They were former mounted troops who swapped horses for bicycles. They mostly remained in the UK on training and recruiting duties. Sounds so very odd to have thousands of troops on bikes.

This poster makes it sound so appealing, the reality was somewhat different.

24 January 1822 - Ali Pasha of Yannina died. 200 years ago today.

Albanian brigand turned Ottoman official who governed much of the Turkish Balkans (Yannina) in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. Under his rule the territory of Yannina became all but independent from Ottoman Turkey.

In 1820, fearing Ali Pasha's growing power, the Sultan dismissed him, but Ali refused to be dismissed and rose up in revolt. His attempted overthrow of Ottoman rule encouraged the Greeks also to rise up and thus the Greek War of Independence began. 

Forced to surrender in 1822 Ali Pasha was beheaded at his capital of Ioannina aged about 81. 

They were former mounted troops who swapped horses for bicycles. They mostly remained in the UK on training and recruiting duties. Sounds so very odd to have thousands of troops on bikes.

This poster makes it sound so appealing, the reality was somewhat different.

I don't see a date on this recruiting poster, I assume by the content this was before war broke out? I for one would not trade a "natty" uniform to getting shot at. 

It looks like a Canadian poster, it says "London, Ont" bottom right. It must be from WW I to mention Belgium. I wonder how many poor fools fell for it.

It looks like a Canadian poster, it says "London, Ont" bottom right. It must be from WW I to mention Belgium. I wonder how many poor fools fell for it.

I saw that, but it also has Carling Heights & "Carling" was a Canadian beer.

27 January 1922 - The Salanga Massacre. 100 years ago today.

An almost forgotten incident in British India. A protest over taxes in the Salanga District of Bengal (modern Bangladesh) escalated into violence when police arrested the protest leader Abdur Rashid. As protesters attacked the police with sticks they opened fire killing an unknown number, estimates range from a few hundred to 4500. 

The incident has been largely ignored by historians, while the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, less than three years earlier, is world famous even though fatalities at Salanga may have been higher.  

27 January 1922 - The Salanga Massacre. 100 years ago today.

An almost forgotten incident in British India. A protest over taxes in the Salanga District of Bengal (modern Bangladesh) escalated into violence when police arrested the protest leader Abdur Rashid. As protesters attacked the police with sticks they opened fire killing an unknown number, estimates range from a few hundred to 4500. 

The incident has been largely ignored by historians, while the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, less than three years earlier, is world famous even though fatalities at Salanga may have been higher.  

Were the police native officers or Brits? Casualties between a few hundred to 4500 is quite a disparity but with sticks against guns are odds I like. 

27 January 1922 - The Salanga Massacre. 100 years ago today.

An almost forgotten incident in British India. A protest over taxes in the Salanga District of Bengal (modern Bangladesh) escalated into violence when police arrested the protest leader Abdur Rashid. As protesters attacked the police with sticks they opened fire killing an unknown number, estimates range from a few hundred to 4500. 

The incident has been largely ignored by historians, while the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, less than three years earlier, is world famous even though fatalities at Salanga may have been higher.  

Were the police native officers or Brits? Casualties between a few hundred to 4500 is quite a disparity but with sticks against guns are odds I like. 

There's very little written about it over here, it truly is the forgotten tragedy. All I've found on UK websites is what I've printed here. There's more on Indian and Bangladeshi sites, but they're rather anti-Imperialist going with the higher casualty figures. The actual numbers are probably up to 1000. The foreign sites claim a mass grave containing thousands or that the dead were thrown in the river, they also say many were taken away and secretly buried by their families.

The shooters were Indian police, so the majority would have been local Indians with British NCOs and Officers. 

Tom, you probably remember this date, 28 January 1977, well.  It was the first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 which dumped 10 feet of snow in one day on upstate New York.

This leads nicely into today's anniversary.

28 January 1922 - The Knickerbocker Theatre tragedy. 100 years ago today.

A huge snowstorm hit Washington on 27 January 1922 covering the city and much of the north west in a blanket of deep snow. The conditions however did not prevent up to 1000 people attending the Knickerbocker Theatre at 18th St. and Columbia Rd. to watch the film Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford the following evening.   

The accumulated weight of snow caused the roof to collapse shortly after 2100hrs, it collapsed onto the balcony which was sent crashing onto the seats below. 98 were killed and 133 injured. 

Tom, you probably remember this date, 28 January 1977, well.  It was the first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 which dumped 10 feet of snow in one day on upstate New York.

Indeed, I had a second-front (as we called part-time jobs back then) plowing snow. Went thru the Blizzard of 77 & one in 1985 (not as bad) & then sold the business. In 77 the snow was piled in parks & the softball season was delayed until July because it hadn't melted yet. 

Tom, you probably remember this date, 28 January 1977, well.  It was the first day of the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 which dumped 10 feet of snow in one day on upstate New York.

This leads nicely into today's anniversary.

28 January 1922 - The Knickerbocker Theatre tragedy. 100 years ago today.

A huge snowstorm hit Washington on 27 January 1922 covering the city and much of the north west in a blanket of deep snow. The conditions however did not prevent up to 1000 people attending the Knickerbocker Theatre at 18th St. and Columbia Rd. to watch the film Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford the following evening.   

The accumulated weight of snow caused the roof to collapse shortly after 2100hrs, it collapsed onto the balcony which was sent crashing onto the seats below. 98 were killed and 133 injured. 

If only it could have happened last week, the climate change fanatics could have claimed it as irrefutable proof of climate change.

Right again, Major.  Heavy snow in January is somehow indicative of climate change. 

18th & Columbia Rd. is called the Adams Morgan area, my old neighborhood.

Obviously you won't remember the Knickerbocker Theatre, but do you remember its replacement the Ambassador Theatre which was demolished in 1969? The site today is occupied by a SunTrust bank.

29 January 1722 - Count Carl Rehnskiöld died. 300 years ago today.

Mentor and chief military strategist to Kings Carl XI and XII of Sweden. 

A hero of the war with Denmark and Brandenburg Rehnskiöld was appointed Governor-General of Scania by Carl XII and following the outbreak of war with Russia, Denmark and Saxony in 1700 he became the King's right hand man. 

He led the Swedes to many victories culminating in his being created a Count in 1706 after Sweden had effectively defeated all of the enemies except Russia. However King Carl's decision to invade Russia in 1707 proved a step too far. In June 1709 the King was injured so command fell to Count Rehnskiöld and it was he who led the Swedes to defeat at the battle of Poltava in September in which he was captured. 

He remained in comfortable captivity in Russia for nine years until his release in 1718 whereupon he joined the King in his campaign against the Danes in Norway at the siege of Fredriksten. A few days later King Carl was killed so command once again fell to Rehnskiöld who returned to Stockholm with the King's body. The new monarch Queen Ulrika Eleonora wanted an end to the war and Rehnskiöld retired. He died three years later aged 70. 

29 January 1722 - Count Carl Rehnskiöld died. 300 years ago today.

Mentor and chief military strategist to Kings Carl XI and XII of Sweden. 

A hero of the war with Denmark and Brandenburg Rehnskiöld was appointed Governor-General of Scania by Carl XII and following the outbreak of war with Russia, Denmark and Saxony in 1700 he became the King's right hand man. 

He led the Swedes to many victories culminating in his being created a Count in 1706 after Sweden had effectively defeated all of the enemies except Russia. However King Carl's decision to invade Russia in 1707 proved a step too far. In June 1709 the King was injured so command fell to Count Rehnskiöld and it was he who led the Swedes to defeat at the battle of Poltava in September in which he was captured. 

He remained in comfortable captivity in Russia for nine years until his release in 1718 whereupon he joined the King in his campaign against the Danes in Norway at the siege of Fredriksten. A few days later King Carl was killed so command once again fell to Rehnskiöld who returned to Stockholm with the King's body. The new monarch Queen Ulrika Eleonora wanted an end to the war anAd Rehnskiöld retired. He died three years later aged 70. 

Another who made the mistake of invading Mother Russia.

30 January 1922 - Two air aces born on the same day in different continents and who made their name in different wars.

Karl-Heinz Weber, born in Heringsdorf, Germany. Joined the Luftwaffe in 1939. He is credited with 136 (some accounts say 132) victories all on the Eastern Front against Russia 1941-44. In June 1944 he was appointed Commander of III Group JG 1 and transferred to the Western Front. Just days later he was shot down and killed on his first combat mission in that theatre aged 22. His body was never recovered. 

Joseph McConnell, born in Dover NH. Joined the US army in 1940 and transferred to the USAAF in 1943 as a navigator on bombers. After the war he became a jet fighter pilot and served in the Korean War where he is credited with 16 victories all in 1953 making him the USA's top air ace of the war. He was killed on a test flight in a F86H Sabre from Edwards Air Force Base CA in 1954 aged 32.  

The Russians also suffered from little & poor training as well. 

Weber obviously had considerable talent, but shot down on his first mission on the Western Front tells us something. He was defeated by a Pole from 315 Polish Fighter Sqn flying a P51 Mustang. Strange that his body was never found, how can a plane crash on land (it was near Rouen in northern France) and never be located. 

Weber obviously had considerable talent, but shot down on his first mission on the Western Front tells us something. He was defeated by a Pole from 315 Polish Fighter Sqn flying a P51 Mustang. Strange that his body was never found, how can a plane crash on land (it was near Rouen in northern France) and never be located. 

In occupied France, perhaps the locals were not too eager to retrieve his Nazi body? Just add him to the Sasquatch list.

Another all but forgotten incident, probably because they were Germans. 

Another all but forgotten incident, probably because they were Germans. 

Yes, I remember it has been mentioned on this site before, but everyone remembers the Lusitania & Titanic.

31 January 1622 - Sir Francis Norreys, Earl of Berkshire, died. 400 years ago today.

A relatively minor figure, not one who troubled the history books too much, but one with an interesting story.

He succeeded his grandfather as 2nd Baron Norreys in 1601 and served in a minor capacity at the Court of King James I. Known as a "tempestuous character" he was involved in a long running feud with Lord Willoughby. Norreys fought two duels with Lord Willoughby's brother Sir Peregrine Bertie, one of which resulted in a severe injury to Sir Peregrine. 

In 1615 matters escalated when Lord Willoughby and his men met Lord Norreys and his men in a churchyard in Bath. In the ensuing fight one of Willoughby's men was killed. Norreys only avoided a manslaughter charge through the King's intervention and a promise of good behaviour.

Seemingly rehabilitated he was raised to the rank of Earl of Berkshire in 1621, but just weeks later he was involved in a scuffle in the street outside the House of Lords with Lord Scrope, the Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire. This time the King did not intervene and the Earl was sentenced to a period of imprisonment in the Fleet Prison. Released early the following year he was so disconsolate in losing the King's support that he shot himself with a crossbow and died two days later aged 42.    

31 January 1622 - Sir Francis Norreys, Earl of Berkshire, died. 400 years ago today.

A relatively minor figure, not one who troubled the history books too much, but one with an interesting story.

He succeeded his grandfather as 2nd Baron Norreys in 1601 and served in a minor capacity at the Court of King James I. Known as a "tempestuous character" he was involved in a long running feud with Lord Willoughby. Norreys fought two duels with Lord Willoughby's brother Sir Peregrine Bertie, one of which resulted in a severe injury to Sir Peregrine. 

In 1615 matters escalated when Lord Willoughby and his men met Lord Norreys and his men in a churchyard in Bath. In the ensuing fight one of Willoughby's men was killed. Norreys only avoided a manslaughter charge through the King's intervention and a promise of good behaviour.

Seemingly rehabilitated he was raised to the rank of Earl of Berkshire in 1621, but just weeks later he was involved in a scuffle in the street outside the House of Lords with Lord Scrope, the Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire. This time the King did not intervene and the Earl was sentenced to a period of imprisonment in the Fleet Prison. Released early the following year he was so disconsolate in losing the King's support that he shot himself with a crossbow and died two days later aged 42.    

Mark, suicide by crossbow...........that's a first for me. I have investigated suicides by gunshot, hanging, carbon monoxide, wrist slashing, & pills.............but never a crossbow. What part of his body did he aim the bolt for?

Another all but forgotten incident, probably because they were Germans. 

Following WWII if anyone deserved punishment & retribution, it was the Germans. Instead the Western power that wreaked death & destruction bounced back quickly. Germans readily put the war behind them because there was not a Nazi left among them. Imagine such a country's stubborn inclination toward willful delusion? On the other hand Germans tended to look forward & not back. It was a horrific bargain but did make recovery possible & swifter. I remember my exes lamenting how Germany was off rationing before GB was. Maybe that was the beginning of the end for the West as we knew it?

That's all I've been able to find out, I was wondering as much myself. A crossbow bolt at very close range would be fatal pretty well anywhere on the body.