British History

On this day in history….9th June 1873

On this day in history – 9th June 1873 – Alexandra Palace, often referred to as the ‘Ally Pally’, is burned to the ground – just sixteen days after being opened to the public….

Original Alexandra Palace on fire – Illustrated London News – Public domain

In an idea conceived by architect Owen Jones in 1859, the intention was to build a counterpart to South London’s Crystal Palace…. It was to be North London’s centre of recreation, entertainment and education – ‘The People’s Palace’….

By 1860 The Great Northern Palace Company had been established – however, it was unable to raise the required finances to start work immediately…. The building materials were eventually acquired and recycled from the 1862 International Exhibition which had been demolished in South Kensington….

In 1863 the company managed to secure Tottenham Wood Farm as land on which to build its Park…. The Park opened to the public on the 23rd of July 1863 and was named after Alexandra of Denmark, the Princess of Wales and wife of the future King Edward VII….

The building of the Palace began and in 1871 construction started on the Edgware, Highgate & London Railway – to connect the site with Highgate Station…. The work on the Palace was undertaken by Kelk & Lucas – who also built the Royal Albert Hall around the same time…. Both Palace and railway were completed in 1873…. On the 24th of May 1873, just in time for Queen Victoria’s birthday, the Palace and Park officially opened to the public…. Some 120,000 people gathered for a performance by Victorian operatic singer Sims Reeves, to listen to recitals and watch a spectacular firework display….

Sixteen days later, at around lunchtime, workmen were working on the roof of the dome – when a burning ember escaped from a brazier they were using…. At first it was thought the fire could be contained – and so there was a delay in calling the fire service…. But the fire was to spread rapidly – staff rushed from room to room, tearing valuable paintings and tapestries from the walls and gathering up books and artefacts….

At 1.30pm the roof collapsed – falling on to the £30,000 organ below which had been designed by Henry Willis…. It is said the crash could be heard six miles away…. Three members of staff were killed and a priceless collection of some 4,700 pieces of historic English pottery and porcelain on loan to the Palace was destroyed….

All that was left of Alexandra Palace were the outer walls…. Never-the- less, in true Victorian form, the Palace was rebuilt and reopened on the 1st of May 1875….

Rebuilt Palace 1875 – Illustrated London News – Public domain

On this day in history….8th June 1982

On this day in history : 8th June 1982 – Fifty-six British servicemen are killed during an Argentine air attack on two supply ships in the Falklands conflict – in what becomes known as the ‘Battle of Bluff Cove’….

Anchored off of Fitzroy, Port Pleasant, supply ships RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram were in the process of being unloaded, when at 14.00hrs local time five A-4 Skyhawks from the Argentine Air Force’s 5th Brigade made a surprise attack….

RFA Sir Galahad – Image credit : Dmgerrard at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

Three bombs hit Sir Galahad and it instantly burst into flames…. With the fire spreading rapidly ammunition onboard began to explode and men jumped overboard to escape…. A further two bombs hit Sir Tristram – helicopters that were being used to ferry supplies rushed to help….

At 16.50hrs a second air attack took place…. Four Skyhawks sank a landing craft utility which was carrying vehicles to Bluff Cove – six Royal Marines were killed…. this time a Sea Harrier combat air patrol was able to respond and three of the Skyhawks were shot down…. A third wave of Skyhawks arrived shortly afterwards, attacking ground targets – but with little success…. HMS Plymouth was also targeted in a separate attack, which caused considerable damage and injured five onboard….

In total 56 British servicemen were killed in the attacks, 48 of these were onboard Sir Galahad and 2 on Sir Tristram…. A further 150 were injured – many through burns…. Sir Tristram was later rebuilt but Sir Galahad was beyond repair and so was towed out to sea and scuttled….

RFA Sir Tristram after the Argentine attack – Image credit : Ken Griffiths – own work – CC BY-SA 4.0

Among the wounded onboard Sir Galahad was Simon Weston…. His injuries were so severe that 25% of his skin suffered third degree burns…. He was to endure years of reconstructive surgery which was to involve over 96 operations and procedures….

Weston was later to travel to Argentina for a TV documentary and was to meet Carlos Cachon, the Argentinian Air Force pilot who had carried out the bombing on Sir Galahad…. The visit was returned when Cachon and his family visited Weston in Liverpool…. The two became great friends….

Simon Weston – Photo credit : cropped image (Wikipedia) taken from original photo by Phil Guest via Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0

British History

On this day in history….7th June 1394

On this day in history : 7th June 1394 – The death of Queen Anne of Bohemia, the first wife of King Richard II – who was so devastated by the loss of his wife that he tore down their home….

The marriage had not been a popular choice amongst the English nobility nor Members of Parliament…. Although her father, Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, was a powerful man it was thought by many there would be little trade or political advantage in such a union….

It did not help matters that her arrival on English soil was delayed by severe storms….and no sooner had she disembarked from the ship it was smashed to pieces…. This was inevitably seen as a bad omen and a sign of things to come…. Anne landed in Dover in 1381, travelled to Canterbury and then on to London – where she was received with harsh criticism…. The Westminster Chronicle referred to her as ‘a tiny scrap of humanity’…. Much of the scorn may have stemmed from the absence of any dowry – indeed, in order to wed her it was Richard who paid 20,000 florins (around £4m) to her brother, King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia….

Despite all of the grumblings and misgivings the marriage ceremony went ahead at Westminster Abbey on the 20th of January 1382…. It was, incidentally, 537 years before another royal wedding was to be held at the Abbey….

Coronation of Richard and Anne – Public domain

Richard and Anne were just 16-years-old when they married….they were to form a close and loving relationship – Richard was devoted to his wife…. Over time she won the hearts of the English people; she was known for her kindness – earning her the name of Good Queen Anne…. She would often intervene to try and help people, such as those seeking pardons or clemency…. In 1384 she begged Richard to save the life of former Lord Mayor of London, John Northampton – who had been arrested on charges of sedition and sentenced to death…. His sentence was commuted to 10 years…. She also interceded on the behalf of Richard’s former tutor, Simon de Burley, who faced execution for his role in the Peasants’ Revolt…. In this instance she failed to help….

As King and Queen of England the royal couple chose their main residence as Sheen Manor – which was situated on the site which was later to become Richmond Palace…. Richard was the first King to choose this location as his main home…. Although married for 12 years Richard and Anne were to have no children…. She died at Sheen Manor, probably of plague, on the 7th of June 1394…. She was buried in Westminster Abbey – in a double tomb so Richard could later be laid to rest beside her – another royal first…. He was so distraught after her death that he ordered Sheen Manor to be torn down….

In 1406 he went on to marry Isabella of France – a political union (at least one would hope) as she was only 6-years-old…. However, just 3 years later he was lying beside Anne….

British History

On this day in history….6th June 1896

On this day in history : 6th June 1896 – The birth of Henry Allingham – the WW1 veteran who was to become a supercentenarian and officially the longest-lived man ever from the United Kingdom….

Henry as an infant, 1890s – Public domain

Henry was born in Clapton, London and he was only 14 months old when his father died from TB…. His mother, Amy Jane – a laundress – returned to live with her parents and brother and so Henry spent his early childhood living in Walthamstow…. His mother remarried in 1905 and the family settled in Clapham…. On leaving school Henry found employment at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital as a trainee surgical instrument maker – but it wasn’t work that inspired him and so he found a job with a company specialising in building car bodywork….

When World War Once broke out Henry was keen to join up immediately but by then his mother was ill…. She died in 1915 and it was after this that he joined the Royal Naval Air Service…. After training he was posted to Great Yarmouth, where he carried out aircraft maintenance – before finding himself in Norfolk, involved with anti-submarine patrols…. Eventually, in September 1917, he was sent to the Western Front to join No.12 Squadron RNAS and in the November was posted to the aircraft depot at Dunkirk – where he spent the remainder of the War….

Henry in RNAS uniform, 1916 – Public domain

He met Dorothy Carr in 1918, in Great Yarmouth and they were married in Romford later that same year…. They were to have two daughters, Betty in 1920 followed by Jean in 1923…. Henry was formally discharged to the RAF Reserve in 1919….

After the War Henry returned to his engineering work in the car industry – working for companies such as Thorns Car Body Makers and Vickers General Motors – before ending up at Ford, in their recently opened Dagenham plant…. He remained at Ford until his retirement in 1961 and then he and Dorothy moved to Eastbourne on the South Coast – where Dorothy died in 1971 of lymphatic leukaemia….

In October 2003, at the age of 107, Henry helped launched the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal…. In August 2004 he joined three other WW1 veterans for a ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Britain entering the War – by now Henry was the last surviving member of the RNAS…. He also attended the Remembrance Sunday Parade the following year….

He was awarded the Freedom of Eastbourne in April 2006 – the town where he managed to live at home by himself until the following month…. He was still in generally good health but his eyesight was failing – and so in May 2006, a month before his 110th birthday, he moved into a care home near Brighton for blind ex-service personnel run by Blind Veterans UK….

Despite his eyesight Henry made some 60 public appearances over the next year…. In November 2007 he became the longest-lived member of the British Armed Forces and the longest-lived WW1 veteran…. Then on the 19th of June 2009 he officially became the oldest living man in the world…. He was the first British man to reach the verified age of 113…. He put his longevity down to “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women – and a good sense of humour”….

Henry died in his sleep at his care home on the 18th of July 2009….

British History

On this day in history….5th June 1916

On this day in history : 5th June 1916 – Whilst on its way to Russia, carrying Lord Kitchener on a diplomatic mission, HMS Hampshire hits a mine off of the Orkney Islands…. 737 lives are lost, including that of Lord Kitchener….

HMS Hampshire had been ordered to carry Kitchener from Scapa Flow to Russia – where he was to meet with Tsar Nicholas II for face to face talks about munitions shortages….

Due to gale force winds Admiral Sir John Jellicoe altered the route that Hampshire had been due to take – despite there having been reports of U-boat sightings in the area….

Just after 7.30pm, in a force 9 gale, the ship struck a mine – which had been laid a week before approximately one and a half miles off of mainland Orkney, by U-boat U75, commanded by Kurt Beitzen…. Within 20 minutes HMS Hampshire had sunk….

Kitchener was last seen standing on the quarterdeck – his body was never recovered…. All 10 of his entourage perished – altogether 737 lost their lives, only 12 members of the crew survived….

Portrait of Field-Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener – Public domain

The shock was felt all over the British Empire…. Many wondered how on earth the war could be won without Kitchener…. King George V wrote in his diary “It is indeed a heavy blow to me and a great loss to the nation and the allies” …. He ordered that all army officers were to wear black armbands for a week….