankenburg, steered towards Leeds but at 11.34pm the AA gun at Briarlands, east of the city, opened fire, followed by one at Rothwell Haigh. Turning south, away from Leeds, L.21 dropped an HE bomb and two incendiaries at Sharlston at 11.48pm, where L.16 had bombed just over an hour earlier, but caused no damage. Just after midnight Frankenburg approached Barnsley, and at 12.15am dropped an HE and two incendiaries at Dodworth, south-west of the town. Despite having passed over a number of industrial areas, Frankenburg then followed a south-west course over the largely uninhabited Peak District, passing Edale at 12.35am. He dropped an incendiary over the village of Pott Shrigley, narrowly missing a brickworks and, heading south, threw a single HE bomb harmlessly over Birchenwood near Kidsgrove. Approaching Stoke, L.21 released three HE bombs over Goldenhill and another three at Tunstall where, although one bomb failed to detonate, the other two injured a man in Sun Street, wrecked the interiors of two houses, wrecked outhouses of three cottages, damaged three others and smashed windows in 60. Now attracted by light from ironstone-burning hearths at Chesterton, L.21 headed west, unloading 16 HE and seven incendiaries there at 1.20am. The bombs landed close to mines and a brick and tile works but the only damage was broken windows. As he circled Stoke, Frankenburg dropped an incendiary at Trentham and three more at Fenton, but two failed to ignite and no damage resulted. Frankenburg now began his return journey.

At 2.11am, as L.21 approached Nottingham, Frankenburg switched off his engines to rectify a problem and drifted south-east with the wind. Caught by a searchlight at Ruddington seven minutes later, he switched them back on and resumed an easterly course, passing to the north of Melton Mowbray at 2.35am. Just over twenty minutes later over Buckminster, L.21 had an encounter with two aircraft of No.38 Squadron. Frankenburg began a serious of skilful evasive turns, climbing up to 13,000 feet, and escaped his pursuers after 30 minutes. These manoeuvres had cost Frankenburg time. Resuming his easterly course he passed Spalding at 3.35am and reached Hillington in Norfolk shortly after 4.20am. Here he switched off L.21’s engines again and she drifted slowly with the wind, reaching East Dereham at about 4.55pm. An aircraft from No.51 Squadron, attempted to intercept her, but engine problems forced the pilot to abort his attack. After a brief burst of his engines, Frankenburg switched them off again and drifted past Norwich, eventually reaching the coast just north of Great Yarmouth at 6.00am, from where a number of AA guns opened fire. L.21 remained over the coast, drifting towards Lowestoft where more guns engaged her at 6.18am. She finally made her way out to sea at about 6.30am, reaching 35mph under engine power, as the first light of dawn began to illuminate the eastern horizon. Now silhouetted against the brightening sky, three RNAS aircraft followed in pursuit. All three engaged and although the Navy gave credit to Flight Sub-Lieutenant Edward L. Pulling, it seems more probably that the four drums of ammunition fired by Flight Lieutenant Egbert Cadbury did the damage, because at 6.42am the flaming wreck of L.21 crashed into the sea off the coast of Lowestoft. There were no survivors. L.21 became the sixth German airship lost in the last five raids.

Dear Bessie,
Just a line to let you know we are alright after such an escape as few had as the Zepp appeared to be just over our house and such awful noise with bombs and guns firing and then it burst into flames just when over our street and it went over Beaconsfield Street and over moor and sank in sea just opposite grand stand and all town was out to see and folks are undressed and half -dressed flying up moor to see it go down. I shall never forget the awfulness of it. I was sitting reading a bit in the kitchen when the first booms seemed to be just at hand. Bill asleep in bed and kids too. The damage in West Hpool is a good deal all about Middleton Road and ………… windows are out with concussion all lot wounded and some killed but not known yet I think hospitals are full they say. It is a mercy as far as we know this place was not touched. It makes one very frightened of going to bed one never got undressed all laid down in our clothed till morning. May’s boy had only come at after 10 his train was more 2 hours late through the Zepps being on the road. He was very nice and would have done badly without him as he had been in so many about London he thought little of it. He never saw one down so far before and could clearly see the gondolas and every shape of it beats all. The poor lad had to go back at 5 tonight it was not worth come for and such a distance too lot past London, Jack saw it all from their billet. Do write and say if you saw anything. Bill’s heart was bad and of course nothing in the house to take. Poor Wilf they are half starved Mrs Conway says in France. I sent him a few things last night not for Xmas of course folks are send a lot every week him but it costs so much. Gardener’s (coal) son had gin 2 weeks sent to france. Folks have been looking all over today for any bits of the wrecked Zepps.
No time as it is post now

Love to all

How is Aunt this week and your cold you would have been rushing out to see without clothes on I expect if you had been here and got nerve. Say how you all are when you write please.

Casualties: 4 killed, 37 injured

Damage: £12,482

Night Fighter:


As early as 1915, the B.E.2c entered service as a pioneer night fighter being used in attempts to intercept and destroy the German airship raiders. The interceptor version of the B.E.2c was flown as a single-seater with an auxiliary fuel tank on the centre of gravity, in the position of the observer's seat. After an initial lack of success while using Ranken darts and small incendiary bombs to attack airships from above, a Lewis gun was mounted to fire a mixture of explosive and incendiary ammunition upwards, at an angle of 45°, to attack the airship from below.
The new tactic proved very effective. On the night of 2–3 September 1916, a B.E.2c downed the SL 11, the first German airship to be shot down over Britain after over a year of night raids. This won the pilot, Captain William Leefe Robinson, a Victoria Cross and cash prizes totalling £3,500 put up by a number of individuals.

This was not an isolated victory; five more German airships were destroyed by Home Defence B.E.2c interceptors between October and December 1916. The airship campaign faltered; this rate of attrition could not be sustained, especially in combination with considerable non-combat losses.

Air Ship Gondolas


B.E.2 fuselages were used as gondolas for the hastily designed SS class "blimps", which were introduced into service by the Royal Naval Air Service for anti-submarine duties in March 1915. Later classes had purpose built gondolas.

The birth of a new Ace!
German Ace Werner Voss claims his first two victories. The first victim is a Nieuport XVII of 60 Squadron flown by Captain George Alec Parker DSO MC (Northamptonshire Regiment attached Royal Flying Corps) who is killed.
The 23-year old will be awarded both the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross after his death in the same issue of the London Gazette on 10^th January 1917. His brother will die at home on service in November 1918.
The second victory is over a FE2b of 18 Squadron flown by Lieutenant Frederic Ambrose George (Northumberland Fusiliers attached Royal Flying Corps). His observer Air Mechanic First Class Oliver Frank Watts (Royal Flying Corps) is killed at age 23.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 6

2Lt Gardner, J. (James), Central Flying School, Upavon, Wiltshire, RFC. Accidentally Killed while flying aged 23.

Lt Hall, E.H. (Edward Henry), 57 Squadron, RFC. Killed while flying aged 25.

2Lt Hanning, J.T. (James Talmage), 9 Squadron, RFC. Killed in Action aged 28, while flying near Bapaume.

Capt Parker, G.A. (George Alec), 60 Squadron, RFC. Killed in Action aged 23.

Lt Strauss, V.A. (Victor Arthur), 9 Squadron, RFC. Killed in Action aged 22.

A Mech 1 Watts, O.F. (Oliver Frederick), 18 Squadron, RFC. Killed in Action aged 23.

Claims: 5
Maj Stanley James Goble, claims his 6^th confirmed victory with 8N, RNAS, flying a Sopwith Pup he shot down an enemy C type south east of Bpaaume.


2Lt Percy Henry Olieff claims his 1^st confirmed victory with 1 Squadron, RFC. Flying a Morane-Saulnier he shot down a 2 seater near Vlamertinghe.

Lt Max Ritter von Müller claims his 5^th confirmed victory with Jasta 2 shooting down a Nieuport 17.


Lt Werner Voss claims his 1^st & 2^nd confirmed victories, flying for Jasta 2. He shot down a Nieuport 17 near Miraumont & FE2b south of Bapaume.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Monday 27^th November 1916:

Winnipeg Camp

Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued. The weather became much colder.

RSM John William Headings (see 20^th September), departed for England on one weeks’ leave.

Ronald Ferguson (see 25^th September), in training with the Inns of Court OTC, was promoted Lance Corporal; once commissioned he would serve with 10DWR.

Eastern Front:

Rumania: Falkenhayn’s AlpenKorps captures Curtea de Arges and 41st Division Slatina on river Aluta. Bulgarian troops of Mackensen take Giurgevo on Danube and occupy Alexandria.

Romanians abandon Aluta line.

Stubborn fighting by Orsova force.

Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

Russians drive back Turks into Persia, taking much war material.

Naval Operations:

"City of Birmingham" sunk by German submarine (4 lost).

Shipping Losses: 10

Political:

Britain: Anglo-French*-Italian wheat Executive formed in London.

Neutrals:

USA: Federal Reserve Bank cautions member banks against further buying of belligerents’ war bonds.

Anniversary Events:

43 BC		Octavian, Antony and Lepidus form the triumvirate of Rome.
511		Clovis, king of the Franks, dies and his kingdom is divided between his four sons.
1095		In Clermont, France, Pope Urban II makes an appeal for warriors to relieve Jerusalem. He is responding to false rumors of atrocities in the Holy Land.
1382		The French nobility, led by Olivier de Clisson, crush the Flemish rebels at Flanders.
1812		One of the two bridges being used byNapoleon Bonaparte’s army across the Berezina River in Russia collapses during a Russian artillery barrage.
1826		Jedediah Smith’s expedition reaches San Diego, becoming the first Americans to cross the southwestern part of the continent.
1862		George Armstrong Custer meets his future bride, Elizabeth Bacon, at a Thanksgiving party.
1868		Lieutenant ColonelGeorge A. Custer’s 7th Cavalry kills Chief Black Kettle and about 100 Cheyenne (mostly women and children) on the Wa****a River.
1887		U.S. Deputy Marshall Frank Dalton, brother of the three famous outlaws, is killed in the line of duty near Fort Smith, Ark.
1904		The German colonial army defeats Hottentots at Warm bad in southwest Africa.
1909		U.S. troops land in Blue fields, Nicaragua, to protect American interests there.

[mikeemagnus]

Many thanks Neil. Another interesting post Found the account of the "Zepps" really good and the letter at the end added a very persoanal touch. Thanks.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

What a good one Neil.
That Zep raid was certainly full on.
At long last we are starting to make a hole in the success of the German war effort.
Keep up the good work.
Rob.

[Mike George]

Thanks for the good read.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Heads up Rob........the dreaded Hun have come up with a cunning plan. Read tomorrows edition for more news.

What a good one Neil.
That Zep raid was certainly full on.
At long last we are starting to make a hole in the success of the German war effort.
Keep up the good work.
Rob.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Tuesday 28^th November 1916

Today we lost: 292

Today’s losses include:

• A man who will be posthumously awarded the Albert Medal
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Second Lieutenant George Nicholas Slinger (Royal Field Artillery) is killed in action. His brother will be killed in July 1917.
• Private Arthur Albert Sizer (Australian Infantry) is killed. His brother will be killed in two weeks.
• Private David Bennett (Cheshire Regiment) is killed at age 24. His brother will be killed next October.

Air Operations:
Western Front: Fog almost eliminates flying until December 3.

Naval aeroplanes carry out an attack on Zeebrugge harbour.

British naval aeroplanes effect great damage at Gereviz.

British seaplanes been bombing Drama and Bulgarian coast for five days.

Zeppelin L21 is shot down in flames and crashes at sea by Flight Sub Lieutenant Edward Laston Pulling DSO and Flight Sub Lieutenant E Cadbury. Pulling will be killed in a flying accident in March 1917. (See Zeppelin raid in yesterdays issue).

London
After undertaking three raids on Kent (Dover, 24 April and 12 August 1916, and Sheerness on 22 October), Leutnant Walter Ilges now targeted London. With his pilot, Deck Offizier Paul Brandt, the two men of Marine Landflieger Abteilung 1 took off from Mariakerke in a L.V.G. CIV on in the morning, intending a combined bombing and photo reconnaissance mission. Their bombing target was the Admiralty building in Whitehall.



Flying up the Thames estuary at great height and in a hazy sky, few if any noticed their progress. Giving Sheerness a wide berth, they brought their aircraft inland west of that town and passed over Maidstone and Reigate before turning north and following railway lines towards the capital.

Once over London, flying at 13,000 feet, the crew prepared to drop their six HE 10kg bombs. Using a map, Ilges thought he had identified the Admiralty and dropped all six bombs in quick succession over the Knightsbridge/Belgravia area of south-west London. The first, dropped at about 11.50am, damaged buildings at 108 Brompton Road occupied by bakers Spiking & Co., where a woman received minor injuries. The second bomb struck 15 Pavilion Road, home to the London Pure Milk Association, where it injured a woman and caused damage to the packing room, office and a store, and minor damage to the building next door, as the aircraft followed an easterly course. Crossing over Sloane Street, the next bomb landed on the back of 13 Lowndes Square where it smashed the roof, while fragments penetrated down through the house. At Belgrave Mews East, the fourth bomb exploded in the roadway, injuring four men and a woman in the street and smashing windows nearby. The next detonated at the rear of 112 Eaton Square, damaging the house and causing lesser damage to four neighbouring properties as well as three in Eccleston Mews. Two women received treatment for cuts caused by flying glass. The final bomb, which Ilges believed dropped about 300 yards from the Admiralty building, actually hit the roof of the Victoria Palace music hall on Victoria Street where it damaged the roof above a dressing room and injured a cleaner, Louisa Cameron. The bomb also smashed windows in another five properties.

Their bombs dropped, Ilges and Brandt left London on a south-east course and headed back towards the coast. In noisy London in the middle of the day few realised the city had just experienced an air raid. The noise of the small bombs did not travel far and those that did hear an explosion initially presumed it was caused by gas. It was about an hour before the authorities realised what had happened and ordered aircraft up to intercept the raider. Ilges and Brandt were already back at the coast near Hastings by then. While out over the English Channel, however, they experienced serious engine problems. They threw their camera and photographic plates overboard but continued to lose height. Unable to get back home they landed near Boulogne, managing to set fire to their aircraft before they were taken prisoner by the French.

Casualties: 0 killed, 10 injured

Jasta 5 formed today.

The main aircraft-based onslaught began on the 28th November 1916, when a lone German aircraft dropped six bombs on London. The successful outcome of this opportunistic foray spurred the Germans into creating a special bomber squadron dedicated to bombing England. It was appropriately named the 'England Squadron'; its official title was HQ Kagoul 3. In its final form the squadron flew both 'Gotha' and 'Zeppelin Staaken' (Giant) bombers in air raids on Great Britain. However, most of the bombing raids were made with Gotha aircraft.

The Gotha and Zeppelin aircraft used in the campaign were constructed, respectively, by Gothaeur Waggonfabriek A.G. and Zeppelin Werke Staaken A.G. (Sub-contracts for the latter were given to other constructors such as Aviatik A.G.).

• Gotha, biplane, day (later night) bomber: Versions, G.IV, G.V, G.Va/b; Engines, Twin Mercedes D.IVa. 6 cylinder in-line; Laden Weight, 4,000 kg/ 9,000lbs; Airspeed, 140kmh/ 88mph; Maximum altitude, 6,500m/21,000ft; Flight endurance, 5 - 6 hours; Armament, 3 or 4 machine guns and 600 kg/ 1.300lbs of bombs - 330kg over Southern England; Crew, Three; Production, G.IV = 230, other versions unknown.

• Zeppelin Staaken (Giant), biplane, day/night heavy bomber: Versions, R.IV, R.V, R.VI; Engines, 4 Mercedes D.IVa. 6 cylinder in-line, back to back in two nacelles with tractor and pusher propellers (some versions had 1 or 2 auxiliary engines); Laden weight, 12,000kg/26,000lbs; Airspeed, 135kph/85mph; Maximum altitude, 4,300m/14,000ft; Flight endurance, 7 - 10 hours; Armament, 4 to 7 machine guns and 2,000kg/4,400lbs - 18 x 100kg or 2 x 1,000kg; Crew, 7. Production, RVI's = 18, other versions unknown.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 4

Flt Sub-Lt Frames, N.W. (Neville Wall), 1 (N) Squadron, RNAS. Killed while flying aged 20, whilst landing in fog at Furnes when his aeroplane hit a tree.

Sgt Horne, A.J., 26 (South African) Squadron, RFC.

A Mech 1 Nash, W. (William), 32 Squadron, RFC. Aged 23.

A Mech 2 Thompson, C, 26 (South African) Squadron, RFC.

Claims: There are no claims today.

Western Front
Lance Corporal Charles Henry Anderson (London Regiment) is in a hut in the town of St Venant, France with eleven other men when accidentally the safety pin is withdrawn from a bomb. In the semi-darkness he shouts a warning to the men, rushes to the door and endeavors to open it so as to thrown the bomb into the field. Failing to succeed he holds the bomb as close to his body as possible with both hands in order to screen the other men in the hut. Anderson and one other man are mortally wounded by the explosion while five other men are injured while the remaining five escape unhurt. For his actions Anderson will be posthumously awarded the Albert Medal.



Tunstills Men Tuesday 28^th November 1916:

Winnipeg Camp

Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued. The weather was again very cold, with misty conditions for much of the day.

A medical examination of Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 21^st September), who had been permanently discharged from the Army on account of illness contracted in service, found that his condition had again worsened and he was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary.

The War Office made a decision in the case of Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale MC (see 15^th November),who had been under medical care in England for the previous three months. It was decided that “in consequence of his continued unfitness for service, it is regretted that there is no alternative but that Temporary Captain G.R.C. Heale, MC, should relinquish his commission on account of ill-health”.

Mrs. Mary Ann Gaunt, mother of Acting Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 25^th November), died, aged 65, following a short illness; her son had only returned to France from leave three days earlier.

The Derbyshire Courier reported on the recent award of the Military Cross to Lt. Frank Redington who was currently home on leave (see 26^th November):

STONEBROOM OFFICER’S BRAVERY

How Captain F.H.C. Redington won the Military Cross
A fortnight ago it was mentioned in the “Courier” that Captain F.H.C. Redington, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, had been awarded the Military Cross. The official report of the heroic deed which won for him this distinction reads as follows, “Near Le Sars on the morning of 4^th October 1916, when the enemy counter-attacked heavily down a communication trench, causing many casualties, he very gallantly went forward down the trench by himself with a bag of bombs and entirely held up the attack for fully ten minutes until assistance arrived, when he and the party drove the enemy back and established a block. He was previously recommended for immediate reward for gallantry on 10^th July 1916”.

Captain Redington is the son of Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Redington of High Street, Stonebroom. He was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School and Nottingham University College. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant on 12^th December 1914. He was drafted to France a year later and in July of this year he was promoted first Lieutenant, and on 6^th October was made Acting Captain. He was with his Regiment on the Somme and has seen some fierce fighting, being in no fewer than five attacks, through all of which he came unscathed.

He is at home with his parents this week for a short leave and has been the recipient of hearty congratulations from his fellow parishioners, who are justly proud of his gallant exploit. His younger brother, Lieut. J.C.W. Redington (see 23^rd October), who has had eight months in France, is also home on sick leave, whilst one of his sisters, Miss Mabel A. Redington, is a nurse in a military hospital at Falmouth. Capt. Redington has the distinction of being the first Stonebroom soldier to receive any decoration.

Eastern Front:

Rumania: Mackensen fighting at Calugarino, 17 miles south of Bucharest, forces river Niaslova on November 30.

Carpathians: Lechitski captures heights east of Jablonitsa and Kirlibaba Passes in relief offensive to aid Rumania (until December 13).

Southern Front:

100 French sailors land at Piraeus.

Bulgars occupy Giurgevo (on Danube).

Successful British raid near Macukovo (left bank Vardar, south-west of Doiran).

Naval Operations:

Brixham fishing fleet attacked by German submarine.

Shipping Losses: 17 (16 by U-Boats, 1 struck a mine)

Political:

Austria: Kaiser Wilhelm II arrives in Vienna to attend Hofburg Chapel lying-in state.

Greek batteries (to be surrendered to Allies) removed to Chalcis, etc.

Neutrals:

Dominican Republic: US military government proclaimed.

Anniversary Events:

1520		Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan, having discovered a strait at the tip of South America, enters the Pacific.
1729		Natchez Indians massacre most of the 300 French settlers and soldiers at Fort Rosalie, Louisiana.
1861		The Confederate Congress admits Missouri to the Confederacy, although Missouri has not yet seceded from the Union.
1868		Mt. Etna in Sicily violently erupts.
1872		The Modoc War of 1872-73 begins in northern California when fighting breaks out between Modoc Chief Captain Jack and a cavalry detail led by Captain James Jackson.
1899		The British are victorious over the Boers at Modder River.

The Weather Section:

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I took your advice Neil, and read today's edition. Another mammoth issue.
Those Huns are as you say devious devils, fancy changing the game plan like that just as we were getting used to it. Remind me to never play them at Cricket.
Then to add insult to injury they have the audacity to steal our weather forecasting stone.



I shall take a large G&t. and then write a strongly worded letter to the Times.
Kyte.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

I don't think the bally Hun knicked the stone WingCo, I'm sure we were short a ball for mess cricket...the rest they say is history!

[Hedeby]

So jealous when you get an air raid /zeppelin attack - nice one Neil

[mikeemagnus]

I admit, I kind of like the idea that an aircraft can fly all the way to London, drop a load of bombs, then leave with nobody noticeing! Says a lot about us I think! Thanks Neil.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Could not happen these days Mike.
It would have gone viral before the plane left the outskirts of the capital.
Rob.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Wednesday 29th November 1916

Today we lost: 242

Today’s losses include:

• Multiple sons of members of the clergy
• A military Chaplain
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Second Lieutenant W H L Parry (Royal Fusiliers) is killed in action at age 26. He is the only son of the Reverend Arthur L Parry, Chaplain of Colney Hatch Asylum.
• Chaplain “Canon” the Reverend Arthur Gordon Deedes dies at home at age 55 while on active service. He was the Vicar of St John the Divine Kennsington and the son of Reverend Canon Gordon Frederic Deedes Vicar of Heydour Lincoln.
• Sergeant George Bentley (Royal Marines attached South African Heavy Artillery) is killed in action. His brother will be killed next May.
• Lance Corporal John Joseph Dunphy (Newfoundland Regiment) is killed at age 21. His brother will be killed in April 1917.

Air Operations:

British seaplanes bomb Gereviz (Bulgaria).

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

A Mech 2 Biggs, W.F. (William Frederick), 75 Squadron, RFC.

Flt Sub-Lt Mann, A.T.O. (Alfred Thomas Osborne), No. 3 (N) Wing, RNAS, aged 26.

Claims: No claims today.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Wednesday 29th November 1916:

Winnipeg Camp

Rest and the provision of some working parties for the Royal Engineers continued. The weather remained very misty and cold.

At 11am a ceremony was held for the presentation of the ribbon of the Victoria Cross by III Corps commander, Sir William Pulteney, to Capt. Henry Kelly (see 20^th November).

At 3.30 pm the Battalion left Winnipeg Camp to return to the front line, advance parties having left earlier in the day. They completed the short march back to Vlamertinghe and were then taken by train, leaving at 4.45pm and arriving at Ypres at 5.20 pm. From there they marched to the front lines to relieve 13DLI, being in position by midnight. Their new positions ran from I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7. on the fringes of Zouave Wood, on the southern outskirts of Hooge, close to where they had been a month earlier. A Company was on the right, with C Company to their left; B Company was in close support in Leinster Trench along with one platoon of D Company; the remainder of D Company was held in reserve, along with Battalion HQ, at Halfway House.



Pte. Sam Tinkler (see 4^th October), was discharged from Bradford War Hospital, where he had spent the previous eight weeks being treated for a fractured left femur, suffered when he had been kicked by a horse while on active service.

Eastern Front:

Rumania: Battle of Bucharest (until December 3). Falkenhayn captures Ploesti.

Rumanian First and Second Armies retreat behind river Arges west of capital at night November 29-30.
Germans capture Campulung and Piteshti (north-west of Bucharest).

A German supply column crosses a ford in Romania during the fighting around Bucharest.

Mackensen at Calugarino (17 miles south of Bucharest).

Russians' Carpathian offensive continues.
Southern Front:

Austrians massing troops on Carso front.

Fighting east of Monastir continues in fog.

Naval Operations:

North Sea: Admiral Sir John Jellicoe announced First Sea Lord, and Admiral Sir David Beatty Commander-in-Chief of Grand Fleet, aged 45; Admiral Sir C Madden, Jellicoe’s Chief of Staff, becomes second in command replacing Admiral Sir C Burney. Vice-Admiral Sir W Pakenham takes over battle cruisers.

Black Sea:*Russians commission of 2 seaplane carriers (max 18 aircraft) and they soon sink German coaster Irmingard; 4 Rumanian-owned liners also converted.

Shipping Losses: 5

Political:

Board of Trade takes over South Wales coalfield from 1 December 1916.
Neutrals:

Protest of U.S.A. against deportation of Belgians.

Anniversary Events:

1760		Major Roger Rogers takes possession of Detroit on behalf of Britain.
1787		Louis XVI promulgates an edict of tolerance, granting civil status to Protestants.
1812		The last elements of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Grand Armee retreats across the Berezina River in Russia.
1863		The Battle of Fort Sanders, Knoxville, Tenn., ends with a Confederate withdrawal.
1864		Colonel John M. Chivington’s 3rd Colorado Volunteers massacre Black Kettles’ camp of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians at Sand Creek, Colo.
1903		An Inquiry into the U.S. Postal Service demonstrates the government has lost millions in fraud.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Thursday 30^th November 1916

Today we lost: 252

Today’s losses include:

• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War
• A man whose son was killed last July
• A member of the Brockeley Wood Cricket Club

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Lieutenant Russell Mervyn Wheeler (Middlesex Regiment) is killed in action at age 35. He was a teacher at Cambridge and Harrow and his brother will be killed in July 1917.
• Private William Scott (Border Regiment) is killed at age 20. His brother will be killed next June.
• Private Joseph James Jenkins (Gloucestershire Regiment) is killed at age 37. His son was killed serving in the same regiment in July.
• Private Eustace Aldersley (Honorable Artillery Company) is killed at age 19 while acting as a guide to a party proceeding to dangerous positions. He is a member of the Brockely Wood Cricket Club.

Air Operations:

French aircraft bomb Thionville.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

2Lt Hall, G.S. (Gilbert Sudbury), 18 Squadron, RFC. Died of Wounds as Prisoner of War, aged 25. F.E.2b 4848 had been shot down near Grandcourt, by Manfred von Richthofen on 20 November 1916. The Pilot was seriously wounded and the observer, 2nd Lt G Doughty was killed.

A Mech 1 Kerman, W.H.P. (William Hutton Parker), Royal Naval Air Station, Roehampton, RNAS. Died of sickness aged 22.

Claims: No claims today.

Western Front

Crown Prince gives up command of German army on Verdun front.

Tunstills Men Thursday 30^th November 1916:

Front line trenches near Zouave Wood (I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7)



On another dull and misty day much work was carried out to improve the state of the trenches and wire. The day was generally quiet, although the Divisional Trench Mortar Battery reported firing 22 rounds in retaliation for some German shelling.

L. Cpl William Rawnsley, MM, of D Company, who had been wounded during the trench raid on 20^th November, died of wounds and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. He was 21 years old and originally from Bradford. He had been awarded the Miiltary Medal for his courageous actions during the attack on Contalmaison in July. He had not been an original member of the Battalion.

2Lt. John Redington (see 28^th November), was instructed by the War Office to relinquish his commission on grounds of continuing ill health.

More than fourteen months after his death, a payment of the amount outstanding in pay and allowances was finally made to the family of Pte. Willie Burley (see 22^nd October 1915) who had been one of the first of Tunstill’s Company to have been killed. It seems that the delay most likely arose due to the complications in Burley’s family, both parents having died. In the end the payment was divided in equal shares of 15s 8d. to each of six sisters (Louisa Burley, Elizabeth Louisa Chase, Lily Gadsly, Ellen Price, Louisa Rogers and Rose Newman)

69^th Brigade War Diary recorded casualties for the Brigade for the month of November:

Killed 6 other ranks
Accidentally killed 0
Died of wounds 1 other rank
Wounded 1 officer and 32 other ranks
Accidentally wounded 2 other ranks
Missing 1 other rank

10DWR’s casualties were recorded as:
Killed 0
Accidentally killed 0
Died of wounds 0
Wounded 1 officer (Millward) and 14 other ranks
Accidentally wounded 0
Missing 0

These official casualty figures do not take account of the deaths L.Cpl Hemp (see 13^th November), Pte. Waddington (see 14^th November) or L.Cpl. Rawnsley (see above), all of whom had been wounded but had died locally whilst receiving medical care.

The official cumulative casualty figures for the Battalion since arriving in France were now:

Killed 142
Accidentally killed 4
Died of wounds 7
Wounded 717
Accidentally wounded 47
Missing 116

Eastern Front:

Dobruja: Russian and RNAS armoured cars (left Odessa November 13, arriving Hirsova on Danube November 27), lead attack (until December 1 with 7 armoured cars damaged) at Topalul aiding IV Siberian Corps (over 9,000 casualties) to take two hills held by Bulgarian troops.


RNAS Lanchester armoured cars in Russia.

Galicia: Russians repulsed on river Zlota Lipa.

Germans force passage of River Neajlovu (16 miles south-west of Bucharest).

Fighting in Bukovina.

Southern Front:

General artillery action Italian front.

Greek army reported marching north.

Allied troops land at Piraeus.

Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

Russians 30 miles south of northern Persian frontier.

Naval Operations:

North Sea: German raider (ex*-liner) Wolf (Nerger, 458 mines, and a small seaplane) breaks out for worldwide 15-month cruise (until March 24, 1918) that sinks 15 ships or 38,391t.

Channel: U-49 on maiden voyage (November) sinks 40,000t shipping in Channel and Biscay.


Q Ship HMS Penhurst

SM U-Boat 19 a type UB II submarine was shelled and sunk in the English Channel by The Q-Ship Penshurst (Commander F H Grenfell) uses gunfire to sink the German submarine UB-19 in the English Channel with the loss of eight of her 24 crew.

Shipping Losses: 17

Britain:During November the shipping losses were 49 ships (7 to mines) worth 168,809t in total to U- Boats of 325,218t of all nations (164,130t or 40 ships in Mediterranean).

Neutrals:

Greek Government refuses Admiral du Fournet's demand for surrender of guns.

Greek Reserve officers called up.

Anniversary Events:

1782		The British sign a preliminary agreement in Paris, recognizing American independence.
1838		Mexico declares war on France.
1861		The British Parliament sends to Queen Victoria an ultimatum for the United States, demanding the release of two Confederate diplomats who were seized on the British ship Trent.
1864		The Union wins the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee.
1900		The French government denounces British actions in South Africa, declaring sympathy for the Boers.
1900		Oscar Wilde dies in a Paris hotel room after saying of the room’s wallpaper: “One of us had to go.”
1906		President Theodore Roosevelt publicly denounces segregation of Japanese schoolchildren in San Francisco.

“It’s says in the Airfix instruction manual that we shouldn’t have any bits left over!”

[Hedeby]

lol, love the tank gag...

[Flying Officer Kyte]

lol, love the tank gag...

So do I.
Rob.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Friday 1^st December 1916

Today we lost: 258

Today’s losses include:

• Two best friends and co-workers shot at dawn for desertion
• A man whose brother will be killed in less than two weeks

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Privates Albert Ingham and Alfred Longshaw (Manchester Regiment) are shot at dawn for desertion. The 24-year old Ingham and 21-year old Longshaw had worked together for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways as clerks in the Salford Goods Yard. After service in the Somme the inseparable pair had been posted to their Brigade’s Machine Gun Company. News of the two soldiers’ death reached their homes within a week. The evening paper first carried the new of Ingham’s death and reporting that he had died of “gunshot wounds”. A week later the evening papers reported the death of Longshaw as “died of wounds”.
• Driver George Acres (Army Service Corps) dies at home at age 23. His brother will be killed in action in less than two weeks.

Air Operations:

Britain: In December plan to expand RFC on Western Front to 106 regular and 95 reserve squadrons.

Italy: Austrians bomb Vicenza.

Western Front: During December RFC will lose 27 aircraft in action, 17 within British lines.

Russian air raid near Constanza.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 1

A Mech 2 Bassett, C.R. (Christopher Reuben), RNAS, HMS President II, aged 37.

Claims: 1

Sgt Mario Stoppani,76 Squadron, claims his 6^th confirmed victory flying a Nieuport 11 shot down an enemy aircraft near San Marco.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Friday 1^st December 1916:

Front line trenches near Zouave Wood (I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7)
A quiet day in misty conditions which made observation difficult. Work on trenches and wire continued.
Pte. Joseph Harry Poole (see 29^th September) who had been formally discharged from the army two months earlier was awarded the Silver War Badge on account of his having been discharged on grounds of illness.

L.Cpl. Sam Benjamin Farrant (see 24^th September), serving with 2^nd Battalion East Lancs. wrote up his will in his paybook, leaving all of his effects to his mother. He would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald carried two reports concerning men from 10^th Battalion:

SKIPTON SOLDIER WOUNDED
Mr. and Mrs. T.T. Chapman, of 51, Gargrave Road, Skipton, have received word that their son, Pte. Arthur Chapman (see 20^th November), of the 10th West Riding Regiment, has been wounded in the right leg by a German bomb, and is now progressing favourably in a Clearing Station in France. Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have received a letter from Lance-Corporal J. Hudson (see 20^th November), of the same regiment, stating that there was no need for alarm. He had spoken to the stretcher-bearer who had dressed their son's wounds, who stated that it was a "splendid Blighty."

EARBY - DEATH OF MRS. GAUNT
The death took place on Tuesday night at her residence, “The Willows”, of Mrs. Mary Ann Gaunt at the age of 65 years after a brief illness. The deceased lady was a native of the village, being a daughter of the late Wm. Edmondson of the White Lion Inn, where Mrs. Gaunt was born. Her husband, who died over 20 years ago, formerly carried on the business of an auctioneer along with his uncle, the late Mr. John Hogg of Skipton. For a few years before his death he also was landlord of the “White Lion”, Mrs. Gaunt retiring from the business shortly afterwards. She leaves a family of three sons and two daughters. All three sons are in the Army, being amongst the first to volunteer. Two of them have been in France over eighteen months and another (Fred) has been wounded and is now in hospital in Edinburgh. Sergt. W.E. Gaunt (see 28^th November) only returned to France last Saturday after a week’s leave. The funeral takes place at Thornton Church tomorrow (Saturday).

Eastern Front:

Carpathians: Lechitski driven off Rakida and Kirlibaba heights but pushes up Trotus Valley on December 3, takes peak com*manding Jablonitsa Pass on December 4.

Rumania: Government leaves Bucharestfor Jassy.

Battle of the Arges (until December 5): 3 Rumanian divisions counter-stroke takes 3,000PoW and 20 guns from Mackensen, but Falkenhayn joins up to save 217th Division on December 2 and Russian 40th Division remains inactive till vain attacks on December 4 and 5.

Romanians retire south-east from Campulung.

Severe fighting south of Pitesti.

Southern Front:

Vicenza bombed.

Greek attack on Allied troops at Athens.

Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

Surrender reported of sons of Ali Dinar (late Sultan of Darfur); organised resistance ended.

Publication of Despatch of 1 October 1916 from Sir A. Murray (operations 1 June - 30 September 1916).

Naval Operations:

Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean: During December U-Boats will sink 167 ships (39 British worth 109,936t; 58 Allied; 70 neutral) worth 276,400t.

Adriatic: In December British Monitor Earl of Peterborough arrives at Venice to support Italian Army.

Greece: French C-in-C Admiral Dartigue involved in Athens fighting. Battleship Mirabeau fires 4 shells near Royal Palace forcing Constantine and family into cellar.

Shipping Losses: 16

The submarine E37 (Lieutenant Commander Robert Fellowes Chisholm) strikes a mine in the North Sea off Harwich and is lost with a loss of her entire crew of 38.

Political:

Mr. Lloyd George declares his inability to remain in the Government.

Neutrals:

Greece: King’s troops (over 40 killed) fight 3,000 Allied sailors and marines (227 casualties) for 3 1/2 hours in Athens outskirts until armistice leads to Allied withdrawal until December 2.

Anniversary Events:

1135		Henry I of England dies and the crown is passed to his nephew Stephen of Bloise.
1581		Edmund Champion and other Jesuit martyrs are hanged at Tyburn, England, for sedition, after being tortured.
1861		The U.S. gunboat Penguin seizes the Confederate blockade runner Albion carrying supplies worth almost $100,000.
1862		President Abraham Lincoln gives the State of the Union address to the 37th Congress.
1863		Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy, is released from prison in Washington.
1881		Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan Earp are exonerated in court for their action in the Gunfight at the O.K. Coral in Tombstone, Ariz.
1900		Kaiser Wilhelm II refuses to meet with Boer leader Paul Kruger in Berlin.
1905		Twenty officers and 230 guards are arrested in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the revolt at the Winter Palace.
1908		The Italian Parliament debates the future of the Triple Alliance and asks for compensation for Austria’s action in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
1909		President William Howard Taft severs official relations with Nicaragua’s Zelaya government and declares support for the revolutionaries.
1916		King Constantine of Greece refuses to surrender to the Allies.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Saturday 2^nd December 1916

Today we lost: 275

Today’s losses include:

• The cornet player for the Old Colywyn Village band
• A man whose brother was killed last month

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Private Walter Hamlyn Leaman (Devonshire Regiment) is killed at age 39. His brother was killed last month.
• Private William Thomas (Welsh Fusiliers) is killed in action. He was a cornet player in the Old Colwyn village band. Sixty years later his grandson Fred Williams will become one of Wales’ most well-known cornet players.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 1

A Mech 2 Mason, C.E, RFC.

Claims: 2


Lt Hartmuth Baldamus claims his 8^th & 9^th confirmed victories with Jasta 9, shooting down 2 Caudron’s south of Aure. When the war began, Baldamus joined the German Air Service. After scoring five victories with FFA 20, he was reassigned to Jasta 5 but failed to score as a single-seat fighting pilot until he was posted to Jasta 9 in November 1916. He scored four victories by the end of the year.


Lt Hermann Pfeiffer claims his 8^th confirmed victory with Jasta 9 shooting down a Caudron near Bois d’Hauzy.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Saturday 2^nd December 1916:
Front line trenches near Zouave Wood (I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7)

Another quiet day with the weather again misty. Work on trenches and wire continued.

2Lt. Bob Perks, DSO (see 15^th November), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, went on leave to his parents home at Hebden, near Skipton. He clearly anticipated that he might shortly return to active service as, in his telegram to his parents, he referred to this as “final leave”.

Cpl. Christopher John Kelly (see 26^th August), who had been discharged from 2^nd Scottish General Hospital, Edinburgh three months earlier, was now declared fit for home service. He was posted to 3DWR at North Shields and immediately attached to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion in nearby Gateshead.

The funeral of the late Mrs. Mary Ann Gaunt, mother of Acting Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 1^st December), was conducted at Thornton-in-Craven Parish Church.

Eastern Front:

Continued Russian offensive in Carpathians.

Romanian front: Heavy fighting at Cerna Voda (Dobruja); serious enemy pressure towards Bucharest.

Southern Front:

Serbs carry strong Bulgar positions north of Gumishta; Turks assist Bulgars at Seres and Drama.

Armistice concluded at Athens; Allied troops withdrawn.
Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

East Africa: British Kilwa Force occupies Ngarambi, 30 miles northwest of Fort Kibata.


Massai warriors in British service in East Africa drinking blood from a kill. Both sides used tribal irregulars as scouts and guides

Naval Operations:

An Armistice is concluded in Athens and Allied troops are withdrawn, while an embargo on all Greek vessels is put into effect in Allied ports and Greece is declared in a state of blockade.

Shipping Losses: 14

Political:

Russia: Duma attack on ‘dark forces’ behind throne.
M. Trepov, new Russian Premier, speaks in Duma.

Austria: New Emperor Charles takes command of Armed Forces.

Neutrals:

Greece: Allies declare blockade and embargo all Greek vessels. Venizelists fight Royalists, Athens (former massacred on December 6).
Greek Government agrees to surrender six (subsequently eight) field batteries.

Anniversary Events:

1804		Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral.
1805		Napoleon Bonaparte celebrates the first anniversary of his coronation with a victory at Austerlitz over a Russian and Austrian army.
1823		President James Monroe proclaims the principles known as the Monroe Doctrine, “that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintained, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by European powers.”
1863		General Braxton Bragg turns over command of the Army of Tennessee to General William Hardee at Dalton, Ga.
1864		Major General Grenville M. Dodge is named to replace General William Rosencrans as Commander of the Department of Missouri.
1867		People wait in mile-long lines to hear Charles ****ens give his first reading in New York City.
1907		Spain and France agree to enforce Moroccan measures adopted in 1906.
1909		J.P. Morgan acquires majority holdings in Equitable Life Co. This is the largest concentration of bank power to date.
1914		Austrian troops occupy Belgrade, Serbia.

[Mike George]

Thanks for the good read.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Sunday 3^rd December 1916

Today we lost: 309

Today’s losses include:

• A member of J R R Tolkien’s Tea Club and Barrovian Society
• The son of a General
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Lieutenant and Adjutant Geoffrey Bache Smith (Lancashire Fusiliers) dies of shrapnel wounds received 29^th November at age 22. He is a member with and friend of J R R Tolkien in The Tea Club and Barrovian Society. Four of the eight members of TCBS will be killed in the war including another friend and member Robert Quilter Gilson was killed on the first day of the Somme earlier this year.
• Major Claud George Ironside Currie (Dorsetshire Regiment) dies at home at age 46 while on active service. He is the son of Major General Robert Hamilton Currie.
• Lance Corporal Frank William John Dedman (West Surrey Regiment) is killed at age 20 at Arras. His brother will die of wounds as a prisoner of war in August 1917.
• Private William James Jeffers (Australian Infantry) is killed in action at age 24. His brother was killed in August of this year.
• Private Henry Trigger (Somerset Light Infantry) dies on service at home at age 31. His brother was killed last April.
• Private Frank Morgan Smith (Bedfordshire Regiment) is killed at age 20. His twin brother was killed last May.

Air Operations:

Italian aviators attack Dottogliano and Scoppo railway stations.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

Capt Stewart, H.N. (Harold North), RFC. Killed whilst flying.

2Lt Thornley, M. (Maurice), RFC. Accidentally killed aged 19.

Claims: 4

Linienschiffsleutnant Gottfried Freiherr von Banfield claims his 8^th confirmed victory for Triest NAB in a Hansa-Brandenberg FB shooting down a Caproni Ca.I east of Mavhinje.


Caproni Ca.I


Hauptmann Godwin Brumowski claims his 4^th confirmed victory with Flik 12, flying a Hansa-Brandenberg DI shooting down a Caproni Ca.I east of Mavhinje. A gifted pilot, Brumowski was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's highest scoring ace. When war was declared, he was serving as an officer in an artillery regiment. After distinguishing himself in combat on the Russian front, he transferred to the air service in July 1915. Posted to Flik 1, he frequently flew missions as Otto Jindra’s observer before becoming a pilot on 3 July 1916. In November 1916, Brumowski joined Flik 12 on the Italian front. Scoring five victories in less than two months, he was one of the few Austro-Hungarian pilots to receive the Gold Medal for Bravery.


Brumowski shooting down his 7th victim in a Hansa-Brandenburg DI



Hauptmann Adolf Heyrowsky claims his 6^th confirmed victory with Flik 19 flying a Hansa-Brandenberg CI shooting down a Caproni near Gorizia.

Hansa-Brandrenburg CI


Oberleutnant Alexander Tahy claims his 1^st confirmed victory with Flik 19 as an observer in a Hansa-Brandenberg CI shooting down a Caproni near Gorizia (See above entry).After serving with an artillery regiment, Tahy transferred to the Army Air Service in early 1916. Posted to Flik 12 on the Isonzo front, he was soon reassigned to Flik 19 after a disagreement with his commanding officer. With this unit he was wounded in action on 3 December 1916 and scored five victories as an observer in less than seven months.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Sunday 3^rd December 1916:
(Dispatch rider late, something to do with an Aspidistra and a gramophone!)

Front line trenches near Zouave Wood (I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7)

After another quiet day, in the evening the Battalion was relieved by 11^th West Yorks and took over their billets in the Infantry Barracks in Ypres.


Eastern Front:

Rumania: Falkenhayn signs 3-day armistice allowing Bucharest’s evacuation (arsenal and forts blown up on December 4).

Severe fighting in Carpathian and Moldavian Valleys; Russians push up the Trotus.

Romanian retreat south-east; heavily beaten by Mackensen on Lower Arges.

Bulgars repulse Russian assaults in the Dobruja.

Southern Front:

Serbia: Serb Drina Division captures Gruniste east of Crna, then Staravina on December 4.

Outrages against Venizelists at Athens; 1,300 French troops landed at Piraeus, but re-embarked.

Naval Operations:

Eastern Atlantic:German submarine U 38 shells Funchal, Madeira, sinking 3 ships (U 156 repeats it on December 12, 1917) as French sloop Surprise off port.

Shipping Losses: 13


Kanguroo (right) with Dacia in the background The French submarine carrier was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Funchal, Madeira by SM U-38.

Political:

Admiral Sir Henry Jackson, First Sea Lord, Great Britain, resigns (see 4th, and May 28th, 1915).

British and French Governments conclude agreement (the "Clementel Agreement"): (1) to unite British ships in French service to those already employed; (2) to co-ordinate Allied tonnage; (3) to create inter-allied bureau to centralise charter of neutral shipping (see January 6th, November 3rd, and December 3rd, 1917).

Mr. Asquith decides on re-construction of Government.

Wage dispute in South Wales settled in favour of miners.

Neutrals:

Greek Government gives pledge to Allies.

Anniversary Events:

1468		Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano succeed their father, Piero de Medici, as rulers of Florence, Italy.
1762		France cedes to Spain all lands west of the Mississippi–the territory known as Upper Louisiana.
1818		Illinois admitted into the Union as the 21st state.
1800		The French defeat an Austrian army at the Battle of Hohenlinden, near Munich.
1847		Frederick Douglass and Martin R. Delaney establish the North Star, and anti-slavery paper.
1862		Confederate raiders attack a Federal forage train on the Hardin Pike near Nashville, Tenn.
1863		Confederate General James Longstreet moves his army east and north toward Greeneville. This withdrawal marks the end of the Fall Campaign in Tennessee.
1864		Major general William Tecumseh Sherman meets with slight resistance from Confederate troops at Thomas Station on his march to the sea.
1906		The U.S. Supreme Court orders Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) leaders extradited to Idaho for trial in the Steunenberg murder case.
1915		The United States expels German attaches on spy charges.
1916		French commander Joseph Joffre is dismissed after his failure at the Somme. General Robert Nivelle is the new French commander in chief.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

As we are now over 100,000 views may I send a hearty thanks and we'll done to Chris (Hedeby) for starting this thread many moons ago.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Hear,hear. I add my congratulations to Chris and the Staff of the Snipers Times for reaching this incredible number of copies sold. i wonder to what other dizzy heights we can aspire.
Rob.

[Rebel]

Congratulations on reaching this elevated milestone. Salute!

[Hedeby]

100,000 wow that is not shabby at all - thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read our editions, and a big thanks to Rob and Neil for seeing us through the first two and a bit years... it is almost 1917 and soon we will be able to welcome our cousins from across the pond into the mix. (Obviously I don't mean the wonderful Canadians who have been in the thick of it from the kick off...)

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

......soon we will be able to welcome our cousins from across the pond into the mix.

My cousins live in Durham, there is no pond where I live...am I missing something?

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Monday 4^th December 1916

Today we lost: 241

Today’s losses include:

• The son of Baron Rowallan
• A son-in-law of Lord Belhaven
• The son of a member of the clergy
• Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Flight Sub Lieutenant ‘The Honorable’ Arthur Cameron Corbett (Royal Naval Air Service) is killed in action in France at age 18. He is the son of the 1^st Baron Rowallan.
• Second Lieutenant James Cowie Simpson (Royal Engineers) is killed at age 31. He is one of three son-in-laws of the 9^th Lord Belhaven to lose his life in the Great War.
• Second Lieutenant Arthur Patrick Donnell (Northumberland Fusiliers attached Royal Flying Corps) is accidentally killed in Norfolk at age 18. He is the son of the Reverend Charles Ernest Havelock Donnell Vicar of Stamfordham who lost another son on HMS Shark at Jutland.
• Sergeant William Arthur Cannon (Royal Field Artillery) dies of wounds at age 32. His brother will be killed next July.
• Private Charles Bostock (Australian Infantry) is killed at age 35. His brother will be killed next May.

Air Operations:

Great aerial activity on Tigris front (Mesopotamia). English aviators carry out reprisal on Turkish camps.

Western Front: RFC loses 2 aircraft in air combat, claims 9 Germans shot or forced down.

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 7

Flt Sub-Lt Brimer, C.T. (Charles Torryburn), Benbridge Seaplane Station, RNAS. Killed in Action -Drowned aged 18, F.B.A. Type A Flying Boat No.3639 failed to return from patrol.

Flt Sub-Lt Corbett, A.C. (Arthur Cameron, The Hon.), 8N Squadron, RNAS. Killed in Action on the Somme 4, flying Nieuport 17b Scout No.3957 in Flers - Delville Wood area, aged 18.

2Lt Crompton, H.D. (Henry Dent "Harry"), 4 Squadron, RFC. Killed in Action aged 21. Pilot of B.E. 2d 6732 on Artillery Observation, in combat with two hostile airceaft over Miraumont, shot up, Observer, 856 Flight Serjt. G W Halstead (who had been wounded) forced to land aircraft west of Courcele.

Lt Heald, I. (Ivan), 25 Squadron, RFC. Killed in action aged 33.

Lt Johnson, D.S. (Derrick Sivewright) 25 Squadron, RFC. Killed in action aged 21.

2Lt Morgan, C.E. (Cyril Edward), ‘X’ Aircraft Park, Abbassia, Egypt, RFC, aged 29.

A Mech 2 (Obs) Newton, C.W. (Charles William), Aerial Musketry Range, 4 Squadron, RFC. Killed by machine nose-diving to the ground while acting as observer at Camiers, aged 30

Claims: 11

Capt George Goodman Simpson, 8N, RNAS, claims his 1^st confirmed victory shooting down an Albatros DI north east of Bapaume. Having joined the Royal Naval Air Service in August 1915, Flight Sub-Lieutenant George Goodman Simpson received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate 2362 on 29 January 1916.


Lt Carleton Main Clement, 22 Squadron, RFC, claims his 1^st confirmed victory shooting down an Albatros DI near Baraste. The son of the Hon. Justice W. H. P. Clement, Carleton Main Clement attended public school in Vancouver, British Columbia before attending Victoria College at the University of Toronto in 1912 and 1913. Having served with the 31st B.C. Horse, Clement resigned his commission in the militia and enlisted as a private in the 30th Battalion in June 1915. In March 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate 2563 on 16 March 1916. After training and a promotion to First Lieutenant he was posted to 22 Squadron in June 1916.

Lt Otto Splitgerber, Jasta 12, claims his1st confirmed victory shooting down a FE2b near Farbus.


Lt Charles Eugene Jules Marie Nungesser, N65, claims his 19^th & 20^th confirmed victories shooting down a Halberstadt west of Nurlu and a LVG C east of Lechelle.

Lt Robert Little, 8N, RNAS, claims his 2^nd victory.

Lt Alwyen Loyd, 22 Squadron, RFC, claims his 2^nd confirmed victory.

Lt Chester Stairs Duffus, 22 Squadron, RFC, claims his 4^th confirmed victory.

Lt Edwin Benbow, 40 Squadron, RFC, claims his 4^th confirmed victory.

Flt Lt Stanley Goble, 8N, RNAS, claims his 7^th confirmed victory.

Sous Lt Marcel P. Viallet, N67, claims his 7^th confirmed victory.

Western Front
Tunstills Men Monday 4^th December 1916:

Infantry Barracks in Ypres



The next few days would be generally quiet, although large working parties, of up to 200 men, were provided each night for the Royal Engineers.

A detachment of 25 men were attached for one month’s duty with 101^st Field Company, Royal Engineers, which was attached to 23^rd Division.

Lt. Frank Redington MC (see 28^th November) re-joined the Battalion following a one-week leave to England.

2Lt. Frederick Millward (see 20^th November), who had been severely injured during the trench raid carried out two weeks earlier, was evacuated to England for further treatment. He travelled overnight (4^th/5^Th December) from Boulogne to Dover onboard the hospital ship, St. Andrew.

Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 28^th November), who had been permanently discharged from the Army on account of illness contracted in service and had been admitted to Leeds General Infirmary a week earlier, underwent a major operation to attempt to alleviate the symptoms of his TB. A major incision was made from his right armpit down the right side of his chest, with three ribs removed to allow access to the infected lung, and a large portion of the infected tissue in the lung removed.

Enquiries continued into the financial affairs of the late Lt. Harry Harris (see 22^nd November) who had been killed at Le Sars. The War Office requested that the Regimental Paymaster of the Middlesex Regiment, with which Harris had served prior to being commissioned, check their records and report any details of his account with them.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury, (see 7^th November) serving with 3DWR at North Shields was examined by a Medical Board assembled at Tynemouth. The Board found that, “This officer’s condition has improved very much. He now sleeps well, but he is occasionally troubled with attacks of nerves. He should be fit for general service in a couple of weeks”.

Eastern Front:

Fighting in Stanislau and Tarnopol (Galicia).

Russians capture peak commanding Jablonitsa Pass.

Struggle continues round Bucharest.

Southern Front:

French and Serbs advance eastwards of Monastir.

Quieter at Athens; detachments (Allies) continue to re-embark.

Salonika: Turk XX Corps HQ arrives east of Struma, rest of formation by January 11, 1917.

Naval Operations:

"Caledonia" (Anchor Line) torpedoed in Mediterranean by submarine. Crew saved, Captain Blaikie prisoner.

Britain:Jellicoe succeeds Admiral Sir H Jackson as First Sea Lord (post offered on November 22). He forms an Admiralty Anti-submarine Division under rear-admiral Duff.

Shipping Losses: 7

Political:

Britain:Asquith appeared sidelined when he accepted Lloyd George’s suggestion that a small cabinet committee direct the war, to the exclusion of the Prime Minister himself. His following change of mind led to a rift with Lloyd George which forced Asquith to resign on the same day his Chancellor resigned.

The King approves of re-construction of Government.

Lord R. Cecil on situation in Greece.

Anniversary Events:

771		With the death of his brother Carloman, Charlemagne becomes sole ruler of the Frankish Empire.
1861		The U.S. Senate, voting 36 to 0, expels Senator John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky because of his joining the Confederate Army.
1861		Queen Victoria of Britain forbids the export of gunpowder, firearms and all materials for their production.
1862		Winchester, Va., falls into Union hands, resulting in the capture of 145 Southern soldiers.
1863		Seven solid days of bombardment ends at Charleston, S.C. The Union fires some 1,307 rounds.
1872		The U.S. brigantine Marie Celeste is found adrift and deserted with its cargo intact, in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal.
1900		The French National Assembly, successor to the States-General, rejects Nationalist General Mercier’s proposal to plan an invasion of England.
1914		The first Seaplane Unit formed by the German Navy officially comes into existence and begins operations from Zeebrugge, Belgium.

[Mike George]

Thank you nice read.

[mikeemagnus]

As we are now over 100,000 views may I send a hearty thanks and we'll done to Chris (Hedeby) for starting this thread many moons ago.

I agree - fantastic job done by all involved. Many thanks for the great thread and amazing devotion to duty

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Tuesday 5^th December 1916

Today we lost: 254

Barnbow National Shell Filling factory (near Leeds) explosion kills 35 munitionettes.

During bombing practice at Cleethorpes a live grenade which is thrown by one of the men fails to clear the parapet. The bomb is picked up and thrown a second time but again fails to clear the parapet. By this time the fuse has burned nearly to the end but Lieutenant Eric Arnold Shacklady (Manchester Regiment) runs forward, picks up the grenade and is about to throw it when it explodes blowing off his hand. For his actions Lieutenant Shacklady will be awarded the Albert Medal.

Today’s losses include:

• Multiple sons of members of the clergy
• An Australian Rules footballer
• A man whose brother was killed last July

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

• Captain Arthur Michael Durrant MC (Royal Engineers) dies of wounds received in action. He was the son of the Reverend Arthur, vicar of Leverstock Green. While attached to the tunneling section he is in charge of as a mining party which accidentally breaks into a German mine about to explode. He prevents the Germans from exploding their mine by exploding his first for which he was awarded the Military Cross.
• Second Lieutenant Cecil John Hastings Mouritz (Leinster Regiment) is killed. He is the son of the Reverend Stafford Mouritz Rector of Mayne Westmeath.
• Sergeant Percy Edward Rowe (Australian Infantry) dies of shrapnel wounds at age 27. He is an Australian Rules Footballer who scored 28 goals in 82 games playing for Collingwood from 1911 to 1915.
• Private Alfred George Glastonbury (New Zealand Rifle Brigade) dies in England of gastritis at age 34. His brother was killed in July during a raid on a German trench.

Air Operations:

Royal Flying Corps Losses today: 2

Lt Donnell, A.P. (Arthur Patrick), 59 Squadron, RFC. Killed whilst flying aged 18.

A Mech 2 Hughes, R.G. (Richard George), 22^nd Kite Balloon Section, RFC, aged 18.

Claims: There are no claims today.

Western Front

Tunstills Men Tuesday 5^th December 1916:

Infantry Barracks in Ypres

Another quiet day, with large working parties again supplied overnight for the Royal Engineers.

2Lt. Fred Baume (see 23^rd October), who had been wounded during the actions at Le Sars, was now deemed fit for light duty at home, and joined 3DWR at North Shields.

Eastern Front:

Battle of the Arges (Rumania) ends (see 1st).

Rumania: Colonel Norton*-Griffiths, Military Police, sabotages Ploesti oilfields (827,000t petrol lost) as Falkenhayn’s Group Morgen approaches and occupies on December 6.

Enemy counter-attacks in Carpathians.
Mackensen's demand for surrender of Bucharest refused; Romanians abandon Predeal Pass; their Orsova rearguard gives battle on the Aluta.

Africa, Asiatic & Egyptian Theatres:

East Africa: Portugese invested at Newala, Marumba and Majembi but escape over river Rovuma to Nangedi which Germans occupy between December 8-20.

Arabia:Turks retake Qunfideh on coast south of Mecca and drive Feisal back to Yanbo where Lawrence soon arrives.

Naval Operations:

Shipping Losses: 6 (5 by U-Boat, 1 by mine)

Political:

Germany: Hindenburg Auxiliary Service Law, all males from 17-60 years liable.

Britain: Asquith resigns. King asks Bonar Law to form government but Asquith twice refuses to serve under him so Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister.

Allies associate themselves with Belgian protest against German slave raids in Belgium.

Neutrals:

Greece: Much unrest at Athens, but comparative order. Reservists concerned in attack dismissed.

Anniversary Events:

1484		Pope Innocent VIII issues a bill deploring the spread of witchcraft and heresy in Germany.
1776		Phi Beta Kappa is organized as the first American college Greek letter-fraternity, at William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va.
1791		Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna.
1861		In the U.S. Congress, petitions and bills calling for the abolition of slavery are introduced.
1862		Union General Ulysses S. Grant‘s cavalry receives a setback in an engagement on the Mississippi Central Railroad at Coffeeville, Mississippi.
1864		Confederate General John Bell Hood sends Nathan Bedford Forest‘s cavalry and a division of infantry toward Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1904		The Japanese destroy a Russian fleet at Port Arthur in Korea.
1909		George Taylor makes the first manned glider flight in Australia in a glider that he designed himself.
1912		Italy, Austria and Germany renew the Triple Alliance for six years.
1916		David Lloyd George replaces Herbert Asquith as the British prime minister.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

I now pass over the baton and typewriter again, to Chris.

[Hedeby]

EXcellent work over the past few days Neil - I know with the winter settling in all along the Western front it does seem to have curtailed activities somewhat - especially in the air.

[mikeemagnus]

Many thanks Neil - great stint

[Hedeby]

No pressure here then lol...

[Hedeby]

Attachment 209212

Well I'm back - hard act to follow Neil - so thanks again. Looks like the winter has shut down most of the Western Front on the ground and in the air - looking at my regular sources good stories are about as hard to find as a three course christmas dinner in a front line trench, but here at the Sniper's Times we are dedicated to bringing you something no matter how deep we have to dig into archives etc. Tonight's edition is brought to you by a cheeky 2009 Malbec and the music of Steam Powered Giraffe...

December 6th 1916

Today's sponsors



5 AIRMEN HAVE FALLEN ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6TH 1916

Lieutenant Harold Staples Brewster 49 Squadron RFC - Died as a result of a aeroplane accident at Dover 6 December 1916 aged 23



At an inquest on Lieut. H.S. Brewster, Royal Canadians, attd. R.F.C., who was killed Dec 6th, while flying, the evidence showed that when at a height of about 200 ft. his machine nose-dived and crashed to earth, Lieut. Brewster being killed instantly. It was thought he attempted to descend too steeply." "A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

Captain Leslie Oakes Crowther 12 Squadron RFC - Killed while flying 6 December 1916 aged 25

CAPTAIN LESLIE OAKES CROWTHER. Flight Commander, R.F.C., killed on December 6, was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Crowther, of Broadclyst, Beckenham, Kent. Born in 1891, he was educated at St. Andrew's School, Eastbourne, and Malvern College, afterwards spending two years in New York and Dresden for educational purposes. Captain Crowther joined the Royal West Kent Regiment in September, 1914, and in December, 1915, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. For many months he had been at the front, where he was engaged in many air flights and bomb-dropping expeditions. His major writes:- "The squadron has lost a most capable and poular officer, and I cannot say how sorry I am and my officers to have lost such a good fellow" Capt Leslie Oakes Crowther (formerly 9th Bn, Royal West Kent Regiment) was flying BE 2d 5832 of No 12 Sqn RFC when he was killed in an accident on 6 December 1916. He is buried at Avesnes-le-Comte, France. The observer in 4832 was 2Lt A B Fanstone, who was injured. It may be significant that the RFC Communiqué says of the period 5 to 9 December (inclusive): No service flying took place due to unfavourable weather.

Air Mechanic 1st Class Peter Boyd Gardener 59 Squadron RFC Died of injuries 6 December 1916 aged 28, received whilst flying on 4 December 1916, Armstrong Whitworth FK3 5540 crashed, pilot, Lt A P Donnell was Killed

Air Mechanic 1st Class Herbert Edward Robinson - Royal Naval Air Service, H.M.S. 'President II' - Kingsnorth Naval Airship Station

Lieutenant Thomas Atkinson Tillard 1 Squadron RFC - Killed in Action 6 December 1916 aged 32. Son of the late Algernon Tillard; half-brother of Helen Lubbock, of Adhurst St. Mary, Petersfield, Hants. He is buried at BAILLEUL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION, NORD FRANCE

There were no aerial victory claims by either side on this day in 1916 (god help whoever is writing this in 1917 as there must be 40 claims on that day)

On this day we lost 240 men...

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Captain Denys Keppel Garnier (Gloucestershire Regiment) dies of wounds in Salonika at age 26. He is the son of the Very Reverend Thomas Garnier.
Captain Arthur Reginald Loveband (West Yorkshire Regiment) is killed at age 26. His brother will be killed in March 1918 and they are sons of the Reverend Matthew Loveband.
Lieutenant Thomas Atkinson Tillard (Norfolk Yeomanry attached Royal Flying Corps) is accidentally killed testing a mono plane.
Second Lieutenant Richard Harry James Willis Ridgway (Gloucestershire Regiment attached Trench Mortar Battery) is killed in action at age 19. He is the son of Brigadier General R Ridgway.
Lance Corporal William MacBeath (Seaforth Highlanders) is killed. His two brothers will be killed over the next year and a half.
Private Bernard Walker (York & Lancaster Regiment) is killed at age 20. His brother was killed in May 1915.
Private Albert Ernest Veart (Auckland Infantry) dies of wounds received 30th He played forward for the Hobson Football Club.

The War at Sea

The destroyer HMS Ariel (Lieutenant James Vandeleur Creagh) sinks the German submarine UC-19. (this was the second successful anti U-Boat action with HMS Aerial having sunk U-12 back in March of 1916)



HMS Ariel was an Acheron-class destroyer built in 1911, which served during the First World War and sank in 1918 after striking a mine. Named after Shakespeare's "airy spirit", or the biblical spirit of the same name, she was the tenth and last ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy. With her sister, Acheron, she was a "Thornycroft special", and as such was slightly longer and more powerful than the standard destroyer of her class. Ariel was laid down at the Woolston yard of John I. Thornycroft & Company, and launched on 26 September 1911. Capable of 29 kn (33 mph; 54 km/h), she carried two 4 in (100 mm) guns, other smaller guns and 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes and had a complement of 70 men. As part of the First Destroyer Flotilla, she was attached to the Grand Fleet in August 1914, and then to the Third Battle Squadron from the spring of 1916. Once converted to a minelayer in 1917, she became part of the 20th Flotilla. As part of the Harwich Force, the First Destroyer Flotilla took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August. On 24 January 1915, Ariel took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank as part of the First Destroyer Flotilla, with Aurora as flotilla leader. Aurora was the first British ship to engage the German ships as she encountered Hipper's screening vessels at the Dogger Bank at 07:05.

On 6 December 1916, UC-19 sank the Russian sailing ship Ans (Later claimed to have been sunk by UB-29). The P&O vessel Kashmir sent out a radio warning, and later the same day Ariel's lookouts spotted the conning tower of a submarine. A depth charge was dropped in the position of the submarine, but it failed to explode. Ariel's explosive paravane was deployed, and after an explosion at about 30 ft (9.1 m), oil and bubbles were observed. Twenty-five German sailors were killed, and UC-19 now lies in about 330 ft (100 m) of water in an approximate position of 49°41′N 06°31′W.

Western Front

Tunstill's men: Another quiet day, with large working parties again supplied overnight for for the Royal Engineers. (billeted at the Infantry barracks in Ypres)



Germany: Berlin Casualty Office ceases to publish regular casualty lists (Verlustliste), giving names, regiments or other particulars. Henceforward alphabetical lists of individuals appear with no indication of unit or even the front concerned.

Verdun*: Germans capture trenches at Hill 304, French recapture it on December 7.

African Fronts
East Africa – Action at Fort Kibata (until December 9): Lettow attacks 800 British troops with 3 (German) guns and seizes Picquet Hill, causing 127 casualties.

Eastern Front
Rumania – FALL OF BUCHAREST: Mackensen rides in on a white charger, on his 67th birthday. Kaiser celebrates with champagne. 8,000 survivors of Rumanian 1st Division with 26 guns surrender on river Aluta after 125-mile retreat to east.


German Field Marshal August von Mackensen celebrates the capture of Bucharest.

The Battle of Bucharest, also known as the Argeş-Neajlov Defensive Operation in Romania, was an important battle of the Romanian Campaign in World War I, in which the Central Powers occupied the Romanian capital and forced the Romanian Government, as well as the remnants of the Romanian Army to retreat to Moldova and re-establish its capital at Iaşi. The sheer number of troops involved, as well as the large area of operations, make it one of the most complex battles fought on Romanian soil during the war. After three months of heavy fighting, the Central Powers finally managed to push all Romanian troops beyond the Olt river on 26 November 1916. The next day, they began their advance towards the city. The Prunaru Charge launched by the Romanian Cavalry the following day managed to delay the Central Powers, giving precious time to the Romanian forces who were building up east of the Argeș river.

On 1 December, the Romanian Army began its attack, striking the 20 km wide gap between the Mackensen and Falkenhayn groups. German General Erich Ludendorff considered the situation to be very serious: "On 1 December the left flank of the Danube Army was very powerfully attacked South-West of Bucharest and pushed back. The German troops who crossed the Neajlov were cut off and isolated. The situation most certainly became very critical." Romanian forces captured thousands of prisoners and significant quantities of material during this counter-offensive and only the last-minute intervention of the 26th Turkish Infantry Division on 2 December saved Mackensen's group from encirclement. The Romanians suffered a considerable setback when a staff car carrying attack plans accidentally drove into a German position and was captured.These plans were vital to the Germans, as they soon managed to push back the Romanian forces, leaving the way to the capital open.


Falkenhayn's cavalry entering Bucharest on 6 December 1916

After the battle, minor actions were fought in the fortifications surrounding Bucharest between the invading Germans and the Romanian reserves which had failed to arrive due to the actions of Alexandru Socec, a subordinate of Constantin Prezan and a naturalized German. The city was eventually occupied by the Central Powers on 6 December. However, in spite of the human, material and military efforts made by the Central Powers throughout this period, they failed to achieve their fundamental political and strategic goal, namely Romania's defeat and her getting out of the war. Despite heavy casualties, some 250,000 men, which were almost one third of the manpower mobilized in August 1916, and losses of combat material, the Romanian Army was still a force taken into consideration by allies and enemies alike and capable to offer resistance to further attacks. Before retreating, Romanian troops burned down the oil wells at Ploiești along with the surrounding wheat fields so as to keep them out of the hands of the Central Powers. Bucharest was eventually liberated after the Central Powers' surrender in 1918.



Meanwhile on the home front....

David Lloyd George becomes British Prime Minister

“There are certain indispensable qualities essential to the Chief Minister of the Crown in a great war. . . . Such a minister must have courage, composure, and judgment. All this Mr. Asquith possessed in a superlative degree. . . . But a war minister must also have vision, imagination and initiative—he must show untiring assiduity, must exercise constant oversight and supervision of every sphere of war activity, must possess driving force to energize this activity, must be in continuous consultation with experts, official and unofficial, as to the best means of utilising the resources of the country in conjunction with the Allies for the achievement of victory. If to this can be added a flair for conducting a great fight, then you have an ideal War Minister”.

These words of Lloyd George summarise the weaknesses of Asquith as a Prime Minister in times of War and the picture Lloyd George had of himself as the “ideal War Minister” .Already Minister of Munitions he was facing the massive challenge of ensuring that the British Army had the ammunition necessary to fight the Great War.



It is astonishing how the boy from the small village Llanystumdwy in Gwynedd became the most powerful statesman in Great Britain and a person of worldwide stature. Born in Manchester and raised by his mother and uncle on his father’s death at 44 years of age. The family moved to Llanystumdwy and initially lived with “Uncle Lloyd” in Highgate, a cottage in the village. It is more than likely that Lloyd George’s strengths of leadership were clearly seen when still a schoolboy and these strengths developed into plans and dreams as he grew older. Visiting the House of Commons as a teenager he viewed that assembly as territory to be conquered and in April 1890 he was elected Liberal M.P. for the Caernarfon Boroughs.

His steady rise to various ministerial offices recognised his many talents – President of the Board of Trade, Chancellor of the Exchequer where he introduced many reforms including Old Age Pensions and led a challenge that reduced the powers of the House of Lords, Minister of Munitions and finally the Premiership. He won the support not only of his own Liberal M.P.s but of the country outside of Parliament. He was able to attract huge audiences and was for hundreds of thousands their top parliamentarian “the man who won the war”. When he died Churchill regarded him as the “greatest Welshman since the Tudors”

December 6th 2016 records that ascendancy to be Prime Minister of one of Wales’ greatest sons

[Mike George]

Shorter than most of the posts, but nice.

[mikeemagnus]

Nice one Chris - and no pressure whatsoever !!! Like the ear defenders - they look like the beginnings of a chess set Cheers, Mike

[Hedeby]

December 7th 1916

So 25 years before this day went down in infamy (infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy...) lets see what was happening - we know the weather was cold and wintry along the Western front....



1 AIRMAN HAS FALLEN ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 7TH 1916

2nd. Lieutenant George Aubyn Powell Died on 7 December 1916 from injuries received when knocked down by a motor cyclist near Thetford the day before. Son of Harry and Georgina Bridella Powell (nee Smith), Napier.



Once again there were no aerial victory claims on this day.

On this day we lost 296 men

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Sergeant Samuel Herbert Goudie (Cameron Highlanders) dies of wounds at age 30 at Tumbitza Farm Macedonia. His brother will be killed in March 1918.
Lance Corporal Perccival George Bicknell (Grenadier Guards) dies of wounds. He is a Constable for the Worcester Constabulary.
Sapper Stanley Charles Knight (Royal Engineers) is killed in action at Salonika.
Private Newton Simmons (Royal Sussex Regiment) dies of wounds at age 25. His older brother was killed last October.

The War at Sea

"Suffren", French battleship, reported lost with all hands. (however one report has the sinking on 26th November)



Suffren was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy, launched in July 1899. She was named after French Vice Admiral Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez. The ship was originally intended to be a modified version of the Iéna design with more firepower and better armour. Before World War I Suffren had an eventful career as she twice collided with French ships and twice had propeller shafts break. She was quickly sent to the Dardanelles after the beginning of the war to reinforce British forces already there. Suffren joined the British ships in multiple bombardments of the Ottoman fortifications at the mouth of the Dardanelles. She was moderately damaged during the major action of 18 March 1915 and had to be sent to Toulon for repairs. Upon their completion she returned to provide gunfire support for the Allied forces during the Gallipoli Campaign. The ship provided covering fire as the Allies withdrew from the peninsula and accidentally sank one of the evacuation ships. After repairs she was assigned to the French squadron assigned to prevent any interference by the Greeks with Allied operations on the Salonica front. While en route to Lorient for a refit Suffren was torpedoed off Lisbon on 26 November 1916 and sunk with all hands.

To save time Suffren was only intended to be an updated version of Iéna with modest improvements in armament and armour, but the number of improvements grew as the project was discussed by the Naval Council (French: Conseil des travaux de la Marine) so that she was essentially a new design, only retaining some of Iéna's layout. The biggest changes were the mounting of the bulk of the secondary armament in turrets, rather than Iéna's casemates, and the constant thickness of the waterline belt armour compared to Iéna's belt which thinned towards the ends of the ship. Stowage of shells for the main armament also increased from 45 to 60 rounds per gun.

Shortly after the war began Suffren was fitted with additional Barr and Stround rangefinders near the bridge. Two of these were mounted on transverse rails fore and aft of the bridge. The after bulkhead was removed and the two 100-millimetre (3.9 in) guns on the side of the superstructure were moved one deck lower. On 26 September 1914 Suffren and the battleship Vérité were ordered to the Dardanelles to assist British ships in blockading the Dardanelles to prevent any sortie by the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau back into the Mediterranean. On 3 November the two French pre-dreadnoughts joined British ships bombarding the Ottoman fortifications at the mouth of the Dardanelles. The short, eleven-minute, bombardment by the French did little damage, but alerted the Ottomans that their defences there required strengthening. On 16 November Suffren sailed for Toulon for a lengthy refit. Suffren returned to the Dardanelles on 9 January 1915 and became the flagship of the squadron of four French battleships, commanded by Rear-Admiral Émile Guépratte. She bombarded the Turkish fort of Kum Kale, on the Asian side of the strait on 19 February. Bouvet assisted Suffren by sending firing corrections via radio while Gaulois provided counter-battery fire to suppress the Ottoman coastal artillery. Late in the day the British pre-dreadnought HMS Vengeance was bombarding the fort at Orhaniye Tepe on the Asiatic side of the strait and began taking heavy fire as she approached the fort. The British battlecruiser HMS Inflexible attempted to suppress the Ottoman coast-defense guns to allow Vengeance to extricate herself, but was unsuccessful. Suffren and Gaulois had to combine their fire with that of Inflexible before Vengeance could successfully withdraw.Suffren fired thirty 305-millimetre shells and 227 164-millimetre shells during the day.

Suffren also participated in a more limited way in the bombardment of 25 February against the same targets, but this was far more successful as Suffren and the other ships moved as close as 3,000 yards (2,700 m) to the forts. On 2 March the French squadron bombarded targets in the Gulf of Saros, at the base of the Gallipoli Peninsula. On 7 March the French squadron attempted to suppress the Turkish guns while British battleships bombarded the fortifications. Admiral Guépratte and his squadron returned to the Gulf of Saros on 11 March where they again bombarded Turkish fortifications.

They returned to assist in the major attack on the fortifications planned for 18 March. British ships made the initial entry into the Dardanelles, but the French ships passed through them to engage the forts at closer range. Shortly after having done so Suffren was under heavy fire and was struck no less than 14 times in 15 minutes. Most did no significant damage, including a 24-centimetre (9.4 in) that bounced off the after 305-millimetre turret, but one 24-centimetre shell ricocheted off the port midships 164-millimetre turret and ripped the roof off the port casemate, killing the entire gun crew. Some flaming debris dropped into that gun's magazine and started a fire, but it was quickly flooded to prevent an explosion. Another shell tore a hole 80 millimetres (3.1 in) across in the bow which flooded the base of the forward turret. While the French Squadron was withdrawing pursuant to Admiral de Robeck's order Bouvet struck a mine and sank in 55 seconds. Suffren lowered her admiral's barge, her only intact boat, and rescued 75 men before she had to escort the badly-damaged Gaulois away from the Dardanelles. The latter was taking on water by the bow and had to be beached on one of the Rabbit Islands at the entrance of the Dardanelles before she sank.[21]

Suffren was ordered to escort Gaulois to Toulon via Malta on 25 March. Two days later the ships encountered a storm and were forced to seek refuge in the Bay of Navarin. Suffren arrived at Toulon on 3 April and was repaired by 20 May when she returned to the Dardanelles to provide gunfire support for the troops ashore. She remained in the area until she fired her last mission on 31 December. Upon returning to her anchorage at Kefalos, on the island of Kos, she collided with, and sank, the British steamer Saint Oswald, a horse transport involved in the evacuation from Gallipoli, and was badly damaged. Suffren arrived in Toulon on 20 January 1916 for repairs which were done by April. That month she joined the French squadron of six pre-dreadnoughts assigned to prevent any interference by the Greeks with Allied operations on the Salonica front. On 9 July Suffren became flagship of the squadron when Patrie departed for a refit at Toulon. On 7 October Patrie, Démocratie, and Suffren entered the harbour of Eleusina prepared to fire on the Greek pre-dreadnoughts Kilkis, Limnos and the cruiser Elli, but things were resolved peacefully and the French ship returned to their harbour. Suffren was originally intended to refit at the naval base at Bizerte, but the location was switched when the dockyard at Lorient informed the Naval Staff that it had room for her. On 15 November the ship departed to re-coal at Bizerte which she reached on 18 November. She sailed on 20 November for Gibraltar; heavy weather en route delayed her arrival until 23 November. Suffren re-coaled and departed Gibraltar the following day, without an escort. On the morning of 26 November, roughly 50 nautical miles (92.6 km; 57.5 mi) off the Portuguese coast near Lisbon, she was torpedoed by the German submarine SM U-52, en route to the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro. The torpedo detonated a magazine and Suffren sank within seconds, taking her entire crew of 648 with her. U-52 searched the scene but found no survivors.

The tanker S S Conch (Edwin Stott) is sunk with a loss of 28 including her master when she is torpedoed 12 miles southwest from Anvil Point.



On December 8th, 1916, the British tanker Conch, on a voyage from Calcutta & Rangoon to Thames with a cargo of benzine, was sunk by the German submarine UB-23 (Heinz Ziemer), 10 miles south of Poole or 12 miles SxW1/2W from Anvil Point. 28 persons were killed. Conch was a 5,620grt defensively-armed British Merchant ship.

The wreck lies on its port side almost upside down. The stern is intact but has collapsed. The propeller is in place but the rudder has fallen off. There is snagged trawl net in this area. Moving forward a large break in the hull can be seen. This is the engine room area as a boiler can be seen inside. The next 50m of upturned hull is fairly featureless apart from the odd small hole. The forward part of the wreck has collapsed further and a large shingle bank has built up over it. Beyond the shingle bank are the bows. The depth of the seabed is 65m. Similar tanker wrecks in this region are Motano, Pomella, Beusten and Illinois. The latter is the most complete.



Home Fronts
Call up of non-skilled munition workers agreed.
Turkey: Interior Ministry reports to Grand Vizir 702,900 Armenians ‘relocated’ by October 31.
France: Government wins confidence vote 344-160.
Entente Governments announce forthcoming blockade of Greece from December 8th

On 7 December 1916, one hundred and sixty five First Nations’ soldiers arrived in Scotland. The men were part of a battalion from the Canadian Expeditionary Force temporarily stationed in the South of England before mobilising for the Western Front. The men volunteered for war service in 1915, and most of them lived in South Ontario on the Six Nations’ Reservation. The contingent arrived in Glasgow Central Station on the evening of the 7 December 1916 and was met by civil dignitaries. The soldiers wore regulation khaki but their four Chiefs wore native dress. The soldiers dined at the hospitality of Glasgow Corporation and were accommodated overnight in a hotel. The three day visit to Glasgow included excursions to the Clyde shipyards. Glasgow Cathedral, the MacLellan Galleries a music hall and circus. The Lord Provost hosted a dinner for the visitors at the Trades Hall and a special concert was held in their honour at the City Hall.



On 11 December the men departed from Glasgow for Edinburgh, and arrived in the Caledonian Station on the 12:15pm train. On arrival in Edinburgh, they mustered, formed up, and then marched along Princes Street, turning off at the foot of the Mound, proceeding up the slope towards the Castle. The men were led by Chief Clear Sky, Chief Silversmith, Chief Cook and Chief Hill. According to The Scotsman, the four chiefs “carried themselves with dignity and distinction and walked abreast at the head of the column”. The newspaper further reported that the visitors “were cordially hailed by the residents of the Scottish capital, wherever they appeared, as fellow citizens of the Empire”.

Middle East
Sinai: Chetwode GOC of new Desert Column.
Aden: British brigade retakes Jabir and Haturn (over 150 Turk casualties).

African Fronts
Algeria: 1,200 Senussi besiege Agades inside the Sahara (until March 3, 1917), wipe out 54 camelry men on December 28. Senegalese battalion sails from Marseilles to Dakar (arriving January 4, 1917) and crosses to Nigeria.

Tunstill's Men: The Battalion returned to the trenches. After meeting their guides at the Lille Gate in Ypres at 5pm, the Battalion relieved 11th West Yorks in the same sector which they themselves had occupied on the previous tour, again taking up positions between I.18.a.5.7. to I.18.c.4.7. on the fringes of Zouave Wood, on the southern outskirts of Hooge. As instructed by the War Office, Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale MC (see 28th November), formally relinquished his commission on grounds of ill-health.

Lt. Cecil Edward Merryweather (see 15th November), currently on home service with the RFA, wrote to the War Office to apply for a wound gratuity, stating his circumstances:

“I received a gunshot wound in the right thigh whilst in action in France on the 5th July last. I was, at the time, serving with 10th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment and was absent from duty until 5th of September last, when I reported for light duty to the 11th Training Reserve Battalion at Brocton Camp, Staffs., and was there until October 27th when I was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery. I was on ‘light duty’ until about three weeks ago, when I was put on ‘Home Service’ by a Medical Board sitting at Ripon Hospital. Hoping my application will meet with your approval.”

2Lt. George Henry Roberts (see 3rd November), who had been in hospital in Southampton for the previous six weeks being treated for “trench fever and slight debility”, appeared before a further Medical Board. The Board found him fit for home service and he accordingly reported for duty with 3DWR at North Shields next day.

Western Front

French regain trenches lost on Hill 304.



Following the fall of Fort Vaux it remains silent at the front for several weeks. In the meantime General Nivelle has been appointed Supreme Commander of the French army and General Mangin Supreme Commander of the Verdun front. Mangin decides to attack one more time to force the Germans back to their original position of February 1916.

A French soldier: …everyone who searches for cover in a shell hole, stumbles across slippery, decomposing bodies and has to proceed with smelly hands and smelly clothes…

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Damn can't see the attachments!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Nor me Neil.
The photographic plates must be damaged, or they were not inked up properly.
Rob.

[mikeemagnus]

Afraid so Neil, I cannot see the attachments either. Shall try again tomorrow Other than that, thanks for the read

[Hedeby]

Right I'll sort the attachments out - they were there when I posted it last night - I'll just get tonights kicked off first

[Hedeby]

Right second attempt as I had just about finished when I lost everything - just what I needed at ten to midnight after a very long day...

Today's Sponsors



December 8th 1916

5 AIRMEN HAVE FALLEN ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 8TH 1916

Air Mechanic 2nd Class John Alfred William Brown 14th Kite Balloon Section RFC - Died of disease 8 December 1916 aged 38

Air Mechanic 2nd Class Charles Henry Cavan Recruits depot RFC - died on this day in 1916

Air Mechanic 1st. Class Walter E Coomber Killingholme Naval Air Station - died on this day in 1916

Corporal Thomas M Firth 26 (South African ) Squadron RFC Died 8 December 1916

Lieutenant Crawford Thomas Miller 56 Squadron RFC Killed while flying 8 December 1916 aged 21

Again there were no aerial victory claims.

On this day we lost 273 men

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

Major Attwood Alfred Torrens (Royal Field Artillery) is killed at age 42. He was a cricket player for Marylborne Cricket Club.
Major Edward Rogers MC (Royal Engineers) is killed at age 34. His brother was killed last July.
Second Lieutenant Stanley Frederick Gabb (Machine Gun Corps) is killed at age 19. His brother was killed in August 1915.
Gunner Frederick Selwyn Fendall (New Zealand Field Artillery) dies of pleurisy at age 21. He is the son of the Reverend Frederick Philip Fendall Vicar of Glenmark New Zealand.



H M Trawler Dragon (Skipper Isaac Pearce) is lost when she strikes a mine off the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel. Twelve are killed including her master.

Capt. Tunstill's Men: It was found that German artillery was rather more active than on the previous tour and considerable shelling was directed towards the Royal Engineers dump at Halfway House. A sequence of bright, clear nights meant that little patrolling could be done, but work continued on improving the trenches and wire.

The London Gazette published confirmation of promotions for Lt. Frank Redington MC (see 4th December), Lt. **** Bolton (see 16th October) and Lt. Henry Kelly VC (see 29th November). All three were confirmed as Acting Captains whilst commanding Companies, with effect from 6th, 12th and 23rd October respectively. The London Gazette also carried notice of the award of the Military Medal to three men from among Tunstill’s original recruits; Sgt. William Eley (see 4th October), Sgt. John Thomas Hall (see below) and L.Cpl. James Walker (see 27th October) had all distinguished themselves in the actions around Le Sars in early October.



John Thomas Hall was one of the Keighley contingent of volunteers who had been added to Tunstill’s original recruits in September 1914. He and his family were originally from Darlington but were settled in Keighley by 1911, where John was working as a moulder for Clapham Bros., ironfounders, of Keighley. He enlisted at the age of 23 and was well known in the town, being captain of the Keighley Celtic football team.

News was received on October 16th of Pte. Percy Hodgson's (see 29th October) death from wounds he had had inflicted in France. He enlisted with Captain Tunstill's men, and went out to France about 13 months ago. Private Hodgson was 21 years of age and was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson of Stephen Moor Lodge, Tosside, with whom much sympathy is expressed in their sad bereavement. Mr. and Mrs. Hodgson have two younger sons serving the Colours. Private Tom Hodgson has been spending a short furlough during this last week at home. A memorial service was held at Mount Zion Chapel an October 29th. Mr. Sugden, of Keighley, occupied the pulpit, and at the close of his sermon made reference to Pte. Hodgson's death. He was an old scholar at the Sunday School. A collection was taken in aid of the soldiers' comforts, and amounted to £4 10s. 4d., including other subscriptions.

Eastern Front
Rumania – Battle of river Cricov (until December 12) as Rumanians retreat northeast on Rimnicu Sarat. Germans claim 70,000 PoWs, 184 guns, 115 MGs between December 1 and 9 and advance 20 miles east of Ploesti by December 11. Hungarian 51st Honved Division occupies Sinaia south of Predeal Pass.



Neutrals
Greece: Allies blockade of the country. Their citizens leave Athens but Ambassadors see King on December 9.

Home Fronts
Russia: Murmansk-Petrograd Railway open.

The War at Sea

There was a lot of U-Boat action resulting in many shipping losses...

Brask Norway The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Gibraltar (37°46′N 9°26′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Britannia United Kingdom The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) west of Cape Sines, Portugal (37°18′N 10°29′W) by SM U-38 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of two of her 40 crew. Her captain was taken as a prisoner of war.
Carmelina Dominici The sailing vessel was sunk in the Tyrrhenian Sea by SM U-32 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Conch United Kingdom(see yesterday)The tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of Poole, Dorset (50°23′N 2°02′W) by SM UB-23 ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 28 of her 31 crew.
HMT Dagon Royal Navy The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off the Royal Sovereign Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of twelve of her crew.
Falk Norway The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 15 nautical miles (28 km) south west of Penmarc'h, Finistère, France by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Harry Sweden The sailing vessel was sunk in the North Sea[90] (56°10′N 2°18′E) by SM U-59 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
HMS Kent County Royal Navy The Q-ship was lost on this date.
King George United Kingdom The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) east of Cape Race, Newfoundland by SMS Möwe ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew were taken as prisoners of war.
Marjolaine France The sailing vessel was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 10 nautical miles (19 km) west of Penmarc'h by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine).
Modum Norway The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south south west of Penmarc'h (47°38′N 4°19′W) by SM UC-21 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rakiura Norway The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 km) west south west of the Casquets, Channel Islands by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Rollo Denmark The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 35 nautical miles (65 km) north of the Île de Batz, Finistère (49°12′N 3°40′W) by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.
Saga Norway The coaster was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 50 nautical miles (93 km) west north west of Guernsey, Channel Islands by SM UB-39 ( Kaiserliche Marine). Her crew survived.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

I knew news was hard to come by in December Chris, is there a paper shortage or an ink shortage?

[Hedeby]

Braincell and sleep shortage...