26 FEBRUARY

UK REVERSES ITS POSITION ON GUANTANAMO, ACKNOWLEDGING THIS MIGHT INCREASE THE TERROR THREAT. An internal government memo dated 22 June 2018, leaked to The Daily Telegraph, and marked “Official Sensitive” noted that UK ministers would not oppose the US government sending two British terror suspects, Alexanda Kotey and Shafee El-Sheikh, to Guantanamo,  although at the same…

AFRICANS SACRIFICED TO SAVE THE BESIEGED CITY OF MAFEKING [ 17 May 1900 ] On this day in 1900, a British army relieved the besieged city of Mafeking during the Second Boer War. It led to street celebrations across Britain and the commander of the besieged troops, Robert Baden-Powell, became a national hero, even though…

Page to be updated with content soon. The next page with content is 21 June.

BARELY A RAZED EYEBROW AFTER NAZI SALUTE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. There was almost no diplomatic, media or public criticism when Hitler’s ambassador, Joachim von Ribbentrop, greeted King George VI at Buckingham Palace, on 4 February 1937, with a Nazi salute. BRITISH SUBMARINE SECONDS AWAY FROM A NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE. In the early hours of 4th February…

BRITISH TROOPS RANSACK THE CRIMEAN PORT OF BALAKLAVA [ 26 September 1854 ] On this day in 1854, the British army ransacked the small Crimean port of Balaclava.  Professor Saul David comments that when they arrived they found “the port was largely deserted.: most of its 1500 inhabitants had already fled… leaving their homes to…

BRITISH TREASURY HALTS RELIEF TO FAMINE STRUCK IRISH PEASANTS [ 17 July 1846 ] On this day in 1846, Charles Trevelyan, Assistant Secretary of the British Treasury, on learning of the ‘very unfavourable’ reports on the potato harvest’,  wrote to Sir Randolph Ralph, head of Ireland’s Relief Commission, warning him that ‘the only way to…