who founded the red cross to relieve the suffering of the war wounded
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A Memory of Solferino (French: Un souvenir de Solférino) is a book of the Swiss humanitarian Henry Dunant published in 1862. It proved decisive in the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross. History Witnessing the suffering of thousands of wounded soldiers of the Battle of Solferino in 1859 led the Swiss Dunant to write the book A Memory of Solferino. In the book, he describes the battle, the sufferings, the organisation of aid and asks: "Would it not be possible, in time of peace and quiet, to form relief societies for the purpose of having care given to the wounded in wartime by zealous, devoted and thoroughly qualified volunteers?" "On certain special occasions, as, for example, when princes of the military art belonging to different nationalities meet at Cologne or Châlons, would it not be desirable that they should take advantage of this sort of congress to formulate some international principle, sanctioned by a Convention inviolate in character, which, once agreed upon and ratified, might constitute the basis for societies for the relief of the wounded in the different European countries ?" The publication of the book led to the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement) and the Geneva Conventions. See also Louis Appia Guillaume-Henri Dufour Théodore Maunoir Gustave Moynier References External links A Memory of Solferino (free PDF) 1862 essays Swiss non-fiction books French-language books Swiss autobiographies Henry Dunant
A Memory of Solferino
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Dr. Théodore Maunoir (1 June 1806 – 26 April 1869) was a Swiss surgeon and co-founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Théodore Maunoir was born to a wealthy family of doctors in Geneva. Following family tradition he studied medicine in England and France and gained his doctorate in surgery in 1833. After his return to his home city, he became a member of the Geneva Commission for Hygiene and Health and the Geneva Society for Public Welfare. He was considered extremely intelligent and charming with an excellent sense of humor. When he married for the first time, he took on additional children from his wife's previous marriage. When she died, he married again and had further children with his second wife. His family, especially in his efforts in raising his children, played a large role in his life aside from his work as a doctor and medical consultant. After the publication of Henry Dunant's book A Memory of Solferino in 1862, Maunoir, together with Gustave Moynier, Guillaume-Henri Dufour and Louis Appia, joined the "Committee of Five" which was founded in February 1863 as a commission of the Geneva Society for Public Welfare. Soon afterwards, the five men decided to rename the committee to the "International Committee for Relief to Wounded Soldiers", which by 1876 evolved into the "International Committee of the Red Cross" (ICRC). In the initial meetings of committee, Maunoir supported Dunant's ideas to propel the concepts behind the Red Cross into a widespread social movement reaching out to as many people as possible, instead of only creating an organization through negotiations with powerful political and military figures. From 26 to 29 October 1863, an international conference took place in Geneva to examine the practical implementation of Dunant's ideas. When differences between the delegates about the use of volunteers in caring for the wounded threatened to cause the conference to fail, Maunoir gave a persuasive speech that helped avert this result. Maunoir was especially close friends with Louis Appia, who was also a professional surgeon. Maunoir was a sort of mentor in Geneva society to 12-years younger Appia, who had only first come to Geneva at the age of 31. Maunoir remained a member of the ICRC until his early and unexpected death in 1869. His successor in the committee was the local Geneva politician Louis Micheli de la Rive. References Pierre Boissier: History of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Volume I: From Solferino to Tsushima. Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva 1985, Caroline Moorehead: Dunant's dream: War, Switzerland and the history of the Red Cross. HarperCollins, London 1998, (Hardcover edition); HarperCollins, London 1999, (Taschenbuch-Ausgabe) External links Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement History - Dr. Théodore Maunoir 1806 births 1869 deaths Physicians from Geneva Red Cross personnel
Théodore Maunoir
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Janet Jennings (1842 - December 31, 1917) was an American nurse and reporter, most notable for her work on the Seneca: a ship used to travel back from Cuba during the Spanish–American War. While on the Seneca, Jennings took care of hundreds of wounded and ill patients despite an almost complete lack of medical resources. Background and early life Janet Jennings was born in 1842 in Green County, Wisconsin, where she grew up in a family of twelve children. Jennings started her career as a teacher in Monroe, Wisconsin, but she later left for Washington, D.C. to join the American Red Cross and help care for one of her brothers, who was wounded in the war. As a member of the Red Cross, Jennings was an associate of Clara Barton, and aided other wounded soldiers in the American Civil War. Jennings stayed in Washington D.C. after the end of the Civil War to work as a reporter at the United States Department of the Treasury, later reporting for various newspapers. Nursing in the Spanish American War After the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, Jennings searched for ways she could support the war effort as a nurse. She left for Cuba as part of the Red Cross in June 1898. After fighting in Santiago, the medical ship Relief was supposed to leave to bring wounded to the U.S., but with more fighting expected, the ship was told to stay in Santiago. Instead of the Relief with its updated and adequate medical supplies, the Seneca was chosen to transport the injured troops back to the United States. On July 13, Jennings volunteered to help on the Seneca and tend to the wounded as they were brought back to the U.S. The ship was over capacity with injured soldiers, understaffed with doctors and nurses, and without adequate medical equipment. Due to the lack of doctors and nurses on board, Jennings worked around the clock in an attempt to help as many patients as possible. After six nights at sea, the ship finally made port near New York City. Forty of the soldiers on the ship wrote her a letter, thanking her for the heroism she showed in the dire situation. Newspapers across the country heralded her as the “Angel of Seneca” for saving numerous lives during her week aboard the Seneca. Journalism After leaving the Treasury Department, Jennings began working as a reporter. Jennings was a journalist for several newspapers including the New-York Tribune, the Independent (New York City), and the Chicago Herald - Tribune. When Jennings volunteered to go with the Red Cross to Cuba, her intention was to travel to Cuba as a reporter for the Red Cross’s work, despite the restrictions on female reporters at the time. After returning from Cuba on the Seneca, Jennings wrote a statement about the injustice of sending wounded soldiers back on ships with insufficient medical and other resources. In addition to her work writing for newspapers, Jennings wrote two books, Abraham Lincoln, the Greatest
Janet Jennings
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Between 7–9 million soldiers surrendered and were held in prisoner-of-war camps during World War I. All nations pledged to follow the Hague Conventions on fair treatment of prisoners of war, and the survival rate for POWs was generally, though not always, much higher than that of combatants at the front. The conditions of the POW camps were, in general, satisfactory (and much better than in World War II), thanks in part to the efforts of the International Red Cross and inspections by neutral nations. However, conditions were terrible in Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Starvation was common for prisoners and civilians alike. About 15–20% of the prisoners in Russia died, and as did 8% of Russians imprisoned by the Central Powers. In Germany, food was scarce, but only 5% died. Soldiers that surrendered were not always taken as POWs, as they were sometimes gunned down by the prevailing army instead. 25–31% of Russian losses (as a proportion of those captured, wounded, or killed) were to prisoner status, for Austria-Hungary 32%, for Italy 26%, for France 12%, for Germany 9%; for Britain 7%. Prisoners from the Allied armies totalled about 1.4 million (not including Russia, which lost 2.5–3.5 million soldiers as prisoners). From the Central Powers about 3.3 million soldiers became prisoners; most of them surrendered to Russians. While the Allied prisoners of the Central Powers were quickly sent home at the end of active hostilities, the same treatment was not granted to Central Power prisoners of the Allies, many of whom served as forced labour, e.g., in France until 1920. They were released only after many approaches by the Red Cross to the Supreme War Council. German prisoners were still being held in Russia as late as 1924. Living conditions The conditions at the camps were variable. While those put to work in agriculture fared well, other forms of work were dangerous to POWs, such as the digging of the Rouvre tunnel near the Étang de Berre in France, the demining of battlefields in France in 1919, comparable to those of the Russian gulag on the construction site of the railway line from Petrograd to Murmansk. This extreme situation was, however, not motivated by a punitive desire, but rather by the inorganization and negligence of the authorities. Article 7 of the Hague Convention provides for "treatment of prisoners in terms of food, clothing and bedding equivalent to that of the troops of the government which captured them". In fact, the prisoners' rations were conditioned by the supplies of each country. The prisoners of the Central Powers affected by the Allied blockade (Germany and Austria-Hungary) suffered from hunger like the rest of the population. The French prisoners benefited from packages from their families which alleviated the deficiencies. From July 1916, the French government sends weekly collective packages of 2kg of bread per prisoner. Russian prisoners deprived of this assistance particularly suffered. In France and the United Kingdom, countries little affected by shortages, prisoners' rations remained more satisfactory. The prisoners were struck
Prisoners of war in World War I
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Louis Paul Amédée Appia (13 October 1818 – 1 May 1898) was a Swiss surgeon with special merit in the area of military medicine. In 1863 he became a member of the Geneva "Committee of Five", which was the precursor to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Six years later he met Clara Barton, an encounter which had significant influence on Clara Barton's subsequent endeavours to found a Red Cross society in the United States and her campaign for an accession of the US to the Geneva Convention of 1864. Education and career as a field surgeon Appie was born in Frankfurt and baptised Louis Paul Amadeus Appia. Appia's parents, Paul Joseph Appia and Caroline Develey, originally came from Piedmont. His father, who had been a University student in Geneva, nevertheless became an evangelical pastor in 1811 in Hanau near Frankfurt am Main. Louis was the third of six children. He went to Gymnasium (high school) in Frankfurt and at eighteen gained the Hochschulreife diploma in Geneva. In 1838 he began to study medicine in Heidelberg and concluded his medical doctorate in 1843, after which he returned to Frankfurt. In 1848, he assisted the wounded in Paris and Frankfurt during the February revolution in France and the March revolution in the German states. Afterwards, his specialty and focus became the improvement of the application of medicine to the war-wounded. After the death of his father in 1849, he traveled with his mother to Geneva and began to practice as a surgeon. In connection with his work on military medicine, he developed an instrument to immobilize a broken arm or leg during the transport of a wounded individual. He also wrote a treatise about surgical treatment for the war-wounded. In 1853, he married Anne Caroline Lassere and during their marriage had two sons (Paul and Adolphe) and two daughters (Helene and Marie). His son Adolphe Appia became an architect and was a pioneer of modern stage design. In 1859 his brother George, who was a pastor in Pinerolo, sent him several letters regarding the situation for the wounded and victims of the Austro-Sardinian War. In July, Appia traveled to Italy and ended up working in field hospitals in Turin, Milan, Brescia and Desenzano del Garda. He distributed copies of his treatise to the Italian and French doctors, organized the collection of necessary materials, and sent letters to his friends in Geneva requesting the donation of funds to assist the wounded. At the Saint Phillippe Hospital in Milan his invention for transporting patients with broken bones was successfully tested on a wounded lieutenant. At the beginning of August, he returned to Geneva. Here he completed his treatise with the assistance of his friend Dr. Théodore Maunoir and published it as a book with the title "The Ambulance Surgeon; or, Practical Observations on Gunshot Wounds" (Der Feldchirurg oder einige praktische Studien über Schußverletzungen). He was also awarded the "Medal of the Saints Maurice and Lazarus", the second-highest decoration of the Kingdom of
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The Ukrainian Red Cross Society () is a non-profit humanitarian and charitable association of Ukraine. It operates in disaster management, health and care, tracing service, youth activities/volunteers, and activities related to the protection of human dignity. Since 1993, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society has been a member of the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies. Early history The Ukrainian Red Cross Society was established on April 18, 1918, in Kyiv as an independent humanitarian society of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Its immediate tasks were to help refugees and prisoners of war, care of handicapped people, orphaned children, fighting famine and epidemics, support and organize sick quarters, hospitals and public canteens. The Ukrainian Red Cross operated as a branch of the Soviet Red Cross from the 1920s, when Ukrainian territory was merged into the Soviet Union, until 1991. During World War II When the structure of the UPA was unified in 1943, the Ukrainian Red Cross was re-established as a separate body from the Soviet Red Cross. The service provided care for the sick and wounded UPA soldiers, attracted well-qualified doctors, prepared the supply and manufacture of medicine, equipped underground hospitals and conducted training classes for new physicians and soldiers of the UPA and prepared special medical manuals. Doctors worked in regional military hospitals which treated the wounded who had suffered from the attacks of German, Soviet or Polish punitive groups. Present time The Red Cross law was passed by the Ukrainian parliament in 1999. In 2001, the Ukrainian Red Cross involved more than 6.3 million supporters and activists. Its Visiting Nurses Service has 3,200 qualified nurses. The organization takes part in more than 40 humanitarian programmes all over Ukraine, which are mostly funded by public donations and corporate partnerships. By its own estimations, the Society annually provides services to more than 105,000 lonely elderly people, about 23,000 people living with disability during the Second World War and disabled workers, more than 25,000 war veterans, and more than 8,000 adults disabled since childhood. The Red Cross also provides assistance for orphaned and disabled children. Response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine The Ukrainian Red Cross Society is working closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide neutral and impartial support in the following areas: Providing protection and assistance to the civilian population, including psychosocial support, as well as to those who no longer participate in hostilities; Distribution of relief assistance (food and non-food items) to the civilian population, including people displaced and people on the move; Provision of first aid and other health services to the wounded and sick in accordance with international humanitarian law (IHL) and Ukrainian legislation; Supporting authorities with dignified management of dead bodies and forensic expertise; Reestablishing family links between separated family members with a specific focus on unaccompanied minors and extremely vulnerable persons such as the elderly and disabled; Promoting respect for International Humanitarian Law, ensuring respect and dignity for
Ukrainian Red Cross Society
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James Lauderdale (1768–1814) was an American militia officer who fought in the Creek War and The Battle of New Orleans. In 1813, he joined a unit of cavalry militia under General John Coffee, commissioned as a Lieutenant-Colonel of Volunteers in the Tennessee Militia. Early life James Lauderdale was born in Botetourt County, Virginia in 1768 to James Lauderdale and Sara Mills. A surveyor by trade, he moved with his father's family to present day Sumner County in Middle Tennessee in the late 1790s. The older James was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and was paid for his service with land in the Tennessee territory. Military service The Creek War Lauderdale joined Colonel John Coffee's regiment of Cavalry. The militia of Tennessee was led by General Andrew Jackson after receiving orders to assist the friendly Creek Indians in their fight against Red Stick Creeks in the Creek War. In early November 1813, Lauderdale participated in General John Coffee's attack on the Red Stick village of Tallushatchee. Coffee's soldiers were split into two columns to surround the village before a surprise attack was launched. General Jackson had ordered the village completely destroyed, and after 180 Red Stick warriors were killed in the battle, the village was burned down. General Coffee's official report to command stated "They made all the resistance that an overpowered soldier could do... The enemy fought with savage fury and met death with all its horrors... No one asked to be spared but fought as long as they could stand or sit." A few days after the attack on Tallushatchee, Jackson received an urgent request from allied Creeks who were under a siege from Red Sticks at Fort Leslie. Jackson ordered 1,200 infantry and 800 cavalry troops to march to relieve the siege at the village of Talladega. Using a similar tactic in the battle, Coffee ordered his troops to split into two columns in order to surround the enemy. Lauderdale was among the 85 US soldiers wounded in the Battle of Talladega. While his injury was not serious, he was relieved of his service in order to return to his home to recover. The Battle of New Orleans Although he had still not fully recovered from his injuries, Lauderdale again joined General Coffee's command in southern Louisiana to prepare for the British invasion during the War of 1812. After the British had taken Lake Borgne and prepared to take New Orleans, General Jackson ordered a three pronged attack on their encampment. Lauderdale was in Coffee's regiment near the left prong during the attack on the morning of December 23, 1814. Lauderdale was killed in the early action of the battle. His body was originally buried on the battlefield, but his fellow officers and men under his command disinterred his body and reburied it in a Protestant ground in New Orleans. Legacy Lauderdale County, Alabama, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, and Lauderdale County, Tennessee are all named in his honor. The city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was named after a
James Lauderdale
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Ludwig Wilhelm Carl Rehn (13 April 1849, Bad Sooden-Allendorf – 29 May 1930) was a German surgeon. Rehn was born in 1849, in the village of Allendorf, the youngest of five children. After the visiting the convent school in Bad Hersfeld, he studied medicine at the University of Marburg from 1869 to 1874, where he became a member of the student corps Hasso-Nassovia.His current ancestors include Bodo Rehn. Career Rehn served as a volunteer in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. In 1875, he received his doctorate from University of Marburg and started to practice at Griesheim near Frankfurt am Main and later in Rödelheim. While there in 1880, he carried out the first thyroidectomy. He became a general practitioner and moved on to open a small private surgical clinic in Frankfurt at 28 years old. In 1886, Ludwig Rehn became surgical director of the Frankfurt State Hospital. In 1895 Rehn reported cases of bladder cancer with workers, and people downriver of the local aniline factories. The risk from aromatic amines, particularly benzidine and a-and ß-naphthylamine, was not well-established until the 1950s. In 1914, he was appointed professor of surgery at the newly founded University of Frankfurt am Main. During the World War I he served as a surgeon general. Rehn was also a member of the scientific senate of the Kaiser Wilhelm Academy in Berlin. Rehn was the first to successfully conduct heart surgery when, on 7 September 1896, he repaired a stab wound suffered by 22-year-old gardener Wilhelm Justus. He died in 1930. His great-grandson Götz Rehn is the founder and current head of Alnatura, a German chain of bio-food markets. Cardiac Surgery Ludwig Rehn's most famous surgery occurred on 7 September 1896. This surgery opened the field of cardiac surgery. Before this successful surgery, wounds of the heart were considered fatal. The patient, Willhelm Justus, was a 22-year-old gardener who had been discharged from the military because of an irregular heartbeat. On 7 September he was wounded by a knife and a passerby found him. He arrived at the State Hospital at 3:30 am. At the hospital, he was described as deathly pale with labored breathing and a barely palpable pulse. He had a non-bleeding 1.5cm wound in the left side of his heart. On 8 September the patient had developed a hemothorax, a collection of blood in the space between the chest wall and the lung. Orders thus far had been to apply ice bags to the wound and to apply a camphor, a pain relieving, topical cream. Willhelm had a fever of 100.76 °F and a respiratory rate of 68 breaths/min, a normal one is 12-20 breaths/min. On 9 September his pulse was weak and irregular, the wound area was increasing, and his respiratory rate raised to 76 breaths/min. Ludwig Rehn began the operation when he saw the suffering patient. Rehn began by making a 14cm long incision along the left side of the patient's heart. He divided the fifth rib and turned it to the
Ludwig Rehn
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The Battle of Modder River (, fought near the confluence of the Modder and Riet Rivers) was an engagement in the Boer War, fought at Modder River, on 28 November 1899. A British column under Lord Methuen, that was attempting to relieve the besieged town of Kimberley, forced Boers under General Piet Cronjé to retreat to Magersfontein, but suffered heavy casualties altogether. Background When the war broke out, one of the Boers' early targets was the diamond-mining centre of Kimberley, which stood not far from the point where the borders of the Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, and the British-controlled Cape Colony met. Although their forces surrounded the town, they did not press home any immediate assault. Nor did they attempt to cross the Orange River on this front to invade Cape Colony. Meanwhile, British reinforcements were on their way to South Africa. Their commander, General Sir Redvers Buller detached the 1st Division under Lieutenant General Lord Methuen to relieve the Siege of Kimberley. This decision was made partly for reasons of prestige, as the capture of Kimberley (which contained the famous Imperialist and former Prime Minister of Cape Colony, Cecil Rhodes) would be a major propaganda victory for the British. During November, Methuen's force advanced north along the Western Cape Railway. They fought and won two engagements against Boers from the Orange Free State under General Prinsloo at the Battle of Belmont and at Graspan. At least one American, Lance Corporal Hollon Bush of the 7th Company, First Battalion Coldstream Guards was present and wounded at the Battle of Modder River. His journey to enlist from departure in New Orleans to England was not without many pitfalls before beginning service at the Tower of London, then on to Gibraltar and South Africa. Boer plans The Boers had been reinforced by a substantial contingent from the Transvaal under General Koos de la Rey, who proposed a radical new plan of defence. He pointed out that the Boers had previously been easily driven from the kopjes (hills) which they had occupied. The kopjes had been obvious aiming marks for the numerically superior British artillery. Also, the trajectory of rifle fire from Boers on the top of the kopjes was steeply plunging. It therefore had a chance of hitting its target only in the last six feet or so of its flight. Once British infantry had reached the foot of the kopje, they were concealed by boulders and scrub, and could then easily drive the Boers off the summit with the bayonet. De la Rey proposed to make use of the flat trajectory of the Mauser rifle with which the Boers were armed, together with the flat veld. He called on his men to dig trenches in the banks of the Modder River, from which their rifles could sweep the veld for a great distance, and won them over. General Piet Cronjé, who arrived later with the main Boer force, acquiesced in this novel plan. The area
Battle of Modder River
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Traugott Herr (16 September 1890 – 13 April 1976) was a German general during World War II who commanded the 14th Army and the 10th Army of the Wehrmacht. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Early life Born in 1890, Herr joined the army of Imperial Germany in 1911 as an Fahnen-junker (officer cadet) in the infantry. Serving in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, he commanded the 3rd Battalion of the 33rd Infantry Regiment. World War II Herr commanded an infantry regiment, part of the 13th Motorized Infantry Division, from 8 September 1939 to 14 October 1940, taking part in the Invasion of Poland (September 1939) and France (May 1940 to October 1940). In October 1940, the division was reformed in Vienna as 13th Panzer Division. Herr was given command of 13th Rifle Brigade, which controlled the division's two infantry regiments, on 14 October 1940. In the invasion of Poland, the division used civilians as human shields in the battle with the retreating Polish Prusy Army and on 8 September 1939 attacked a medical column marked with the Red Cross signs near Odrzywół. A day later, soldiers from the division took part in the revenge killing of 11 civilians and two Polish priests including Dean Stanisław Klimecki in the nearby town of Drzewica in retaliation for their own military losses. Killings have also been reported in nearby settlements of Gielniów, Kamienna Wola, Klwów, Ossa, Przysucha, Potok, Rozwady and Zarzęcin. It is not known if Herr participated in these crimes. In May 1941 the regiment returned to Germany to take part in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, as part of 1st Panzergruppe under Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist in Army Group South. In December 1941, Herr was given acting command of 13th Panzer Division. On 31 October 1942, on the Terek River deep in the Caucasus, Herr suffered a serious head wound, being struck by shrapnel, and was repatriated to Germany to recuperate. He was later appointed commander of the LXXVI Panzer Corps stationed in France; in August 1943 it was sent to Italy. In Italy, his unit faced the British Eighth Army in Calabria, and the U.S. Fifth Army in Salerno. Herr commanded the corps in the Italian Campaign until 24 November 1944. He also temporarily took command of 14th Army for a brief period from late November to mid-December 1944. On 18 December 1944, he was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross. On 15 February 1945 he took command of 10th Army. The Allies final and decisive spring 1945 offensive in Italy opened in early April, Herr was defending the Adriatic sector with orders to hold the lines. On 2 May 1945 the 14th army was overrun by British forces, and Herr was taken prisoner. He was released from custody in May 1948. Awards Wound Badge in Black Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (14 September 1914) & 1st Class (21
Traugott Herr
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The 2003 Nasiriyah bombing was a suicide attack on the Italian Carabinieri MSU headquarters in Nasiriyah, Iraq, south of Baghdad on 12 November 2003. The attack resulted in the deaths of 18 Italian servicemembers, mostly members of the MSU Carabinieri, an Italian civilian, and 9 Iraqi civilians and was the worst Italian military disaster since the Second World War. The attack, labeled a "terrorist act" by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, was among a string of many attacks on non-American military international targets in Iraq that occurred shortly after the end of major combat operations, including the Jordanian and Turkish embassies, International Red Cross, and UN facilities. Prelude Before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the future Carabinieri and Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana headquarters was the Nasiriyah Chamber of Commerce, a three-story structure near the Euphrates River. The first U.S. forces to occupy the building were Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who were later relieved by reservists from the 2nd Battalion 25th Marines. Italy took part in the Iraq War, as part of the Multi-National Force – Iraq, from 15 July 2003 until 1 December 2006, in and around Nasiriyah (see Operation Ancient Babylon). On July 19, 2003 the Marines in Nasiriyah were replaced by members of the Carabinieri and Italian army. Italian forces in Iraq were under British command and those in Nasiriyah were some of about 3,000 total Italian servicemembers in the country, including 400 Carabinieri forces of the Multinational Specialized Unit. Attack The attack began shortly before 11:00 a.m. when a large tanker truck sped towards the entrance of the base. Carabiniere Andrea Filippa, who was part of the unit guarding the main gate and was among the casualties, managed to shoot and kill the two drivers before the vehicle could smash through the gate and enter the compound. The tanker slammed onto the gate, stopped and exploded in a massive fireball. Nearby houses sustained structural damage and a car carrying five Iraqi women was incinerated, killing those inside. The blast was so powerful that buildings across the Euphrates river suffered shattered windows. The front of the three-story building serving as the Italian headquarters collapsed. 18 Italian troops, including 12 Carabinieri policemen were killed in the blast along with an Italian civilian. A further 20 Italians and 80 Iraqis were wounded. Aftermath The attack was the worst incident involving Italian soldiers since Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and the highest loss of Italian soldiers since World War II. The attack thus shocked Italy and plunged it into a three-day mourning period. The soldiers were given a state funeral. Despite the large loss, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reaffirmed his commitment to the mission in Iraq and President George W. Bush said in a statement at the White House, "Today in Iraq, a member of NATO, Italy, lost some proud sons in the service of freedom and peace." Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino pinned blame on Saddam Hussein loyalists saying, "evidence on the ground and intelligence
2003 Nasiriyah bombing
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Lieutenant General Edward Mallory Almond (December 12, 1892 – June 11, 1979) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in World War I, World War II, where he commanded the 92nd Infantry Division, and the Korean War, where he commanded the U.S. X Corps. Early life and education Edward Mallory Almond was born on December 12, 1892, in Luray, Virginia. He was the first son of Walter, a farm equipment salesman, and Grace Popham Almond. Another boy, Malcolm, joined the family in 1895, as did a sister, Judy, in 1897. Young Almond, nicknamed "Ned" by his family, grew up being told stories by his paternal grandmother about the American Civil War. Almond's maternal grandfather, Thomas Popham, along with his great-uncle, William Barton Mallory, had both served in the Confederate Army during the war. In Almond’s youth there were still many veterans of the Civil War all over Virginia although Almond himself stated in later life that neither his grandparents nor the older people who had been involved spoke much about the conflict. He did note, however, that there seemed to be an undertone of bitterness for having lost the war. Of his early years, Michael E. Lynch states: Always interested in the military, determined to be a professional soldier, and inspired throughout his life by the words of Stonewall Jackson's, "You may be whatever you resolve to be", Almond graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in June 1915. He graduated third in a class of sixty-five cadets. He was later commissioned as a first lieutenant in the United States Army on 30 November 1916. The United States entered World War I soon afterwards, in April 1917 (see American entry into World War I). World War I Almond served in France during the latter stages of the war, ending it as a major. He fought in the Meuse–Argonne offensive of late 1918 as the commander of the 12th Machine Gun Battalion of the 4th Division, commanded then by Major General George H. Cameron. During his service in France, he was wounded in action and received a Silver Star Citation (later upgraded to the Silver Star decoration). Of his being wounded, which occurred in early August 1918, he later wrote: After being relieved from combat in the Meuse–Argonne, Almond's division, the 4th, was transferred to the newly created Second Army in mid-October and Almond was preparing his battalion, which he assumed command of on October 1, for a huge new offensive scheduled for November 12, although the Armistice with Germany brought an end to this plan. The relatively short campaign in the Meuse−Argonne had cost the 4th Division dearly, with 45 officers being killed and 199 wounded, while another 1,120 enlisted men had been killed with a further 6,024 wounded. Almond's battalion had suffered 190 casualties, 4 of them being officers. The next few months for Almond and his battalion were spent on occupation duty in Germany. Between the wars On returning to the United States after the war,
Edward Almond
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The Battle of Prairie Dog Creek, also known as the Skirmish at Tongue River Heights, or the Battle of the Tongue River (1876), part of the Great Sioux War of 1876, occurred on June 9, 1876, at the confluence of Prairie Dog Creek and the Tongue River primarily in Wyoming Territory. The battle On June 9, 1876, soldiers and civilians under the command of Brigadier General George R. Crook, were encamped on the Tongue River at the mouth of Prairie Dog Creek. With Crook, were over 950 United States cavalry and infantry soldiers, and about 100 civilians. While the soldiers were in camp on June 9, some observed two mounted Cheyenne warriors riding along the bluffs on the north bank of the Tongue River. Then, about 200 concealed Cheyenne warriors suddenly fired a volley of .44 Henry, and .50 caliber rifles from the bluffs into Crook's camp. Another small band of warriors had remained hidden to the east of Crook's camp, with the intention of stealing the soldiers' horses when their attention was diverted. Crook ordered an attack. Companies C, G, and H, of the 9th U.S. Infantry crossed the river, and after wading through the rivers' frigid water, scaled the nearly vertical bluffs. Companies A, E, I, and M of the Third U.S. Cavalry, the battalion under the command of Captain Anson Mills also responded, and crossed the river just to the west, and on the left flank of the infantrymen. Accompanying the cavalry was the newspaper reporter John F. Finerty, the "Fighting Irish Pencil Pusher" for the Chicago Times. After reaching a grove of cottonwood trees, the cavalry dismounted. Leaving every fourth man as a horse holder, the cavalrymen advanced dismounted up the bluffs. After reaching the top, the soldiers drove back the Cheyenne warriors who had fired into the camp earlier, north about half a mile, away from the crest of the ridge. But at a second ridge line, the Cheyenne's reformed. Soldiers then drove them from it, crossing into Montana Territory. Warriors reformed a third time, but this final effort lasted only briefly, and the Cheyenne warriors retreated north. The warriors intending to steal the soldiers' horses did not attempt to do so, the horses being closely guarded. Thus ended the Battle of Prairie Dog Creek. Aftermath In the fight, the casualties were two Cheyenne's killed or wounded, two soldiers who suffered minor wounds, one of the soldiers' mule's killed, and two of the soldiers' horses wounded. The soldiers seemed to have rather enjoyed the skirmish, since it relieved the boredom in their otherwise mundane life in bivouac. Since the soldiers' mounts were well secured, the Cheyenne's suffered only a lost opportunity to steal some horses. Most of the same combatants that fought at Prairie Dog Creek on both sides, would soon move north and see action at the Battle of the Rosebud, only eight days later. And many of the Cheyenne warriors would also fight in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, just 16 days
Battle of Prairie Dog Creek
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The Essex Scottish was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army until 1954. History Founded in 1885 as the 21st Essex Battalion of Infantry, it went through several name changes including: 1887 - 21st Battalion, Essex Fusiliers; 1900 - 21st Regiment, Essex Fusiliers; 1920 - The Essex Fusiliers, acquiring its present title in 1927. During World War II the regiment was among the first Canadian units to see combat in the European theatre during the invasion of Dieppe. By the end of The Dieppe Raid, the Essex Scottish Regiment had suffered 121 fatal casualties, with many others wounded and captured. The Essex Scottish later participated in Operation Atlantic and was slaughtered attempting to take Verrières Ridge on July 21. By the war's end, the Essex Scottish Regiment had suffered over 550 war dead; its 2,500 casualties were the most of any unit in the Canadian army during the Second World War. In 1954, as a result of the Kennedy Report on the Reserve Army, this regiment was amalgamated with The Kent Regiment to form The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment. The Essex Scottish before amalgamation held its final order of precedence as 40. Alliances and uniform The Essex Scottish were allied to The Essex Regiment and were kitted with a balmoral with red and white diced border, scarlet doublet, white sporran with two black points, red and black hose, spats with black buttons, blue shoulder straps with white cross stripes and piping with full dress only for pipers and drummers, who also wore a feather bonnet with white hackle. They wore the red and green tartan of Clan Gregor. Perpetuations The regiment perpetuated the following units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force: Great War 18th Battalion (Western Ontario), CEF 99th Battalion (Essex), CEF 241st (Canadian Scottish Borderers) Battalion, CEF Battle honours First World War Ypres, 1915, '17 Festubert, 1915 Mount Sorrel Somme, 1916, '18 Flers-Courcelette Thiepval Ancre Heights Arras, 1917, '18 Vimy, 1917 Hill 70 Passchendaele Amiens Scarpe, 1918 Hindenburg Line Canal du Nord Cambrai, 1918 Pursuit to Mons France and Flanders 1915–18 Second World War Dieppe Raid (1942) Battle of Verrières Ridge (1944) liberation of Dieppe (1944) Battle of the Scheldt (1944) The Rhine (1944–1945) Northwestern Europe Victoria Cross and George Cross recipients Major Frederick Albert Tilston VC, Gazetted on 22 May 1945. See also Canadian-Scottish regiment References Barnes, RM, The Uniforms and History of the Scottish Regiments, London, Sphere Books Limited, 1972. External links Veteran Affairs Canada Essex Scottish Regiment Scottish regiments of Canada Military units and formations of Ontario Infantry regiments of Canada in World War II Military units and formations established in 1885 Military units and formations disestablished in 1954
Essex Scottish Regiment
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Mother Mary of the Incarnation Martin, M.M.M. (24 April 1892 – 1975) was the Irish foundress of the Catholic religious institute of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. Early life She was born Marie Helena Martin in Glenageary, County Dublin, Ireland, then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on 24 April 1892, the second of the twelve children her parents Thomas Martin and Mary Moore were to have. In 1904, while attending classes for her First Holy Communion, Martin contracted rheumatic fever, which was to affect her heart permanently. Tragedy hit the family on St. Patrick's Day 1907, as her father was killed in what was presumed to be an accidental shooting. Later her mother sent her to schools in Scotland, England and Germany, all of which she left as quickly as possible. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, Martin joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment, a division of the Red Cross, and helped with the nursing of wounded soldiers brought back from the front. Her own brother, Charles, was soon sent to fight in the campaign of Gallipoli. In October 1915, she was assigned to work in Malta. Here she helped there for the thousands of soldiers being brought back from that battle. Learning that her brother had been declared missing in action, she sought to gain information about his fate from the returning soldiers. Learning little of use added to her stress and she began to long to return home. The family finally learned that Charlie had been killed in the conflict, dying of wounds received at the battle. She returned to Ireland in April 1916. While she was at sea, the Easter Uprising took place in Dublin, which was to lead to the establishment of the Republic of Ireland. Martin was called to serve again a month later at Hardelot, France, in a field hospital near the front lines of the Battle of the Somme. There she cared for soldiers suffering from gas poisoning. This assignment lasted until December of that year, followed by a brief stint in Leeds, England. All this time, she tried to discern her future. Shortly after the end of the War, she was called up on help in nursing victims of the Spanish flu, which had begun to devastate populations around the world. In 1917 a new curate came to the parish which Martin attended, the Reverend Thomas Roynane, to whom she turned for guidance. Roynane had an interest in missionary work, bringing together two fellow members of the clergy who were go to on and found the Missionary Society of St. Columban. They soon conceived of the idea of a congregation of Religious Sisters to provide medical care in the missions of China to which they had planned to go. Roynane recruited two women to commit themselves to this work, the Lady Frances Moloney and Agnes Ryan, a local schoolteacher. Training for the missions Roynane had also inspired Martin with an interest in pursuing this calling. To
Mary Martin (missionary)
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Waverly Bernard Woodson Jr. (August 3, 1922 – August 12, 2005) was an American staff sergeant and medical professional. He is best known for his heroic actions as a combat medic during the Battle of Normandy in World War II. Life and military service Waverly Bernard Woodson Jr. was born on August 3, 1922, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a mail carrier. After graduating from Overbrook High School, he began studying at Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, where he was a pre-med student. After the entry of the United States into World War II, Woodson – then in his sophomore year – put his studies on hold, enlisting in the United States Army on December 15, 1942, alongside his younger brother Eugene. After scoring highly on an aptitude test, he joined the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Officer Candidate School, where he was one of only two African Americans. Before completing the course, Woodson was informed that he would not be able to be billeted in the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps due to his race. As a result, he was retrained as a combat medic and assigned to the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. Woodson underwent training at Camp Tyson, the United States' barrage balloon training center in Paris, Tennessee, where he experienced segregation and discrimination. By the time of Operation Overlord, he held the rank of corporal. In advance of Operation Overlord, Woodson was deployed to England. On June 6, 1944, the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion participated in the Battle of Normandy as part of the First United States Army; it was the only African American battalion to participate. Woodson was assigned to a landing craft tank (LCT) that was to land at Normandy in the early morning. While coming ashore at Omaha Beach as part of the third wave, Woodson's LCT hit a naval mine and lost power, drifting ashore with the tide. While drifting, the LCT was hit by an "eighty-eight" shell and Woodson suffered shrapnel injuries to his groin, inner thigh, and back. Upon reaching the shore and having his wounds treated, Woodson and other medics set up a field dressing station under a rocky embankment and began treating other wounded soldiers. Woodson worked continuously from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM on the following day. During the 30 hours, he carried out procedures including setting limbs, removing bullets, amputating a foot, and dispensing plasma. After being relieved, Woodson was collecting bedding when he was alerted to three British soldiers having been submerged while leaving their LCT; Woodson provided artificial respiration to the three men, reviving them. Woodson was subsequently hospitalized due to his wounds; after three days on a hospital ship he requested to return to the front. It has been estimated that Woodson's actions during the Battle of Normandy saved the lives of as many as 200 soldiers, both black and white. Woodson's commanding officer recommended him for a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions, but the office of general John C. H. Lee
Waverly B. Woodson Jr.
17576541
The Swiss Red Cross (German: , French: , Italian: , Romansh: ), or SRC, is the national Red Cross society for Switzerland. The SRC was founded in 1866 in Bern, Switzerland. In accordance with the Geneva Red Cross Agreement and its recognition through the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, it is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The SRC is Switzerland's oldest and largest relief agency, made up of 24 cantonal leagues, five rescue organizations, three foundations and two societies. History Foundation and first year The Swiss Red Cross was established on 17 July 1866 at the instigation of Federal Councillor Jakob Dubs and the Red Cross members Gustave Moynier and Guillaume-Henri Dufour. After its foundation, the SRC named itself as an "aid organisation [Hülfsverein] for Swiss soldiers and their families". Building the national organisation was, however, full of difficulties. For one thing, there was very little consistency in the organisation of Switzerland at the federal level at this time, and for another the organisation was hindered by political and confessional arguments. Also, Switzerland's neutrality and the existence of the International Committee of the Red Cross as an institution in Swiss civil society posed further difficulties. In 1882 the Zurich Pfarrer Walter Kempin founded the "Centralverein des Schweizerischen Roten Kreuzes" (Central of the Swiss Red Cross), and was its leader until 1885. It lasted until the start of the 20th century, with the appointment of the doctor Walther Sahli as standing Central Secretary in 1898 from the Centralverein and with the Hülfsverein founded by Dubs, Moynier and Dufour beginning to consolidate the SRC structures. As a result, cantonal and local sections were established, Red Cross nursing organisations formed and transport sections set up. In 1903 the official role of the SRC was codified in a decree of the Federal Assembly, as a promoter of the nursing and in the service of the army. With the invasion of the Bourbaki army in March 1871, the SRC saw its first action as an auxiliary arm. It counted, interned 85,000 for six weeks in Switzerland to furnish member of the French army medically. First World War In the First World War, the SRC was responsible for the social and material support of soldiers, such as by specially-equipped hospital trains (Sanitätszüge) for the repatriation of approximately 80,000 wounded soldiers to their own countries, and for treatment of wounded soldiers in Switzerland. A further focal point in the SRC's activities was helping in the efforts against the Spanish flu epidemic, raging in Switzerland and throughout Europe in 1918. Inter-war years In the inter-war years, the SRC delivered – among other things – food aid to other countries, such as to Vienna in 1919 and to Russia (suffering from famine) in 1922. Second World War During the Second World War, the SRC provided for the support of the civil population and the army with material and auxiliary personnel and organized a blood donation service. It also promoted
Swiss Red Cross
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Henry Herman Harjes (20 February 1875 – 20 August 1926) was a French born American polo player and banker with Morgan, Harjes & Co. Early life Harjes was born on 20 February 1875 in Paris, France. He was a son of John Henry Harjes (1829–1914) and Amelia (née Hessenbruch) Harjes (1841–1934). Among his siblings was Louise Rosalie Harjes (wife of Charles Messenger Moore), Amelia Mae Harjes, John Henry Harjes Jr., Margaretha "Nelly" Harjes (wife of jeweler Jacques Cartier). His maternal grandparents were Theophilus Hessenbruch and Bertha (née Everts) Hessenbruch. He was educated by private tutors in England and America before beginning his career as a clerk in the office of J.P. Morgan & Co. in 1896. Career Harjes was a prominent banker who became the senior partner of Morgan, Harjes & Co. of Paris, which was founded as Drexel, Harjes & Co. by his father John Harjes in 1868, after he moved to Paris from Philadelphia in 1854. Harjes and his father, who was born in Switzerland but later became an American citizen, were among the founders in 1906 of the American Hospital of Paris. The younger Harjes inherited management of the firm in 1909, following his father's retirement. Upon his father's death in 1914, Harjes was one of three executors (along with his mother and Edward T. Stotesbury) of his father's multi-million dollar estate. During World War I, he played a significant role behind the scenes by negotiating sizeable loans for the Allies. In time, the Morgan Bank system became the exclusive purchasing agents in the U.S. for the Allies. During the War, he served as head of the American Relief Clearing House which was responsible for channeling American contributions to France, and from 1914 to 1917, he was the chief representative of the American Red Cross in France. He founded the Harjes Formation, a volunteer ambulance driver group, which merged with Richard Norton's American Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps to become known as the Norton-Harjes. When relief efforts were militarized in July 1917, Harjes stepped down, enlisted with the Americans as a Lieutenant colonel and served as chief liaison officer for the American Expeditionary Forces with the French High Command. He was wounded in action in August 1918. For his efforts during the War, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre, and the United States and other allied countries conferred decorations on the Colonel. Polo career Reportedly, Harjes introduced polo to France. Suffering from a stiff leg as a result of a war injury, Harjes decided to stop playing polo altogether, but was killed in a polo accident in 1926, during his last game that was to conclude his polo career. At the time, he was playing with Lord Montbatten and Duke Peneranda. Among the principal polo players of his time, "the unanimous opinion was that Mr. Harje's death was due to his refusal to spend money extravagantly on his ponies. Whereas such other players as Baron Robert de Rothschild, M. Peneranda and M. Martinez de Hoz all kept
Henry Herman Harjes
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Nathan Boone (1780–1856) was a veteran of the War of 1812, a delegate to the Missouri constitutional convention in 1820, and a captain in the 1st United States Regiment of Dragoons at the time of its founding, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Nathan was the youngest son of American explorer and frontiersman Daniel Boone. Nathan Boone was born at Boone Station, near Athens, Fayette County, Kentucky in 1780 and moved to Spanish Missouri with the family in 1799. In 1807, he and his brother Daniel Morgan Boone first worked the Salt licks in what became known as the Booneslick Country. The brothers built the Boone's Lick Road, which became a major overland route in early Missouri, linking St. Louis to the western frontier of the United States at that time, and later to Fort Osage and the Santa Fe Trail. Boone took part in the War of 1812 as captain of a company of United States Rangers which scouted in the country between the Mississippi and Illinois. On August 7, 1813. Boone and sixteen Rangers went on a patrol across Mississippi to gather intelligence to the north between the river and Illinois. Boone and his Rangers patrolled for 2 days but found nothing. At night, the Rangers camped. A fellow Ranger who acted as a sentry reported that he believed enemy Indian combatants were lurking in the darkness surrounding their camp. Nathan doubled his sentries, ordered his men to sleep away from the fire, and placed them behind trees around the camp. Near midnight, the Indians numbering at least 60 warriors launched a full scale surprise attack and opened heavy fire into the camp from one side. Both the Ranger sentries were shot and wounded. The Rangers fell back firing into the darkness where they saw muzzle flashes and heard loud voices. The Rangers took cover behind the trees on the other side of camp. Nathan crouched behind a tree and realized his rangers were outnumbered. The Rangers behind their trees frantically reloaded and fired trying to see their enemy in the darkness. Boone shouted his men to fall back from tree to tree. Nathan and his rangers ran off into the brush to safety. Nathan and his rangers rallied into a circle behind some trees. The rangers held their position behind their trees while the Indians were busy looting the camp. In the morning, the Indians had left with loot and as many ranger horses as they could take. Nathan and his rangers found only half their mounts. Nathan and his rangers withdrew back to base to inform their commander of confirmed intelligence that the Native American threat persisted still. The American Rangers only suffered 2 slightly wounded. He also took part in an expedition led by Henry Dodge to relieve settlers who had been raided by Miami Indians. He and Dodge saved 150 Miamis from massacre by members of their own militia. The Miamis had agreed to surrender as prisoners of war, and certain members
Nathan Boone
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Matthew Gene "Axe" Axelson (June 25, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was an enlisted United States Navy SEAL who was awarded the U.S. Navy's second highest decoration, the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. Serving as a sniper in the operation, Axelson was killed in action during the firefight phase of Operation Red Wings. Personal life Axelson was born on June 25, 1976, in Cupertino, California, to parents Donna and Cordell Axelson. He graduated from Monta Vista High School in 1994, attended San Diego State University for a year and graduated from the California State University Chico with a degree in political science. Axelson's brother, Jeffery, wrote a book about him. Axelson married Cindy Oji in 2003, in Sacramento, California. Career Axelson enlisted in the United States Navy in December 2000, and completed basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes. After finishing Sonar Technician Surface (STG) "A" School, he undertook Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) and graduated with Class 237 in Coronado, California. After BUD/S, Axelson went to the Army Airborne School, completed SEAL Qualification Training and then attended SEAL Delivery Vehicle School. He reported to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 in December 2002, in Hawaii. He deployed to Afghanistan in April 2005. Operation Red Wings Operation Red Wings was a counter-insurgency operation carried out by the United States Armed Forces in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in 2005. The objective of the operation was to kill or capture Ahmad Shah (code name Ben Sharmak), a known terrorist and head of the "Mountain Tigers" militia group. During the operation, Axelson and Marcus Luttrell were assigned as snipers while Danny Dietz and Michael P. Murphy served as spotters. The mission was compromised after goat herders discovered the SEALs and reported their location to the Taliban in the village. An intense firefight ensued and Dietz was killed as a result of a gunshot wound to the head, becoming the first casualty of the operation. After Murphy moved to a clearing to get reception and call for support, he was shot multiple times and killed, while Axelson died as a result of bullet wounds and shrapnel from the RPG blast as he tried to escape. The quick reaction force that was dispatched in response to a request from Murphy, consisted of eight Navy SEALs and eight 160th SOAR Night Stalker crewmen. As the aircraft arrived onsite and the SEALs attempted to fast rope, an RPG hit their Chinook causing it to crash. All 16 personnel aboard were killed. Death Axelson was severely wounded after taking the brunt of the initial attack and the fall with his teammates. After regrouping with the team, he began firing back and hours later he suffered a gunshot wound to the head, by this point of time he had been shot in several places including his chest and head. On July 10, 2005, Axelson's body was discovered 3 miles away from the initial RPG explosion, by a group of SEALs during a
Matthew Axelson
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New Zealand Red Cross or Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa is a humanitarian organisation, which has more than 9,000 members and volunteers. In New Zealand, Red Cross delivers core community services, such as Meals on Wheels, refugee re-settlement services, first aid courses, and emergency management operations. Internationally, New Zealand Red Cross sends international delegates overseas to assist in areas where humanitarian assistance is needed, this includes disaster preparedness and response. In 2013, 17 delegates were sent to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and in 2014, 18 New Zealand delegates responded to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. History Ad hoc activity on behalf of the Red Cross began in New Zealand in 1914, at the outbreak of World War I. After a number of enquiries, New Zealand's first Governor-General Lord Liverpool convened a meeting of Red Cross and St John representatives in Wellington on 10 November 1915. This led to the formation of a national office and Council, and the emergence of the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross, known from 1917 as the "New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John". Red Cross raised money and organised medical supplies, clothing and food parcels for sick and wounded soldiers overseas and once they returned home. They also helped during the influenza epidemic in 1918 by training nurses and providing medical supplies and relief. Although Red Cross personnel had previously responded to floods and to the Murchison earthquake of 1929, the Hawke's Bay earthquake of 3 February 1931 raised awareness of the need for a more efficient, centralised response to natural disasters. This awareness, and pressure from the British Red Cross for New Zealand to develop an independent national Society, led to the founding of the New Zealand Red Cross Society by Nurse Beth Charpentier, which was incorporated on 22 December 1931. Recognition by the New Zealand government and the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent followed in June 1932. The New Zealand Red Cross Society again teamed up with the Order of St John during World War II as the Joint Council, sending medical relief, supplies, clothing and food to sick and wounded soldiers and New Zealand prisoners of war. In 1990, the Society changed its name to New Zealand Red Cross. New Zealand Red Cross is registered as a charity in New Zealand. New Zealand WW2 POW food parcels The New Zealand Red Cross Society provided 1,139,624 parcels during the war period, packed by 1,500 volunteers. Prisoners parcels included: Six ounces of tea Nineteen ounces of corned mutton Fifteen ounces of lamb and green peas Eight ounces of chocolate Twenty ounces of butter Fifteen ounces of coffee and milk Ten ounces of sugar Nine ounces of peas Sixteen ounces of jam Sixteen ounces of condensed milk Fifteen ounces of cheese Six ounces of raisins. Louisa Akavi One notable New Zealand Red Cross nurse is Louisa Akavi, who has been held hostage by Islamic State militants since her kidnapping
New Zealand Red Cross
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Auguste Leopoldine Hedwig Countess of Rittberg (1839–1896) was a Prussian-German decorated nurse, hospital supervisor and founder of the Auxiliary Sisters Association. Life and work Hedwig von Rittberg was born 30 December 1839 in Liegnitz in Silesia to the Prussian major Count August von Rittberg and Henriette von Netz. She was the youngest of eleven children. After her father rejected her wish to become a deaconess, she took care of sick relatives. With the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War (1866) the young countess took up nursing and completed a course in the cuirassier barracks in Breslau, now Wrocław, Poland. In appreciation for her nursing service in Hořice and Gitschin during the three-month war, she received the Order of Louise, 1st class. After the war, Rittberg returned to her parents' house to care for her relatives and, at the insistence of her family, she joined Tschirnau Abbey as a canoness, but she did not remain long because in 1870, the Prussian Queen Augusta asked her to become superior of the newly built Augusta Hospital in Berlin. There she cared for German and French wounded combatants during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), for which she received the War Medal for Non-Combatants, the Cross of Merit of France and the Bavarian Cross of Merit for Women and Girls. In 1873, Rittberg returned to Liegnitz, where she passed a pharmaceutical exam at the medical authority. On 1 October 1875, with two other sisters, she founded the Auxiliary Sisters Association in Berlin, to provide well-trained nurses for the home care of the sick regardless of class or denomination. The group was recognized in 1882 by Kaiser Wilhelm I as a public welfare institution. In 1876 she traveled through the United States as the companion of an ailing American woman. The Auxiliary Sisters Association was recognized as a non-profit organization in 1882. It continued to train new nurses and opened a convalescent home for old and sick sisters in Nowawes in 1886. Rittberg died 4 April 1896 in Nowawes, now Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany, and was buried in the Klein-Glienicke cemetery. Legacy After the Countess died, the "Auxiliary Sisters' Association" was renamed the "Countess Rittberg Auxiliary Sisters' Association" and then renamed again becoming the "Countess Rittberg Sisters' Association of the Red Cross." In 1975, the association officially became part of the German Red Cross of Berlin. Coincidentally, Rittberg had been an early advocate for an international organization such as the Red Cross to care for the sick and wounded. The Rittberg Hospital on Carstennstrasse in Lichterfelde was named after the countess. Originally built in 1904 as a homeopathic hospital, it had to close during the First World War. In 1918, under the direction of Elsbeth von Keudell (1857–1953), the Red Cross Sisterhood of Rittberg bought the hospital and trained nurses there. In the course of the hospital reform in 1995, the Rittberg Hospital was closed and stood empty until 1999. Since 2001, the General Secretariat of the Red Cross has used it as its headquarters. References 1839 births 1896 deaths
Hedwig von Rittberg
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The Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA; ) is a humanitarian society that provides emergency medical services in five administrative regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1934 under the name Saudi Red Crescent Association, which was later amended to Saudi Red Crescent Authority in 2008. By 2009, the Society had 447 First Aid Centers, run by 5,507 staff, with 1300 ambulances which are distributed in all hospitals and centres around the country. The Red Crescent has a particular role to play during Hajj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca), providing on-the-spot first aid and using its fleet of vehicles (1300 in 2009) to take emergency cases to the nearest medical facility. The Saudi Red Crescent Authorities offer medical service of first aid to citizens and foreign labors who are staying in the kingdom in ordinary circumstances and at time of catastrophes. The Authority contributes relief work inside the Kingdom and abroad. It offers service according to Islamic morals and instructions. Establishment of the National Medical Emergency Association It was the first independent medical entity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as no previous organizational association for ambulatory services existed before the year of 1353 H. That idea brought up by key men of education and business and philanthropy to form the authority due to the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Battles broke out in mountains of Asir and Tihamah coasts where no convenient facilities or medical supplies for the wounded civilians and militants were available. The elite people in Saudi Arabia decided to strongly participate with their effort and prospects in that war to relieve the harshness of the war on the army. For that they requested from the government to form an authority in Mecca assigned to perform ambulatory services of militants by doctors and medicines and bandages during the war. Ambulance Charity Association As the government of the late King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz believed in the necessity of providing ambulatory medical care within the delivered services with more wide and independent method, the idea of establishing the association was proposed in the year of 1353 H by key personalities in Makkah. As they noticed the difficulties encountered by pilgrims while performing Hajj rituals, those people, the late Tala'at Harb Pasha was one of them, intended to support pilgrims with first aid and medical services. Heatstroke, exhaustion due to diseases and the age issues afflicted pilgrims at that time and their families are the one who took care of transferring them to Ajyad hospital, the only hospital in Mecca at that time. Those problems increased rapidly and caused the death of patients due to delays in transferring them to the hospital. References External links Official website Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Red Crescent and Red Cross Club Medical and health organisations based in Saudi Arabia Air ambulance services in Saudi Arabia 1935 establishments in
Saudi Red Crescent Authority
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The Romanian Red Cross (Crucea Roșie Română, CRR), also known as the National Society of Red Cross from Romania (Societatea Națională de Cruce Roșie din România), is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside Romania. It is the designated national affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. History of the RNRC Establishment and early history Romania became a signatory to the First Geneva Convention of 1864 and ratified it in 1874. Two years later, on July 4, 1876, the Romanian Red Cross Society was founded in Romania and began work in the present headquarters of the Colțea Hospital in Bucharest. Among the signatories of the founding document of the Romanian Red Cross, there were important personalities of the time, such as: Nicolae Cretzulescu, George Gr. Cantacuzino, C.A. Rosetti, Ion Ghica, Dimitrie Sturza, Gr. G. Cantacuzino and Dr. Carol Davila. The first president of the Romanian Red Cross was Prince Dimitrie Ghica, between 1876 and 1897. In less than three weeks after the establishment, on July 20, 1876, the first Romanian Red Cross ambulance went on a humanitarian mission on the Serbian-Turkish front, south of the Danube. On the basis of solidarity that unites National Societies, the first mission of the Romanian Red Cross was meant to provide medical help to wounded soldiers, regardless of belligerent state tp which they belonged. Romanian War of Independence and First Balkan War During the War of Independence of 1877–1878, the Romanian Red Cross has stepped in with medical personnel, ambulances and sanitary trains in supporting the campaign. A hospital was founded in Bucharest and medical settlements in different cities all over the country. Red Cross Societies from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden and France sent material aid and medical personnel. On the front near Rahova, the Red Cross volunteers fought to limit the ravages of typhoid fever. In 1885, the first Balkan war broke out, and the Romanian Red Cross proposed to the governments of two countries – Bulgaria and Serbia – to accept an ambulance to carry the wounded. Immediately after receiving the agreement, two Romanian Red Cross ambulances had left the country, providing medical assistance to a total of 625 wounded and sick. Romanian sanitary formations deployed in Serbia and took care of three hospitals with a total of 110 beds. Material effort of the Romanian Red Cross amounted to 40,000 lei at the time. The proven skill and care of the Romanian doctors have been particularly appreciated by the governments of both belligerent countries. Between 1888 and 1892, the Romanian Red Cross has expanded its activities by organizing special courses to prepare nurses. In 1891, a permanent school for nurses was established, and a year later a teaching hospital with 10 beds was founded. Taking advantage of a brief period of peace, the Romanian Red Cross has continued to organize and prepare, both in material terms, but also in terms of staff, to be able to act more effectively in case
Romanian Red Cross
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The 2/12th Field Ambulance was an Australian military unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving during World War II. During their six years of service, over 200 soldiers were killed, the highest figure for a non-combatant unit in Australian history. The majority of the unit's casualties were suffered during the sinking of the hospital ship Centaur in May 1943. During the war, the 2/12th deployed personnel in support of Australian combat operations against the Japanese on Ambon, Timor and in Borneo before being disbanded in 1946. History The 2/12th was founded at Sydney Showground on 22 November 1940. Consisting of a headquarters company and two deployable companies, the unit consisted of 12 officers and 250 soldiers and had the capacity to provide medical support at brigade-level including battlefield casualty collection and initial wound treatment. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Barton, who had previously served as commanding officer of the 6th Light Horse Regiment, the unit was attached to the 23rd Infantry Brigade, 8th Division. Most of the recruits were from rural New South Wales. During their training in the Northern Territory, the members of the 2/12th provided medical support for the 23rd Brigade, participated in the construction of five small medical hospitals, and assisted sappers and pioneer assault units, earning the unit the nickname "2/12th Pioneers". Following the beginning of the Pacific War, 50 members of the 2/12th were each attached to Gull Force and Sparrow Force, and sent to defend the islands of Ambon and Timor respectively. All of the members of the 2/12th serving with Gull Force were captured or killed by the Japanese on 1 February 1942, with many dying as prisoners of war on Ambon or Hainan. Many of those serving with Sparrow Force were also captured. After this, the half-strength unit was reinforced and rebuilt in Darwin, where the unit remained until January 1943, continuing to support the 23rd Brigade. After being relieved by the 2/13th Field Ambulance, the 2/12th moved to the Wollongong–Illawarra area, to support the 9th Brigade while more personnel were posted into the unit from the 1st Division's medical units to bring it up to full strength. Finally, the unit was ready to deploy overseas and on 10 May 1943, the 195 members of the 2/12th boarded hospital ship Centaur to be transported to New Guinea, where they were scheduled to relieve the 3rd Field Ambulance in Port Moresby. On 14 May 1943, at 4:00 a.m., Centaur was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-177, and sank in less than three minutes. Of the 332 aboard, there were only 64 survivors, including 15 members of the 2/12th. It was 13 hours before they were rescued by USS Mugford. The survivors were reinforced by men from the 4th Light Field Ambulance, and was the 2/12th briefly attached to the 1st Division around Belgownie before being attached at corps-level to I Corps on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, arriving there on November 1943. In early 1944, the unit re-established itself at Wongabel
2/12th Field Ambulance
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The Korean Red Cross, fully the Republic of Korea National Red Cross (), is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside South Korea. It is the designated South Korean affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. History When Emperor Gojong promulgated a decree to proclaim the formation of the Korean Red Cross at 27 October 1905, the society was founded in Seoul. The organization was recognized by the International Committee of Red Cross at 26 May 1955, became a member of International Red Cross Society at 28 September 1955, and became a member of the International Life Saving Federation (ILS) on Saturday 11 November 1995. The institution has contributed to not only the dissemination of health-related skills and knowledge but also to the protection of public health since 1949. In 1971 Koreans from both sides officially met and shook hands for the first time, during the delivery of a letter from the North Korean Red Cross Society accepting a proposal from the South Korean National Red Cross for joint investigation of the problems of families separated by the division of the peninsula. Preliminary meetings between delegations of both entities were held multiple times in late in the year. The two societies met about 30 times in the ensuing year, reaching a preliminary agreement. Then in 1973 progress stalled. Activity All activities are based on fundamental activity of Red Cross (activity in Korea) Therapy to relief work of the victim and prisoners of Korean War as military medical institution by Red Cross renegotiation. (negotiation about the prisoner in armistice talks, 1952) Aid for sufferers who get problem such as cataclysm, disease, emergency and many problems. (accident about collapse of Seongsu Bridge in 1994, collapse of Sampoong Department Store in 1995) Protection for foreign refugee who suffer from war or emergency. Build hospital, mobile clinic, emergency medical station and many sites for medical care. Aid for blood trouble through a blood donation campaign, management of blood bank and other things. (begins blood campaign first time in Korea, 1965) Many safety movement such as first aid, protection of water, mountain activity, environmental preservation. Domestic health care such as free cure, remedy for the disabled, and other treats. Education movement and adolescent activity. Operation of many voluntary service and community service. Dissemination of international humanitarian law and principle of Red Cross. (hold the conference of Asia and Pacific volunteer in 1995) Aid and mutual cooperation with international Red Cross. The continuous search campaigns for separated families, Red Cross movement and conference between North Korea and Republic of Korea. See also Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea References External links Korean Red Cross website in English Medical and health organizations based in Seoul Korea, South 1905 establishments in Korea Organizations established in 1905
Korean Red Cross
1179408
William Henry Metcalf VC, MM & Bar (29 January 1894 – 8 August 1968) was an American soldier in the Canadian Army during World War I. Metcalf was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Although Metcalf was born in the United States, Metcalf is also considered Canadian since he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1914. He is one of only six Americans to receive the Victoria Cross. Military service Metcalf is one of seven Canadian soldiers to be awarded the Victoria Cross on 2 September 1918 for actions across the Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France. The other six are: Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, Claude Joseph Patrick Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck, Walter Leigh Rayfield and John Francis Young. He was 23 years old and a lance corporal in the 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War when he committed the following deed for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 2 September 1918 at Arras, France, when the right flank of the battalion was held up, Lance Corporal Metcalf rushed forward under intense machine-gun fire to a passing tank and with his signal flag walked in front of the tank directing it along the trench in a perfect hail of bullets and bombs. The machine-gun strongpoint was overcome, very heavy casualties were inflicted and a critical situation was relieved. Later, although wounded, Corporal Metcalf continued to advance until ordered to get into a shell hole and have his wounds dressed. Victoria Cross citation The citation reads: In addition to the Victoria Cross, he was awarded the Military Medal and Bar. References External links William Henry Metcalf's digitized service file The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess (Lance-Corporal William Henry Metcalf entry) Burial location of William Metcalf "Eastport, Maine, USA" News item "William Metcalf's Victoria Cross donated to the Canadian Scottish Regiment Museum" Legion Magazine-The Magnificent Seven 1890s births 1968 deaths Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Canadian recipients of the Military Medal Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni People from Eastport, Maine American World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross People from South Portland, Maine People from Washington County, Maine Military personnel from Maine Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) soldiers
William Henry Metcalf
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Peter Hackett ( – 1828) was an American frontiersman. Biography born in approximately 1763 in the English colony of Virginia. It is believed that Peter was the son of Thomas Hackett, likely of Montgomery County, Virginia. As a boy Peter was bonded out to Captain James Estill, in approximately 1771, and was a part of the broad Scotch-Irish migration along the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap from Virginia into what later became known as Kentucky in the late 18th century. In 1779 he was a resident of Boonesborough, one of the first English-speaking settlements beyond the Appalachian Mountains, and lived there until 1780. In 1780 Hackett helped establish Estill's Station, Kentucky, and lived there until about 1788. Peter died in about 1828 in Scott County, Kentucky. Estill's Station and the Battle of Little Mountain West of the Appalachian Mountains the American Revolutionary War was an "Indian War." Most American Indians supported the British, who supplied their native allies with muskets and gunpowder and advised raids against civilian settlements. Fort Estill, founded near Boonesborough in 1779 and inhabited by James Hestill, Peter Hackett, and others, was attacked by Wyandot Indians in March 1782. Colonel Benjamin Logan, commanding officer of the region, and stationed at Logan's Station, learned that the Wyandot warriors were in the area on warpath. The Indians, aided by the British in Detroit, had raided from Boonesborough past Estill's Station along the Kentucky River. Logan dispatched 15 men to Captain Estill at Estill's Station with orders to increase his force by 25 more men and reconnoiter the country to the north and east. Following orders, Captain Estill reached the Kentucky River a few miles below the mouth of Station Camp Creek and camped that night at Sweet Lick, now known as Estill Springs. On the day after they left Estill's Station, a body of Indians appeared there at dawn on 20 March, they raided the fort, scalped and killed a Miss Innes in sight of the fortification and took Monk, a slave of Captain Estill, and killed all the cattle. As soon as the Indians retreated, Samuel South and Peter Hackett, both young men, were dispatched to take the trail of the men and inform them of the news. The boys found them near the mouth of Drowning Creek and Red River early on the morning of March 21. Of the 40 men, approximately 20 had left families within the fort. They returned with the boys to Estill's Station. The remainder crossed the Kentucky river and found the Indian trail. Captain Estill organized a company of 25 men, followed the Indians, and suffered what is known as Estill's Defeat, later known as the Battle of Little Mountain (March 22, 1782) in Montgomery Co. Captain Estill and nine of his men were killed. Peter Hackett, then about 18, was wounded. Both Indians and Whites withdrew, the Indians suffering greater losses. Peter Hackett is believed to have been holding Estill's horse when Estill was mortally wounded. It is said that
Peter Hackett (frontiersman)
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Louise Keilhau (1860–1927) was a Norwegian teacher and peace activist. She founded the Norwegian Committee for Permanent Peace and she was a founding member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). Life Keilhau realised that war was coming in the early part of the twentieth century and she traveled internationally to make ready. She was a leading member of the Norwegian Red Cross. Keilhau was credited with inspiring the Norwegian Red Cross to take an active role to relieve suffering during the First World War. She was the only woman on the Red Cross's executive board and, with the support of other women, encouraged the Norwegian Red Cross to look up from its domestic problems. In 1915 she was chosen as the Norwegian delegate to a peace conference in the Hague. Delegates were called from around the world although many had difficulties attending because the peace efforts were "only" of women and hostilities made travel difficult. At the conference, she proposed resolution 28 that "We women, in International Congress assembled, protest against the madness and horror of war, involving as it does a reckless sacrifice of human life and the destruction of so much that humanity has laboured through centuries to build up." She founded the Norwegian Committee for Permanent Peace and she was a founding member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). Personal life She was the mother of economist and historian Wilhelm Keilhau. References 1860 births 1927 deaths Red Cross ambassadors Norwegian educators Norwegian pacifists
Louise Keilhau
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Liu Yuzhang (; 11 November 1903 – 11 April 1981), nicknamed the "Bald General", was a prominent Chinese (Kuomintang) general. He was one of the very few KMT commanders who could defeat both the Imperial Japanese Army and Communist PLA in the Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War, respectively. Whampoa Military Academy Liu enrolled in the fourth cadet class in 1925. Some of his well-known classmates included Lin Biao, Hu Lien, and Zhang Lingfu. After graduation, he participated in the Northern Expedition and Central Plains War and was promoted to the commander of the 5th Regiment, the 2nd Division when the Sino-Japan War began. Second Sino-Japanese War In fact, Liu had already experienced fighting with Imperial Japanese Army in 1933, during the Defense of the Great Wall, in which he suffered a minor wound. After the war against Japan broke out in 1937, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Taierzhuang, Battle of Wuhan. In 1939, he was promoted to the brigade commander and also the garrison commander of Changsha and fought against Japanese forces in the First Battle of Changsha. In 1941, his commander Guan Linzheng promoted him to the post of the commander of the 2nd Division, the 52nd Army, while the corps stationed in Yunan. In 1945, he led the 2nd Division to Vietnam to accept the surrender of Japanese forces there. When Chinese communist forces invaded Manchuria, Liu's 52nd Army were sent to Manchuria to fight with the communist forces under his former classmate, Lin Biao. Chinese Civil War Recovery of Shenyang In September 1945, the Soviet Red Army of USSR occupied Shenyang. In March 1946, the Red Army withdrew from Shenyang and the KMT took over the city. Soon afterward, the PLA started large offensive operations against Shenyang. Liu was commander of KMT troops, and CPC's commander was Lin Biao, Liu's former classmate who had now become his enemy. Both men were fighting for the control of the city. Liu defeated Lin Biao's troops and won the battle, recovering Shenyang successfully at last, and after this victory Liu was promoted to lieutenant general. This battle was one of the early engagements in Manchuria where KMT had initial success. Refusal to obey Chiang's order When the Liaoshen Campaign broke out in September 1948, Liu's 52nd Army was part of the 9th Army Group. The 9th Army Group was tasked personally by Chiang Kai-shek to relieve the city of Jinzhou, and both 9th Army Group commander General Liao Yaoxiang and Liu knew that the city was a lost cause, so they suggested to President Chiang Kai-shek if the relief effort was not successful that the 9th Army Group should withdraw to Yinkou via sea. Chiang and nationalist overall commander in Manchuria, General Wei Lihuang agreed their proposal. But the 9th Army Group failed both objectives and on 26 October, the Communist Manchurian Field Army captured General Liao and took 100,000 nationalist soldiers as their prisoners. Yingkou retreat When CPC won the Liaoshen Campaign, KMT still had
Liu Yuzhang
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The Netherlands Red Cross () was founded in 1867. It is among the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It adopts branch governance structure which leads to approximately 214 branches that enables it to serve the whole country. It is run by paid staff at the national and district level in collaboration with 17,000 volunteers who are distributed all over the Netherlands. The organization's efforts are financed by 450,000 contributing affiliates and donors, who make available monetary help frequently. Its revenue in 2006 was €58.8 million. History In 1862, "A Memory of Solferino" appeared, in which Swiss businessman Jean Henri Dunant recounted what he had found after the Battle of Solferino: a battlefield with 40,000 wounded soldiers, left unkempt by the armies that had fought there. The Dutch army doctor Johan Basting translated the book in early 1863 and was received by Queen Mother Anna Pavlovna and Prince Frederik. In October of that year, Basting was delegated to the international conference in Geneva, but without a mandate. The Dutch government was very reticent in matters pertaining to international politics. In November 1864 it did sign the First Geneva Convention on the treatment of wounded and prisoners of war and the status of neutral aid workers. Basting, meanwhile, continued to strive for a national organization, such as had already been created in a number of countries. On July 19, 1867, King Willem III signed the Royal Decree no. 60 at Het Loo Palace, the first article of which reads: “There shall be a Nederlandsche Vereeniging to provide aid to sick and wounded soldiers in time of war, whether the Netherlands is involved or not.” The first Main Committee and the first honorary members were appointed by Royal Decree of July 31, 1867, no 71. These honorary members were: Henri Dunant, Lieutenant Colonel W.J. Button, Dr. J.H.Ch. Basting and the former naval officer C.W.M. van de Velde. The first chairman was Prof. Dr. J. Bosscha (1867-1872). References External links 1867 establishments in the Netherlands Medical and health organisations based in the Netherlands Organizations established in 1867 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies
Netherlands Red Cross
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Lansing McVickar (September 20, 1895 – January 14, 1945) was a career officer with the United States Army. He was highly decorated for his service in World War II, World War I, and the Mexican Border War, including receiving a Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Service Cross. Early life McVickar was born in New London, Connecticut, the son of Janet Lansing and Henry Goelet McVickar. The family also lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Suffolk County, New York. His maternal grandfather was Captain A. Breeze Lansing. His paternal grandfather was William Henry McVickar, a former commodore of the New York Yacht Club. His father died in 1919, followed by his mother in 1929. He attended St. Mark's School, graduating in 1914. Next he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1918. There, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall). Military career McVickar joined Battery A of the Massachusetts National Guard and participated in the Mexican Border War. He then began Army training at Plattsburgh Military Base. He served as a second lieutenant in the 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division; he was later promoted to first lieutenant in the Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces. During World War I, he was severely wounded in August 1918. On October 14, 1918, near Véry, France, he volunteered to take a gun to aid the infantry under "hazardous circumstances." He persisted despite the loss of two horses and several wounded men. When the group was under a barrage from the enemy, he came out from protective cover five times to move wounded comrades to safety. As a result, he received the Distinguished Service Cross "for extraordinary heroism." During World War I, he also received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Croix de Guerre. Through the National Guard, he reached the rank of colonel. In September 1940, he was named commander of the 156th Field Artillery of the New York National Guard. The 156th was inducted into federal service at that time, with an assignment for Fort Dix in New Jersey. In October 1941, McVickar was assigned to the 44th Division Headquarters. In 1944, he was in command of the 318th Regiment which spearheaded General George S. Patton's battles in France. In the Battle of Falaise Gap, the 318th played a prominent role. On November 11, 1944, under his leadership, the 318th was one of two regiments that captured Delme Ridge in the Nancy-Metz area. As a result, the 318th received a unit citation and he received the Bronze Star in December 1944. They received another citation for breaking through the Maginot Line in Saarbrücken, Germany in December 1944. In late December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, Patton's 80th division relieved Bastogne, Belgium, spearheaded by the 318th under McVickar. This relieved the 101st Airborne Division which was encircled by the Germans. In December 1944, the Americans were in continuous action west and southwest of Ettelbruck, Luxembourg. Under
Lansing McVickar
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Geneviève de Galard (born 13 April 1925) is a French nurse who was dubbed l'ange de Dien Bien Phu ("the Angel of Dien Bien Phu") during the French war in Indochina by the press in Hanoi, although in the camp she was known simply as Geneviève. Early life Geneviève de Galard grew up in the southwest of France, a member of the noble De Galard family. The Second World War forced her family to move from Paris to Toulouse. She passed the state exam to become a nurse and eventually became a flight nurse for the French Air Force. She was posted to French Indochina by her own request and arrived there in May 1953, in the middle of the war between French forces and the Vietminh. Serving as a convoyeuse or in-flight nurse, she was stationed in Hanoi and flew on casualty evacuation flights from Pleiku. After January 1954, she was on the flights that evacuated casualties from the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Her first patients were mainly soldiers who suffered from diseases but after mid-March most of them were battle casualties. Sometimes, Red Cross planes had to land in the midst of Vietminh artillery barrages. Dien Bien Phu Galard found herself stuck in Dien Bien Phu on March 28, 1954, when the C-47 on which she was the convoyeuse landed in fog and damaged an oil tank which prevented its taking off again. The mechanics could not repair the plane in the field, so the plane was stranded. At daylight Vietminh artillery destroyed the C-47 and damaged the runway beyond repair. Volunteering to work in the field hospital, Galard was the only female nurse at Dien Bien Phu. Her special status earned her a small parachute silk-lined cell with a cot and chair for a bedroom. In a letter, her mother expressed gratitude for her safety, mentioning that there was no longer a risk of her plane crashing. At the hospital she served under Dr. Paul Grauwin. The men of the medical staff were initially apprehensive about her presence as she was not just the only female nurse on the base, but the sole French woman there, although there were two Bordels Mobiles de Campagne (Mobile Field Brothels) populated with Algerian and Vietnamese prostitutes. Her hard work and willingness to tackle even the most gruesome tasks eventually won them over and they made accommodations for her. They also arranged a semblance of uniform; camouflage overalls, trousers, basketball shoes, and a T-shirt. Galard did her best in very unsanitary conditions, comforting those about to die and trying to keep up morale in the face of the mounting casualties. Many of the men later complimented her efforts. Eventually, she was placed in charge of a forty-bed room for housing some of the most gravely wounded. Légion d´honneur On 29 April 1954, Geneviève de Galard was awarded the Légion d´honneur (as a knight) and the Croix de Guerre TOE (Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieurs (War Cross for foreign
Geneviève de Galard
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Samuel Blair Griffith II (May 31, 1906 – March 27, 1983) was a brigadier general in the United States Marine Corps. Griffith entered the Marines in 1929 after graduating from the United States Naval Academy. He served in and commanded Marine units in the Pacific theater of World War II and retired from service in 1956. After his retirement, Griffith wrote several books and numerous articles on military history and lectured widely. He died on March 27, 1983, in Rhode Island. Early life through World War II Griffith was born May 31, 1906, in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1929, he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Prior to World War II, he took part in the Second Nicaraguan Campaign, and served in China, Cuba, and England. From 1935 to 1938, he studied the Chinese language while attached to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where he mastered Chinese. During World War II, following a period observing British commando training in England and Scotland, he returned to the 1st Marine Division and served as executive officer and later commander of the 1st Marine Raiders Battalion on Guadalcanal, and executive officer of the 1st Raider Regiment in operations on New Georgia. He received the Navy Cross on Guadalcanal in September 1942 for "extreme heroism and courageous devotion to duty" during the fighting near the Matanikau River. During this action, Griffith suffered wounds for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. For his exploits in July in New Georgia, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Navy Cross citation Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Blair Griffith, II (MCSN: 0–4436), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service while leading the FIRST Marine Raider Battalion against enemy Japanese forces in the vicinity of Matanikau, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 September 1942. With the only other field officer of the battalion killed that morning, and with his men greatly outnumbered and almost completely surrounded by the enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Griffith moved forward to a position where he could reconnoiter the ground in front of him, in order to effectively employ the troops and weapons under his command. While on this mission, he was painfully wounded by an enemy sniper bullet. Refusing to relinquish command of his troops or leave them without a field officer to control the situation, he returned to his post and personally directed the movements of the battalion throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Later, when relieved by a superior officer, he was finally evacuated to a hospital. By his outstanding leadership, great personal courage, and utter disregard for his own safety in a desperate situation, he maintained the confidence of his subordinate officers and the morale of his troops who fought valorously throughout the remainder of the day. By his dauntless leadership, sustained valor and self-sacrificing
Samuel B. Griffith
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The Battle of Mutina took place on 21 April 43 BC between the forces loyal to the Senate under Consuls Gaius Vibius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius, supported by the forces of Caesar Octavian, and the forces of Mark Antony which were besieging the troops of Decimus Brutus. The latter, one of Caesar's assassins, held the city of Mutina (present-day Modena) in Cisalpine Gaul. Six days earlier, the Battle of Forum Gallorum had ended with heavy losses on both sides and the mortal wounding of consul Pansa. Hirtius and Octavian then launched an attack on Antony's camp, seeking to break the siege. Amid bloody fighting, Hirtius was killed, leaving the army and republic leaderless. Octavian saw action in the battle, recovered Hirtius' body, and managed to avoid defeat. Decimus Brutus also participated in the fighting with part of his forces locked up in the city. Command of Hirtius' legions then devolved to Caesar Octavian. Decimus Brutus, marginalized after the battle, soon fled Italy in the hopes of joining fellow assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus; he was, however, captured and executed en route. After the battle, Mark Antony decided to give up the siege and retreated westward along the via Aemilia, escaping the enemy forces and rejoining the reinforcements of his lieutenant Publius Ventidius Bassus. The battle brought the brief War of Mutina to a victorious end for the Republicans allied with Caesar Octavian, but the situation would change completely the following autumn with the formation of the Second Triumvirate of Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus. Background At the start of the War of Mutina in December 44 BC, Mark Antony besieged Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus – the governor of Cisalpine Gaul – in Mutina in an attempt to force him to surrender the province to him in accordance with an illegal law he had passed earlier that year in June. Over some months, relations between Antony and the Senate in Rome broke down. The consuls for 43 BC – Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius Pansa – were then dispatched north to relieve Decimus Brutus. Joining them was the private army of Caesar's adoptive heir, Octavian, whose command had been legitimised by the Senate. As Pansa's army moved to join Hirtius, who had previously moved north, Antony ambushed it on the Via Aemilia at the Battle of Forum Gallorum. Successful in defeating and mortally wounding Pansa, his forces were however then themselves set upon by Hirtius and Octavian's veteran forces and were forced to retreat back to the siege works at Mutina. Hirtius and Octavian then moved to engage Antony's forces and relieve the city. Battle Attack on the camps of Mark Antony Initial news in Rome claimed that the Senate's forces had suffered a defeat at Forum Gallorum, arousing concern and fears among the Republican faction. Only on 18 April did they receive Aulus Hirtius' letter and a report detailing the events of the battle. The victory at Forum Gallorum, wrongly considered decisive, was greeted with enthusiasm; Antony was
Battle of Mutina
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Battle for Sevastopol (; ) is a 2015 biographical war film about Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a young Soviet woman who joined the Red Army to fight the German invasion of the USSR and became one of the deadliest snipers in World War II. The film, a joint Russian-Ukrainian production, was released in both countries on 2 April 2015, and its international premiere took place two weeks later at the Beijing International Film Festival. The movie revolves principally around the events of the siege of Odessa and the siege of Sevastopol of 1941–42. The film is directed by Sergey Mokritskiy and stars Yulia Peresild as Pavlichenko. In addition to Beijing, where Peresild was awarded Best Actress award, the film has also appeared at Cannes Film Festival. Korin received internal company awards: the Gold Cross, the Medal of Courage, the Blood and Courage set for his merits in the battles. He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage. Plot In 1937, Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a student who has just passed the entrance exams for Kyiv State University; to celebrate, she goes to a shooting range with her friends including a female classmate named Masha. In a twist of events, her almost perfect shooting results at the range eventually result in the Red Army contacting her to enter a sharpshooting program. A Jewish doctor named Boris attempts to court her, but she rejects him and leaves to fight on the Eastern Front following the German invasion. Eventually Lyudmila is partnered with a grizzled veteran sniper named Makarov, with whom she falls in love. He doesn't return her affections, however, and explains that he lost his family when the Germans invaded. She is also reunited with Masha, who is now a nurse engaged with a young pilot. While defending the city of Odessa, she is injured and Makarov drags her to safety to a local hospital, where Boris has volunteered as a military doctor. After awakening, Lyudmila manages to get Boris to sign her papers so that she can return to the front lines, but finds out that Makarov has died in battle and the Soviets are retreating to Sevastopol. Once back on the front, Lyudmila is paired with a male sniper named Leonid. She begins to wound enemy soldiers to watch them suffer, to her new partner's horror. Despite a rough start to the relationship, the two eventually develop a close romance. Masha, now a nurse on the frontline, invites them to her wedding, but then reveals the death of her fiancé. This development leads Lyudmila to tell Leonid privately that she wants a son. While on patrol in a field, Leonid steps on a mine that triggers a flare, signalling artillery fire on to the pair's position. Lyudmila again wakes up in a field hospital, where Boris tells her Leonid died in the ambush. Though wounded and exhausted, she is ordered to kill a top enemy sniper for Soviet propaganda. The duel lasts for an entire day; tired of waiting, Lyudmila steps out
Battle for Sevastopol
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The Puthukkudiyiruppu bombing was an aerial attack carried out against Sri Lankan Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan Air Force on September 15 in the year 1999 killing over 21 including schoolchildren and women as well as inflicting serious injuries upon many more. Incidents On September 15, 1999, two Kfir Jets belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed a crowded public place in the Tamil town of Puthukkudiyiruppu in the Mullaitivu District which was under the control of the Tamil Tigers. The Puthukkudiyiruppu market and many houses and buildings nearby were destroyed in the SLAF bombing, as per NGO sources Human flesh is strewn all over the market area sources in the Vanni had said. Tamil Eelam Vaanoli, an official radio program of the LTTE, put the casualty figure at 22, and injuries over 40. Reactions Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the bombing and said that sixteen civilians were killed on the spot and six who were seriously wounded in the bombing died in their way to hospital. Amnesty International The bombing raised serious criticisms from the Amnesty International which in a statement expressing concern over the bombing, said a Sri Lankan military spokesperson had denied the raid, which killed at least 21 refugees in a crowded market place, had been a deliberate attack on civilians. The organization also questioned the Sri Lankan military's adherence to the fundamental rules of the Humanitarian law which include the prohibition of direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and the prohibition of attacks on military targets expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life. Sri Lankan Government The charges were denied by the Sri Lankan government spokesperson who claimed that two bombing raids were conducted in the area and one of them was aimed at a nearby LTTE base. But this was rejected by other sources, who claimed that the LTTE camp was located near the Nandikadal Lagoon situated 4 and a half kilometers away from the town. A Tamil politician from Colombo said that the SLAF attack on the civilian target appeared to be in retaliation to the heavy losses suffered last Sunday by the Sri Lanka army north of Mannar. He pointed out that civilian targets have been bombed by the SLAF in past following major set backs in the war against the Liberation Tigers. According to independent sources, 138 Sri Lanka army personnel, including two officers, were killed and 902 were wounded when the Liberation Tigers counterattacked a major offensive by government forces. Retaliation In retaliation, LTTE cadres hacked to death 48 Sinhalese villagers and shot six others in attacks on three villages in eastern Sri Lanka. See also Chencholai bombing Nagerkovil school bombing Vaharai Bombing List of attacks on civilians attributed to Sri Lankan government forces References Aerial bombing in Sri Lanka Attacks on civilians attributed to the Sri Lanka Air Force 1990s massacres of the Sri Lankan Civil War Mass murder in 1999 Mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils Sri Lankan
1999 Puthukkudiyiruppu bombing
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During World War I Switzerland accepted 68,000 British, French and German wounded prisoners of war (POW) for recovery in mountain resorts. To be transferred the wounded had to have a disability that would negate their further military service or interned over 18 months and deteriorating mental health. The wounded were transferred from prisoner of war camps unable to cope with the number of wounded and sat out the war in Switzerland. The transfer was agreed between the warring powers and organised by the Red Cross. In all, 219,000 prisoners were exchanged. Internment During the war, some prisoners were sent to neutral Switzerland on grounds of ill health. Internment conditions were very strict in Switzerland but softened with time. Only the following illnesses could lead to departure from Germany: diseases of the circulatory system, serious nervous problems, tumours and severe skin diseases, blindness (total or partial), serious face injuries, tuberculosis, one or more missing limbs, paralysis, brain disorders like paraplegia or haemiplegia and serious mental illnesses. From 1917, the criteria were extended to prisoners older than 48 or who had spent over eighteen months in captivity. The Red Cross helped initiate these internments, which it proposed at the end of 1914 and were implemented starting in February 1915. Approval for departure in no way meant permanent freedom but instead transfer to Konstanz, where a medical commission verifying the prisoners' state was located. Those who managed to pass the controls did not begin the lives of relaxation in Switzerland. By the end of 1916, there were 16,637 French and Belgian prisoners interned, 1,866 British, and 8,487 German and Austrian. These figures remained fairly steady through the rest of the war: on 1 May 1917, for example, there were 13,640 French internees. They were accommodated in hotels, boarding houses and sanatoria. At the beginning, meals were a great improvement on camp offerings: "Morning, 7 o'clock, we had café au lait, jam, and 225 grams of bread for the day. Noon, soupe grasse, beef, potatoes, salad and coffee. Evening, at 6:30, soupe légère, beef tongue in sauce, potatoes, spinach and rhubarb in compote." The home countries of those interned in Switzerland had to continue to pay for the prisoners' upkeep. France, for example, had to pay four francs per soldier per day, and six for officers (tuberculosis patients cost five and eight francs respectively). The situation rapidly deteriorated, especially with respect to food, which became insufficient. The restrictions, characteristic of those in the camps, were highly resented by the prisoners. French detainees pointed the blame at their own government. Prisoners interned in Switzerland had to perform compulsory labour. Some were released early and managed to rejoin the French Army before the Armistice was signed. The British entered into an agreement with Germany on 2 May 1916. In order to relieve the pressure on Switzerland, from the middle of 1917 British and German prisoners also began to be interned on similar terms in the Netherlands. Early in 1918, France and Germany, followed in July by
Prisoner of war camps in Switzerland during World War I
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Fariz Majid oghlu Safarov (; 20 June 1920 – 27 August 1964) was an Azerbaijani Soviet Army Major and Hero of the Soviet Union. Drafted into the Red Army in 1939, Safarov fought in combat from 1942. He reached the rank of Senior Sergeant by September 1943 and led a machine gun crew in the Battle of the Dnieper. For his reported actions, including taking command of his company after the commander was wounded, Safarov received the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He continued to serve postwar and retired in 1957 with the rank of major. He worked in Baku and died in 1964. Early life Safarov was born on 20 June 1920 in Nehrəxəlil to a peasant family. He received secondary education and graduated from a training course for Russian language teachers in Baku. He then worked as a teacher. In 1939, Safarov was drafted into the Red Army. World War II Safarov fought on the front from 1942. In 1942, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He was a senior sergeant leading a machine gun crew of the 78th Guards Rifle Regiment in the 25th Guards Rifle Division by September 1943. Safarov fought in the Battle of the Dnieper. On the night of 26 September, he crossed the river with a small detachment at the village of Voyskovoye in Solone Raion. The group captured a bridgehead. In the morning German troops counterattacks and during one attack Safarov ran out of ammunition for his machine gun. When a German machine gunner reportedly approached the Soviet trench Safarov shot him and turned the machine gun around. To relieve Safarov's group, a rifle company was sent over the Dnieper. When the whole company had been landed, a stray bullet struck its commander. Safarov reportedly took command of the company itself and asked for reinforcements. The reinforcements encircled the German troops, who committed tanks in an effort to break out. Safarov's company reportedly destroyed five tanks. In this action, he was wounded but reportedly did not leave the battlefield. Safarov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 5 October. On 19 March 1944 he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. In 1944, Safarov graduated from the Krasnodar Machine Gun-Mortar School. Postwar Safarov continued to serve in the military after the end of the war. In 1957 he retired with the rank of major. He lived in Baku. Safarov died on 27 August 1964 and was buried in the Alley of Honor. References 1920 births 1964 deaths Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Soviet military personnel of World War II from Azerbaijan Soviet Army officers Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner People from Agdash District
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Offrejoie (English translation: "joy of giving") is a politically and religiously independent Lebanese non-governmental humanitarian organisation, founded in 1985 by lawyer Dr. Melhem Emile Khalaf, Walid Arnaout, Mohammad Hamade, Paul Nassar and Nadim Souhaid. Founded in the values of love, respect, and forgiveness, their mission being to "gather the Lebanese family creating oasis dating for young people throughout Lebanon by mobilizing around social projects promoting the unity of the Lebanese people." Since 2012, it is also operating in Iraq on the same grounds. History In 1982, Mohamad Hamade, Walid Arnaout, Paul Nassar and Melhem Khalaf, four young volunteers of the Lebanese Red Cross hailing from different religious communities, assisted the wounded during the war. Horrified by what they saw, they wanted to act in favour of the children suffering from the violence and misery of war. Nadim Souhaid joined them. Organisation The NGO is currently presided by Melhem Khalaf. Mission Founded in the values of love, respect, and forgiveness, their alleged mission is as below: Combat individualism by becoming aware of the need to live in a just and peaceful society Give the other what they would receive Connecting beyond his community of birth Deciding to face the future together Search-reciprocal esteem. Develop social solidarity Recognition Offrejoie was knighted with the National Order of the Cedar on 6 March 2013. It also received the Peace Prize of Lebanon in 2014 from the Ghazal Foundation and Fondation de France on 28 March 2014. References External links Official website of Offrejoie Non-profit organisations based in Lebanon
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Theodor Scherer (17 September 1889 – 17 May 1951) was a German lieutenant general and divisional commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Biography Early life and career Scherer was born at Höchstädt an der Donau on 17 September 1889. In July 1908, he enlisted as cadet officer in the Bavarian Army which served as part of the Imperial German Army. He was commissioned as lieutenant in the 12th Bavarian Infantry Regiment in 1910. He fought in World War I, and was captured by the British in July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. Upon returning to his home country after the war, he was not retained in Germany's post-war military, the Reichswehr. In 1920, Scherer became a police officer in Bavaria. In 1935, he rejoined the German Army, and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel. By the start of World War II, Scherer had risen to Colonel and operated as a regimental commander at the Western Front. He led an infantry assault during the Wehrmacht's crossing of the Marne in June 1940. In March 1941, he was entrusted with the security of Adolf Hitler's headquarters. Eastern Front in World War II As Soviet partisans increasingly became an issue at the Eastern Front, Scherer was placed in command of 281st Security Division in October 1941, and tasked with destroying local partisan forces. At the time, the 281st Security Division was stationed in Kholm in the occupied Soviet Union. The security divisions were not frontline combat formations, but were posted to the rear area and engaged in eliminating any form of resistance, real or imagined, including partisans, communists, Red Army stragglers, Jews and Roma. Based on the 281st Security Division's records, journalist Johann Althaus characterized it as a typical unit of the war of annihilation, more experienced in killing civilians and eliminating badly armed opponents than fighting battles. In January 1942, the division, along with other Wehrmacht and police units, was attacked by partisans at Kholm. Scherer had not yet arrived at the town by the start of the attack, and thus took control of the Security Division elements and other troops in the area to relieve Kholm. Even after the Germans had secured the town itself, they remained encircled by the Red Army in what was called the "Kholm Pocket". For the duration of the pocket, Scherer became the chief commander of the encircled force, initially about 3,500 strong. Historian Robert Forczyk characterized him as a "soldier's soldier" who was able to motivate his troops even under "extreme conditions". His force was gradually reinforced by other Wehrmacht units which were in retreat in the face of a Soviet offensive. "Kampfgruppe Scherer" thus grew to about 6,000 men. He repeatedly attempted to coordinate with other German forces to facilitate a breakthrough to relief his troops, while countering Soviet assaults and organizing the evacuation of wounded soldiers. Scherer also hoped for aerial support, requesting assistance by paratroopers on 19 February 1942 as his force was close to being overwhelmed. However, the Wehrmacht could
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Gaius Volusenus Quadratus (fl. mid-1st century BC) was a distinguished military officer of the Roman Republic. He served under Julius Caesar for ten years, during the Gallic Wars and the civil war of the 40s. Caesar praised him for his strategic sense and courageous integrity. Italian origin The name Volusenus may be Etruscan in origin (as Volasenna), but some scholars have attributed an Umbrian origin to the family, based on inscriptional evidence. Military service During the Gallic War Volusenus served as tribunus militum in the 12th Legion under the legatus legionis Servius Galba, and distinguished himself in battle when Galba was defeated by the Nantuates in 57 BC. In 55 BC Volusenus was sent out by Caesar in a single warship to undertake a week-long survey of the coast of south eastern Britain prior to Caesar's invasion. He probably examined the Kent coast between Hythe and Sandwich. However, when Caesar arrived at Dover with his forces he saw that landing would be impossible. Instead, he travelled north and landed on an open beach, probably near Walmer. Volusenus had evidently failed to find a suitable harbour, which would have prevented the damage Caesar's exposed ships would suffer at high tide. The great natural harbour at Richborough, a little further north, was used by Claudius in his invasion just 100 years later, but we do not know whether Volusenus travelled that far, or indeed whether it existed in a suitable form at that time (our knowledge of the geomorphology of the Wantsum Channel that created that haven is limited). Volusenus later became Praefectus Equitum (cavalry commander). In 53 BC, during the revolt of Ambiorix, he was sent ahead by Caesar with cavalry to relieve Quintus Cicero, who was besieged by the Sugambri in Atuatuca, but found it difficult to convince the terrified defenders that the rest of Caesar's army was not far behind. When the legate Titus Labienus suspected Commius, the formerly loyal king of the Atrebates, of conspiring against them in the winter of 54 or 53 BC, he invited him to a meeting and sent Volusenus and some centurions to execute him for his treachery. Commius escaped, but sustained a wound to the head. In 51 BC Volusenus was serving as commander of cavalry under Mark Antony, and in the winter of that year was ordered by Antony to pursue Commius, who was conducting a campaign of agitation and guerrilla warfare. He defeated him in several skirmishes, and finally destroyed Commius's forces in a single engagement, although at the cost of a spear-wound to the thigh. S.P. Oakley sees this encounter as an unusual example of single combat in the Late Republic, echoing duels between Romans and physically superior Celts in the Early Republic. Commius himself escaped and later sued for peace on the condition that he never again had to meet a Roman. In 48 BC, during the Civil War, an attempt to assassinate Volusenus was made by Aegus and Roscillus, two noble brothers of the Celtic Allobroges who
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The Canadian Red Cross Society () is a Canadian humanitarian charitable organization, and one of 192 national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. The organization receives funding from both private donations and from Canadian government departments. The Canadian Red Cross trains volunteers in emergency response, disaster response, and disaster assistance, and provides injury prevention services such as outdoor activities safety and first aid training. The society, through the international network of the Red Cross, helps the world's vulnerable populations, including victims of armed conflicts and communities destroyed by disasters. The Canadian Red Cross also handled the Canadian blood supply, until that responsibility was taken away from them in the aftermath of the tainted blood scandal. The current Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Red Cross is Conrad Sauvé. History The Canadian Red Cross was established in the fall of 1896 as an affiliate of the British Red Cross Society (then known as the National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War). George Ryerson, who had founded Canada's St. John Ambulance Association in 1895, spearheaded the organization's founding. The Canadian Red Cross Society Act (1909) legally established the Red Cross as the corporate body in Canada responsible for providing volunteer aid in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. The first international activity of the Canadian Red Cross was treating the sick and wounded in South Africa during the Boer War. After the end of World War I in 1918, the Society began training public health nurses. The Wilberforce Red Cross Outpost was established in 1922. A children's program designed to promote healthy living, the Junior Red Cross, was set up in schools across Canada. For many years the Canadian Red Cross was responsible for collecting human blood from donors for medical use. The Ottawa Branch of Canadian Blood Services operated from a building on Metcalf Street which was donated by Mary Alice Danner in memory of Flight Sergeant William Dewey Hagyard R.C.A.F. who was missing in action in WWII. The branch later relocated to Plymouth Street. In 1998, after serious flaws in the blood collection process were uncovered, the Society stopped providing this service. The Canadian Red Cross had its centennial celebration in May 2009. In 2017 the Red Cross provided food, shelter and medicine to asylum seekers crossing the border into Canada from the United States. Programs in Canada Emergencies and disasters The Canadian Red Cross provides assistance to Canadians experiencing an emergency or disaster. The organization works in partnership with government, first responders, emergency management, and other organizations to support their response activities. They also provide assistance for people's basic needs, which includes: family reunification, lodging, reception and information, food, clothing, and personal services, such as first aid, temporary care for children or elderly, and other support. In February 2022, Canada Red Cross launched a program to support the long-term recovery needs of people impacted by the flooding and extreme weather events in British Columbia that began on November 14, 2021. The organization provided
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Of the Five Wounds of the Holy Church is the English translation of the book Delle Cinque Piaghe della Santa Chiesa authored by Antonio Rosmini. It was translated, and prefaced by Henry Parry Liddon and published in London in 1883, and is now out of copyright. Blessed Antonio Rosmini-Serbati (March 25, 1797 - July 1, 1855) was troubled at what he perceived to be "wounds" of the Church and wrote this book to "relieve his own troubled mind, and possibly also to comfort others", near Padova in 1832. Premise Of the Five Wounds of the Holy Church presupposes an analogy between the Holy Wounds suffered by the Lord's natural Body pierced on the cross, and His mystical body, the Church, pierced by the sins and errors of men in the ages of Christian history. The five main evils of his contemporary Italian Church correspond, in Rosmini's view, to the five wounds of the hands, feet, and side of the Divine Redeemer. Beginning with the wound in Jesus' left hand, he likens it to the lack of sympathy between the clergy and people in the act of public worship, which he sees as a result of a lack of adequate Christian evangelical teaching. This is to be accounted for by the wound in the right hand — the insufficient education of the clergy, their secularisation and their alienation from scripture and their bishops. This again was both caused and perpetuated by the great wound in the side, which pierced the Heart of the Divine Sufferer, and which Rosmini sees as a parallel for the divisions among the Bishops, separating them from one another, and also from their clergy and people, forgetting their true union in the Body of Christ. The wound of the right foot is compared to the civil power of the Bishops making them into worldly schemers and politicians, more or less intent on selfish interests. The wound of the left foot is compared to events of the feudal period, when the freehold tenures of the Church were treated as fiefs by an overlord, or suzerain, who saw in the chief pastors of the flock of Christ only a particular variety of vassals or dependants. Objectives Rosmini longs for an intelligent union of the clergy and people in public worship, for a well-trained clergy, for an Episcopate united in heart and soul, for a restoration of the primitive method of electing Bishops and for the emancipation of Church property from trammels of feudal tenure. References External links ROSMINI Antonio, Of the five wounds of the Church, translated and prefaced by Henry Parry Liddon, London 1883. (on-line) : https://archive.org/details/a606740200rosmuoft 1883 non-fiction books Books about Catholicism
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D-Day the Sixth of June is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope romance war film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Charles Brackett from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Harry Brown, based on the 1955 novel, The Sixth of June by Lionel Shapiro. The film stars Robert Taylor, Richard Todd (who participated in the Normandy landings in real life), Dana Wynter, and Edmond O'Brien. Plot A few hours before D-Day, Special Force Six, a joint American-British-Canadian commando unit, embarks to destroy an especially well-defended German coastal gun emplacement on the Normandy coast. As the landing ship steams towards it, its commander, an Englishman, and one of his subordinates, an American, reflect on their love for the same woman. Captain Brad Parker, an American paratrooper invalided out because of a broken leg suffered during a parachute jump, is posted to the headquarters of the European Theatre of Operations in London. At the Red Cross club, he meets and, despite being married, falls in love with Valerie Russell, an Auxiliary Territorial Service subaltern. Valerie is the daughter of a crusty brigadier who's been on sick leave since being wounded at Dunkirk. Valerie is also already in love with Lieutenant Colonel John Wynter of the British Commandos, a friend of her father. Both officers are posted overseas, but later return. Parker has volunteered to join what becomes Special Force Six, to be led by his former commander, Lt. Colonel (now full Colonel) Timmer. With only a few hours before the operation is due to embark, Timmer goes to pieces (partly as a result of his earlier bad experiences in the failed Dieppe Raid) and is arrested whilst drunk and breaking security (this incident is clearly based on a similar breach of security by Major General Henry J. F. Miller). Wynter, now a colonel, who has recovered from being badly wounded, is brought in to command the operation. The operation is a success, despite several killed and wounded. Parker is badly wounded and evacuated. Wynter is wounded as well, and while he is awaiting evacuation, is killed when he steps on a mine. In the hospital, and due to be repatriated, Parker sees Valerie for the last time. She does not tell him that Wynter has been killed, and, after a final embrace with Parker, Valerie leaves the hospital with her head hung in despondent loneliness. Cast Robert Taylor as Captain Brad Parker Richard Todd as Lieutenant Colonel John Wynter Dana Wynter as Valerie Russell Edmond O'Brien as Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Alexander Timmer John Williams as Brigadier Russell Robert Gist as Major Dan Stenick Richard Stapley as David Archer Ross Elliott as Major Mills Alex Finlayson as Colonel Doug Harkens Production Lionel Shapiro (1908–1958) was a Canadian war correspondent for The Montreal Gazette who landed at the Allied invasion of Sicily, Salerno and Juno Beach on D-Day with the Canadian forces. His 1955 romantic novel The Sixth of June was awarded the Governor General's Award for
D-Day the Sixth of June
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The Donbas operation of 1919 was a military campaign of the Russian Civil War, in which the Southern Front of the Red Army regained control of the Donbas region from the Armed Forces of South Russia. Prelude Since the White victory during the battle for the Donbas in June 1919, the region had remained in the hands of the Armed Forces of South Russia, under the command of Vladimir May-Mayevsky and Andrei Shkuro. The Reds tried to regain Donbas in August 1919, but the offensive, in which the 8th and 13th Red Armies took part, only managed to reach Kupiansk. The aim of the Donbas operation was to regain this area, destroy the White troops and prevent them from retreating to the area of the former Donbas District. After the victory of Semyon Budyonny's cavalry at Voronezh and Kastornoye, in October and November, and then the recapture of the Ukrainian Soviet capital of Kharkiv, on 11 December, the Red Army advanced rapidly south. Until the fall of Kharkiv, the Whites had retreated in an organized and orderly manner, but after losing this city, their retreat turned into a disorderly escape, the more so as the wounded and those suffering from typhus were moving along with the soldiers. On 16 December, the Red Army reached the line of Kupiansk-Svatove-Bilolutsk. In order to prevent the Reds from crossing the Donets, the Whites managed to concentrate in the region a grouping consisting of Pavlov's 4th Don Corps, Sergei Ulagay's 2nd Kuban Corps, Andrei Shkuro's 3rd Kuban Corps and Chesnokov's 3rd Cavalry Division. The main strike of the Donbas operation was to be carried out by the 1st Cavalry Army, striking towards the railway stations Popasna and Ilovaisk and Debaltseve. At the same time, some of the Red forces were tasked with hitting Taganrog, to prevent the Whites from retreating east and cut their area in half. Anatoliy Gekker's 13th Army was to perform a supporting attack in the direction of Sloviansk and Yuzivka, while Grigory Sokolnikov's 8th Army was entrusted with the task of capturing Luhansk. Offensive The Red Army offensive began on 18 December 1919. The 1st Cavalry Army crossed the Donets on 23 December, followed soon after by the 13th Army. A group of White soldiers concentrated in the vicinity of Bakhmut and Popasna in order to throw the enemy beyond the river and go to the defense, but this goal was not achieved. On 25 December, the 1st Cavalry Army went on the offensive again. Ulagay's forces were completely smashed, with Anton Denikin later being informed that the Whites no longer had cavalry. Two days later, the Red Army captured Luhansk, a day later the Whites had to leave Bakhmut, on 29 December, they also left Debaltseve. On 30 December, the Reds also captured Horlivka, breaking the last attempt by the Whites to defend their positions. The last points of White control in Donbas - Ilovaisk, Amvrosiivka, and Rovenky - were captured on 1 January 1920. Having suffered considerable losses,
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St. John Richardson Liddell (September 6, 1815 – February 14, 1870) was a prominent Louisiana planter who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was an outspoken proponent of Southern emancipation of slaves. Following the war, Liddell had a prominent feud with a former Confederate officer, Charles Jones, who eventually murdered Liddell near his home in 1870. Early life Liddell was born to a wealthy plantation family near Woodville, Mississippi. He was a schoolmate of future Confederate President Jefferson Davis, whom he would interact with several times during the early years of the Civil War on behalf of fellow general Albert Sidney Johnston. He attended the United States Military Academy from 1834 to 1835, but resigned prior to graduating. Liddell then moved to Catahoula Parish and established his own prosperous plantation, "Llanada," near Harrisonburg, Louisiana. His famous feud with Charles Jones, known as the Jones-Liddell feud, which eventually led to his death, began in the 1850s. Civil War Western Theater: 1861–63 With the outbreak of the Civil War and Louisiana's secession, Liddell enlisted in the Confederate States Army and received a commission. He initially served as a staff officer to his close friend William J. Hardee and Albert Sidney Johnston during the early part of the conflict. He then commanded the famous Arkansas Brigade in Patrick Cleburne's division of the Army of Tennessee from 1862–63, including the battles of Perryville and Murfreesboro. Liddell commanded a division at Chickamauga in 1863, but repeatedly refused promotion to major general in order to secure an assignment closer to his plantation, which was in jeopardy from Jayhawkers. Liddell was approached by General Braxton Bragg, a West Point classmate, to become his chief of staff and replace General W.W. Mackall, but Liddell refused. Although he was publicly critical of Bragg, Liddell seemed to enjoy his favor, which may have earned him the enmity of several of the officers in the Army of Tennessee. He remained very close with his classmate Hardee. Despite his personal clashes with fellow officers, Liddell had provided invaluable service to the Army of Tennessee. His brigade was pivotal at Perryville and Stones' River (where his sixteen-year-old son Willie Liddell was mortally wounded), and suffered the highest percentage of casualties at Chickamauga. Trans-Mississippi Theater: 1863–65 General Bragg refused to spare Liddell, but when Bragg was relieved by Jefferson Davis after the Chattanooga disaster, Liddell appealed personally to the President for a transfer and command of Sub-District of North Louisiana, which he received and held during the Red River Campaign in 1864. He was later assigned to overall command of the infantry at Mobile, Alabama until its surrender in 1865. During the last campaign, Liddell and Union Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby engaged in the Battle of Fort Blakeley, one of the last engagements of the war, where he was captured. Canby would later prove influential in Liddell's life by securing amnesty for him from the Federal Government. During his Trans-Mississippi service, Liddell found himself in
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The Battle of Vaal Krantz (Afrikaans: Slag van Vaalkrans, 5 - 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred during the Second Boer War. Background In the first and second attempts at relieving Ladysmith, Buller's army was defeated by Botha and his Boer army at the battles of Colenso and Spion Kop. British casualties soared to 3,000 men, while the Boers lost only a few hundred. Battle Vaal Krantz (Vaalkrans) is a ridge of kopjes (small hills) a few miles east of Spion Kop. Buller tried to force a bridgehead across the Tugela River with the Rifle Brigade and Durham Light Infantry (2nd Division) prominent amongst his troops. After three days of skirmishing, the British general found that his position was so cramped that there was no room to drag his superior artillery up to support the British infantry attacks. Buller called a council of war and, "All his generals agreed that there was nothing for it except to try a new attempt elsewhere." Pakenham wrote that the British suffered 333 casualties, but Symonds put the British casualties at 30 dead and 350 wounded with Boers casualties were 30 dead and 50 wounded. Vaal Krantz was a minor defeat. On 14 February with the Battle of the Tugela Heights, Buller launched his fourth attempt at the Relief of Ladysmith and finally succeeded. Further reading Pakenham, Thomas. The Boer War. New York: Avon Books, 1979. Notes Gallery Battles of the Second Boer War Conflicts in 1900 1900 in South Africa History of KwaZulu-Natal Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) February 1900 events
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A mercy dog (also known as an ambulance dog, Red Cross dog, or casualty dog) was a dog that served in a paramedical role in the military, most notably during World War I. They were often sent out after large battles, where they would seek out wounded soldiers, and they were well-suited to the conditions of trench warfare. They carried first-aid supplies that could then be used by wounded soldiers, and comforted dying soldiers who were mortally wounded. They were also trained to guide combat medics to soldiers who required extensive care. Many mercy dogs were trained by national Red Cross societies to serve the country in which the specific society operated. The German army called such dogs medical dogs. As many as 20,000 dogs are estimated to have served as mercy dogs in World War I and World War II, and they have been credited with saving thousands of lives. Such dogs were also used by the United States in the Korean War. Description A typical mercy dog in World War I was outfitted with a saddlebag that had water, liquor, and first aid supplies. They were trained by the Red Cross society that was based in the country of each army to travel silently around no man's land, typically at night or after a battle had ended, looking for its side's wounded soldiers and ignoring dead or wounded enemy ones. When they found a soldier, the soldier could use the medical supplies to tend to their wounds. If their condition was severe enough that this was impossible, the dog would return to the trenches with a piece of the soldier's uniform and lead a paramedic to the soldier. If the dog was unsuccessful in finding a wounded soldier, it would lie down in front of its handler instead of leading the handler to them. Some dogs were fitted with gas masks. Dogs attached to Allied Powers were trained to take a piece of uniform and those with the Central Powers any item, including a helmet or particularly a belt. Some dogs were also involved in pulling soldiers on carts between the front lines and medical bases further back. Mercy dogs were known to drag soldiers to safety at times. The dogs would also comfort mortally wounded soldiers as they died. A military surgeon praised the dog's abilities to triage wounded soldiers, saying "They sometimes lead us to the bodies we think have no life in them, but when we bring them back to the doctors [. . .] they always find a spark. It is purely a matter of their instinct, [which] is far more effective than man's reasoning powers." History The first mercy dogs were trained by the German army in the late 19th century. A program to train mercy dogs in 1895 begun by Jean Bungartz in Germany was described as a "novel experiment". By 1908, Italy, Austria, France and Germany had programs training mercy dogs. World War I By the beginning of World War I,
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Matrena Semyonovna Nazdracheva, née Necheporchukova (; 3 April 1924 – 22 March 2017) was a combat medic in Red Army who rescued 250 wounded soldiers and officers during World War II. On 15 May 1946 she was awarded the Order of Glory 1st Class and became one of only four women to receive all three classes of that order. Early life Necheporchukova was born in the village of Volchiy Yar to a Ukrainian peasant family. After her parents died in 1933 she lived in a local boarding school, and in 1939 she completed her seventh grade of school, marking the end of her secondary education, but after graduating from the Balakleyevskaya Obstetrical Nursing School she became a nurse. She had wanted to join the ranks of the Red Army sooner, but the Nazis occupied the Kharkhov area (where she lived) soon after the start of the war, and before that the Red Army initially rejected her because she was too young when the war started. Military career Necheporchukova managed to join the Communist Party and enlist in the Red Army as a medic in 1943 shortly after German forces were expelled from her hometown. She was deployed with her regiment to the frontlines in the spring and on her first day of battle she provided first aid to fifteen wounded soldiers. After the Soviet offensive in Kiev she crossed the Dnieper in October with a medical company under heavy enemy fire. After the river crossing she carried the wounded from battle to rafts despite heavy presence of enemy mortar fire, artillery, shelling, and bombing attacks. For nearly a week she continued doing so with little sleep and was soon awarded the Medal "For Courage". When Soviet forces crossed the Vistula river in Poland on 1 August 1944, Necheporchukova was the first person from her medical company to enter the river and head toward the bridgehead on the west shore, where heavy fighting was already taking place. After the crossing she provided first aid to roughly sixty soldiers, twenty-six of whom she carried off the battlefield to safety in an area where artillery fire could not reach. For doing so she was awarded the Order of Glory 3rd Class later that month. During the Vistula-Oder offensive in January 1945, she stayed in Radom behind the rest of the unit with several other medics to look after roughly thirty wounded soldiers while waiting for ambulances to pick them up. On 18 January a group of Wehrmacht soldiers that ran past Soviet lines raided the shelter where the injured were staying, but she and the other medics managed to repel the attack. One day later the ambulances arrived and she left to return her regiment. In a separate incident she provided first aid to fifty-one wounded soldiers on the bank of the Oder, twenty-seven of whom were seriously injured. For her actions in Radom and Oder she was awarded the Order of Glory 2nd class. During the Battle of Berlin as well as
Matrena Necheporchukova