Historical Events
In Splendid Spirits
1916-06-30 British General Douglas Haig reports "The men are in splendid spirits" the day before the Battle of the Somme begins
Five Miles of Mud Costs a Million Casualties
1916-07-01 First day of the Battle of the Somme in World War I: The British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men
1st Use of Tanks in War
1916-09-15 First use of tanks in warfare, "Little Willies" at Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Battle of the Somme
Battle of Interest
1916-10-05 Adolf Hitler is wounded in the left thigh by an exploding shell during the Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Somme
1916-11-18 British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the 1st Battle of the Somme in World War I after more than 1 million soldiers had been killed or wounded
- 1918-03-21 World War I: Germany launches Somme offensive
- 1918-03-23 German forces advance 14 miles to the Somme River (WW1)
Red Baron Shot Down
1918-04-21 German World War I fighter ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen aka "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux sur Somme in France. Canadian pilot Arthur Roy Brown is credited with the kill.
Famous Birthdays
Douglas Haig (1861-1928)
1861-06-19 British fieldmarshal (Sudan, WWI), nicknamed "Butcher Haig" due to mass casualties under his command during the Battle of the Somme, born in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
- 1875-08-26 John Buchan, Scottish politician, Governor-General of Canada (1935-40), writer (The Thirty-Nine Steps) and historian, born in Perth, Scotland (d. 1940)
Famous Deaths
- 1916-03-09 Kenneth Hutchings, English cricketer (exciting England batsman, WWI), dies fighting at the Battle of the Somme at 33
- 1916-07-01 William Booth, English Test cricket batsman (WWI 2 Tests), dies at the Somme at 39
Douglas Haig (1861-1928)
1928-01-29 British fieldmarshal (Sudan, WWI) nicknamed "Butcher Haig" due to mass casualties under his command during the Battle of the Somme, dies from a heart attack at 66