1.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
2.
British Army
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2017 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,500 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies and establish itself as one of the leading military. In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II, Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland, the order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, after William and Marys accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Marys father, James II. Spain, in the two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to Englands early transatlantic ambitions. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Great Britain was the naval power. As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought the Kingdoms of Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years War, the British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in campaigns across Europe. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and at its peak, in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A Coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies under the Duke of Wellington, the English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, the English Army stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution, the British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster in the 1798 rebellion. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Armys volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, Great Britains dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, in the 20th century, most notably Germany
3.
Newcastle upon Tyne
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Newcastle is the most populous city in the North East and forms the core of the Tyneside conurbation, the eighth most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities Group and is a member of the Eurocities network of European cities. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it became a county of itself, the regional nickname and dialect for people from Newcastle and the surrounding area is Geordie. Newcastle also houses Newcastle University, a member of the Russell Group, the city developed around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius and was named after the castle built in 1080 by Robert Curthose, William the Conquerors eldest son. The city grew as an important centre for the trade in the 14th century. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the lower down the River Tyne, was amongst the worlds largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. Newcastles economy includes corporate headquarters, learning, digital technology, retail, tourism and cultural centres, among its icons are Newcastle United football club and the Tyne Bridge. Since 1981 the city has hosted the Great North Run, a marathon which attracts over 57,000 runners each year. The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius and it was given the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who founded it in the 2nd century AD. This rare honour suggests Hadrian may have visited the site and instituted the bridge on his tour of Britain, Pons Aelius population at this period was estimated at 2,000. Fragments of Hadrians Wall are visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road, the course of the Roman Wall can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend—the walls end—and to the supply fort Arbeia in South Shields. After the Roman departure from Britain, completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, conflicts with the Danes in 876 left the river Tyne and its settlements in ruin. After the conflicts with the Danes, and following the 1088 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester was all, because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080. The town was known as Novum Castellum or New Castle. The wooden structure was replaced by a castle in 1087. The castle was again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in the city dates from this period. Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was Englands northern fortress, incorporated first by Henry II, the city had a new charter granted by Elizabeth in 1589
4.
Battle of Assaye
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The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. The battle was the Duke of Wellingtons first major victory and one he later described as his finest accomplishment on the battlefield. After several weeks of pursuit and countermarching, Scindia reinforced the combined Maratha army with his infantry and artillery as the British forces closed in on his position. Wellesley received intelligence indicating the location of the Maratha encampment on 21 September, Wellesleys force, however, encountered the Maratha army – which was under the command of Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, a German formerly in British service –6 miles farther south than he anticipated. Although outnumbered, Wellesley resolved to attack at once, believing that the Maratha army would move off. Both sides suffered heavily in the battle, Maratha artillery caused large numbers of casualties among Wellesleys troops. A combination of bayonet and cavalry charges eventually forced the Maratha army to retreat with the loss of most of their guns, but Wellesleys army was too battered and exhausted to pursue. Wellesleys victory at Assaye, preceded by the capture of Ahmednagar and followed by victories at Argaon and Gawilghur, resulted in the defeat of Scindia and Berars armies in the Deccan. Wellesleys progress in the Deccan was matched by Lieutenant General Gerard Lakes successful campaigns in Northern India, feuding between the two dominant powers within the Maratha Empire, Yashwant Rao Holkar and Daulat Rao Scindia, led to civil war at the turn of the 19th century. The hostilities culminated in the Battle of Poona in October 1802 where Holkar defeated an army of Scindia and Baji Rao II – the Peshwa. Scindia retreated into his dominions to the north, but Baji Rao was driven from his territory and he appealed to the Company for assistance, offering to accept its authority if he were restored to his principality at Poona. Wellesley entered Poona without opposition on 20 April, and Baji Rao was formally restored to his throne on 13 May. The Maratha leaders refused to submit to the Peshwas authority and tensions were raised further when Holkar raided into Hyderabad in May, mornington consequently engaged the various Maratha chieftains in negotiations. Lieutenant Colonel John Collins was sent to Scindias camp to discuss his objections, after a protracted period of negotiations, Collins reported to Wellesley on 3 August that Scindia refused to give an answer and would not withdraw his troops. Wellesleys response was to declare war on Scindia and Berar in order to secure the interests of the British government, the East India Company attacked the two principal Maratha forces of Scindia and the Raja of Berar from the north and the south. A second British force under the command of Major General Wellesley confronted an army of Scindia. The Maratha army in the Deccan was largely composed of fast-moving cavalry able to live off the land, Stevenson was despatched from Hyderabad with an army of some 10,000 men to Jafarabad to deny Scindia and Berar the chance to raid east into the Nizams territory. The bulk of his forces were Company troops from Mysore, five infantry battalions of the Madras Native Infantry
5.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
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Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, CI, GCVO, GCStJ was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret spent much of her childhood in the company of her older sister and her life changed dramatically in 1936, when her paternal uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorcée, Wallis Simpson. Margarets father became King, and her sister became heir presumptive. During World War II, the two stayed at Windsor Castle, despite suggestions to evacuate them to Canada. During the war years, Margaret was considered too young to perform any official duties, after the war, Margaret fell in love with Group Captain Peter Townsend. In 1952, Margarets father died, her sister became Queen, early the following year, he proposed to Margaret. Many in the government believed he would be a husband for the Queens 22-year-old sister. Margaret eventually abandoned her plans with him and in 1960, she accepted the proposal of the photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, Margaret was often viewed as a controversial member of the British royal family. Her divorce earned her publicity, and she was romantically associated with several men. Her health gradually deteriorated in the two decades of her life. A heavy smoker for most of her life, she had a lung operation in 1985, a bout of pneumonia in 1993. She died at King Edward VII Hospital on 9 February 2002, Margaret was born on 21 August 1930 at Glamis Castle in Scotland, her mothers ancestral home, and was affectionately known as Margot within the royal family. The Home Secretary, J. R. Clynes, was present to verify the birth, the registration of her birth was delayed for several days to avoid her being numbered 13 in the parish register. At the time of her birth, she was fourth in the line of succession to the British throne and her father was Prince Albert, Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. Her mother was Elizabeth, Duchess of York, the youngest daughter of the 14th Earl, King George V disliked the name Ann but approved of the alternative Margaret Rose. Margaret was baptised in the chapel of Buckingham Palace on 30 October 1930 by Cosmo Lang. Margarets early life was spent primarily at the Yorks residences at 145 Piccadilly and she was educated alongside her sister, Princess Elizabeth, by their Scottish governess Marion Crawford. Margarets education was supervised by her mother, who in the words of Randolph Churchill never aimed at bringing her daughters up to be more than nicely behaved young ladies
6.
15th The King's Hussars
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The 15th The Kings Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. First raised in 1759, it saw service over two centuries, including the First World War, before being amalgamated with the 19th Royal Hussars into the 15th/19th The Kings Royal Hussars in 1922. The regiment was raised in the London area by George Augustus Eliott and it was renamed the 15th Regiment of Dragoons in 1760. The regiment landed in Bremen in June 1760 for service in the Seven Years War, the regiment were largely responsible for the victory, suffering 125 of the 186 allied casualties at the Battle of Emsdorf in July 1760. Lieutenant Colonel William Erskine, commanding the regiment, presented King George III with 16 colours captured by his regiment after the battle, during the battle the French commander, Major-General Christian-Sigismund von Glaubitz, was taken prisoner. The regiment charged the French rear guard twice at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal in June 1762, in 1766 it was renamed for King George III as the 1st Regiment of Light Dragoons, the number being an attempt to create a new numbering system for the light dragoon regiments. However, the old system was quickly re-established, with the regiment returning as the 15th Regiment of Dragoons in 1769, the regiment landed at Ostend in May 1793 for service in the Flanders Campaign and fought at the Battle of Famars in May 1793. The regiment returned to England in December 1795 and was next in action at the Battle of Alkmaar in October 1799 during the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, the regiment was reconstituted as a hussar regiment in 1807 as the 15th Regiment of Dragoons. It landed at Corunna in November 1808 for service in the Peninsular War, at the battle two French lieutenant colonels were captured and the French 1st Provisional Chasseurs à cheval, who lost many men captured, ceased to exist as a viable regiment. However, the officer of the 15th Hussars, Colonel Colquhoun Grant, was wounded in the battle. The regiment embarked at Corunna for their home in January 1809. The regiment were ordered to support Sir Arthur Wellesleys Army on the Iberian Peninsula and it took part in the Battle of Morales in June 1813 and the Battle of Vitoria later in the month. It then pursued the French Army into France and supported the infantry at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and it returned to England in July 1814. The regiment was recalled for the Hundred Days and landed at Ostend in May 1815, it took part in a charge at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 and returned to England in May 1816. The regiment played a role in the notorious Peterloo Massacre in August 1819. Panic from the crowd was interpreted as an attack on the Yeomanry, the charge resulted in 15 fatalities and as many as 600 injured. The title of the regiment was simplified in 1861 to the 15th Hussars and it was stationed in Ireland between July 1824 and May 1827 and between April 1834 and May 1837. It was then stationed in India between spring 1840 and 1854, on 14 April 1915, the squadrons returned to regimental control and the regiment was placed under the command of the 9th Cavalry Brigade in the 1st Cavalry Division
7.
Covenanter tank
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The Cruiser tank Mk V or A13 Mk III Covenanter was a British cruiser tank of the Second World War. The Covenanter was the first cruiser tank design to be given a name, designed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway as a better-armoured replacement for the Cruiser Mark IV, it was ordered into production in 1939 before pilot models were built. Problems with the design became apparent after production was under way. The tank equipped various British armoured divisions in the home defence and it never left the British Isles as poor engine cooling caused versions MkI-MkIII to be declared unfit for use overseas service especially in hot climates. This was rectified in the MkIV after many corrective actions were undertaken but by February 1944, more than 1,700 of the type were built. It was named after the Covenanters, a Scottish religious faction in the British Isles at the time of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, in 1938, the War Office had issued a requirement for a new, better armoured heavy cruiser tank to replace the Cruiser IV. Nuffields A16 design was found to be too expensive and, in 1939 and it had nothing apart from Christie suspension and armament in common with the other A13 specifications. The 30 mm armoured standard referred to any vertical plate having to be 30 mm thick, angled surfaces could be thinner, provided they were at least as effective as a 30 mm thick vertical plate. From these, a design using many sloped surfaces was chosen to keep the weight low, to keep the silhouette low, the suspension used cranked arms and a low profile engine was envisaged. The engine, which was to be designed for it, was to deliver at least 300 horsepower. The Wilson transmission and steering of the A16 would be used, design work was by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company. The design assumed a welded hull rather than the usual rivetting, the turret was designed by Nuffield, with Henry Meadows designing a new low profile engine for it. On 17 April, before even a prototype was produced. Additional orders soon followed, with English Electric and Leyland Motors joining the production effort, Nuffield was also approached, but preferred to design its own offspring of the A13 line, which became the Cruiser Mk. VI Crusader. Due to the expectations of an imminent war, the design was ordered off the drawing board, the expectation was that two pilot models would serve for testing and results applied to the production lines. To meet the requirement, a horizontally opposed 12-cylinder design was used. Although flat, it was wide and left no room for radiators in the engine compartment, the unusual arrangement, although tested in mockup form first, when combined with the rushed design process resulted in serious problems with engine cooling. Even when the systems were redesigned there were problems, and the piping from engine to the radiators heated the fighting compartment and these problems meant that the Covenanter would not be employed in the North African Campaign
8.
Wellingborough
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Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated 11 miles from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the side of the River Nene. Due to frequent flooding by the River Nene, the town was built above the current level of the flood plain. Originally named Wendelingburgh, the settlement was established in the Saxon period and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name of Wendelburie, the town was granted a royal market charter in 1201, by King John of England. As of 2011 the census states the borough has a population of 75,400, the town of Wellingborough is governed by The Borough Council of Wellingborough, with their office located in the town centre. The town is twinned with Niort in France, and with Wittlich in Germany, the study allocates 12,800 additional homes mainly to the east of the town. The town was established in the Anglo-Saxon period and was called Wendelingburgh and it is surrounded by five wells, Red Well, Hemming Well, Witches Well, Ladys Well and Whyte Well, which appear on its coat of arms. This part of the town is now known as Croyland, all Hallows Church is the oldest existing building in Wellingborough and dates from c. The manor of Wellingborough belonged to Crowland Abbey Lincolnshire, from Saxon times, the earliest part of the building is the Norman doorway opening in from the later south porch. The church was enlarged with the addition of side chapels. The west tower, crowned with a broach spire rising to 160 feet, was completed about 1270, after which the chancel was rebuilt. The church was restored in 1861 by Edmund Francis Law, the 20th-century Church of St Mary was built by Ninian Comper. A hotel in a Grade II listed building built in the 17th century, was known variously as the Hind Hotel, severe reprisals followed which included the carrying off to Northampton of the parish priest, Thomas Jones, and 40 prisoners by a group of Roundheads. However, after the Civil War Wellingborough was home to a colony of Diggers, little is known about this period. Wellingborough was bombed once during World War II, the bomb fell where the town centre McDonalds restaurant used to be located. The town was used for evacuated children from London. Originally the town had two stations, the first called Wellingborough London Road, opened in 1845 and closed in 1966. The second station, Wellingborough Midland Road, is still in operation with trains to London, since then the Midland Road was dropped from the station name
9.
Cromwell tank
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The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell, was one of the most successful of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Its design formed the basis of the later Comet tank, the name Cromwell was initially applied to three different vehicles during development. Early Cromwell development led to the creation of the A24 Cavalier, later Cromwell development led to the creation of the competing Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Centaur design. The Centaur tank was closely related to the Cromwell, both vehicles being externally of very similar appearance, Cromwell and Centaur differed in the engine used. While the Centaur had the 340 hp Liberty engine, the Cromwell had the more powerful 600 hp Meteor. The Cromwell first saw action in the Battle of Normandy in June 1944, the tank equipped the armoured reconnaissance regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps, in the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division and the Guards Armoured Division. While the armoured regiments of the two divisions were equipped with M4 Shermans, the armoured regiments of the 7th Armoured Division were equipped with Cromwell tanks. The Centaurs were not used in combat except for those fitted with a 95mm howitzer, Development of the Cromwell and Centaur dates to 1940, as the Crusader tank was being readied for service. The General Staff was aware that the Crusader would become obsolete, the tank was to be fitted with the QF6 pounder gun and was expected to enter service in 1942. Vauxhall responded with the A23, a scaled version of their A22 Churchill infantry tank. This would have had 75 mm of armour, used a 12-cylinder Bedford engine, carried a crew of five. Nuffield submitted the A24, heavily based on its Crusader design and powered by its version of the Liberty engine, nevertheless, as the design was based on the Crusader, it was expected it could be put into production rapidly. The final entry was from Leyland and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon and their design was similar to the Nuffield, but with different suspension and tracks. The designs were received and examined in January 1941, with Nuffields A24 being declared the winner on 17 January, six prototypes of the Cromwell were ordered for the spring of 1942. These arrived four months late and by time the design was already outdated. It was put into production anyway, but in service it proved entirely underpowered, delays in the A24 program led to demands to get the QF6 pounder into service earlier. This led to a series of up-gunned Crusaders mounting the 6-pounder, with the start of the war, Rolls-Royce ended car production and set up a design team looking for other ways to use their design capability. The team formed under the direction of Roy Robotham at Clan Foundry near Belper, to start works, they began recovering and refurbishing parts from crashed Merlin engines with the intention of using them for non-aviation purposes
United Kingdom
British Army
