naist-nlp/zeshel huggingface dataset:
British Purchasing Commission The British Purchasing Commission was a United Kingdom organization of the Second World War . Also known at some time as the " Anglo - French Purchasing Board " , it was based in New York City , where it arranged the production and purchase of armaments from North American manufacturers . The Board was able to arrange purchases in spite of the Neutrality Acts , paying for the materiel with Britain ' s Gold Reserve s . The Board had been established before the war buying aircraft such as the Lockheed Super Electra . Facing an Aeroplane shortage during the early stages of World War II , in January 1940 , the British government established the British Direct Purchase Commission to purchase US planes that would help supplement domestic plane production . The requests by the Board to US manufacturers stimulated production and design including the development of what would become the P - 51 Mustang . After the establishment of Lend - Lease , aircraft and other weapons could be supplied direct to the UK .
ORP Dzik ORP " Dzik " ( Boar ) was a U - class submarine built by Vickers - Armstrong at Barrow - in - Furness . She was laid down on 30 December 1941 as P - 52 for the Royal Navy , but was transferred to the Polish Navy during construction . Launched on November 11 , 1942 , ORP " Dzik " was commissioned into the Polish Navy on December 12 , 1942 . Her name meant " Wild Boar " in Polish . 24 May 1943 Near Cape Spartivento , ORP Dzik fired a 4 torpedo salvo and damaged the Italian oil tanker " Carnaro " ( 8357 Brutto Register Tonnage ) . After the attack , two Italian corvettes dropped over 60 depth charges . 21 Sep 1943 ORP " Dzik " fired torpedoes in Bastia harbour , Corsica , France and sank the German tanker " Nikolaus " ( 6397 , former Greek " Nicolaou Ourania " ) and the German tug " Kraft " ( 333 Brutto Register Tonnage ) . 8 Jan 1944 ORP " Dzik " sank the Greek sailing vessel " Elleni " ( 200 Brutto Register Tonnage ) with gunfire off Lesbos Island , Greece in position 39 . 37N , 25 . 43E . ORP " Dzik " destroyed or damaged 18 surface ships both German and Italian with a total tonnage of 45 , 080 tons . She participated in Operation Husky , the Allied invasion of Sicily , and also engaged enemy surface ships with her 76 mm cannon three times and the crew boarded two enemy ships . The ORP " Dzik " earned the Jolly Roger . In July 1946 , the Polish Navy decommissioned her and returned her to the Royal Navy . In 1947 , the ship was transferred to the Royal Danish Navy . She sailed as HDMS " U - 1 " and was later renamed to HDMS " Springeren " . She was returned to the Royal Navy in April 1958 and scrapped . References . ORP Dzik ( Wikipedia )
Battle of the Masts The Battle of the Masts ( Arabic : معركة ذات الصواري , romanized " Dhat Al - Sawari " ) or Battle of Phoenix was a crucial naval battle fought in 655 between the Muslim Arabs , led by Abdullah bin Sa ' ad bin Abi ' l Sarh and the Byzantine fleet under the personal command of Emperor Constans II . The battle is considered , " the first decisive conflict of Islam on the deep . " Background . In the 650s , the Arab Caliphate finished off the Sassanid Empire and continued its successful expansion into the Eastern Roman Empire ' s territories . In 645 , Abdullah ibn Saad was made Governor of Egypt by his foster brother Rashidun Caliph Uthman , replacing the semi - independent Amr ibn al - Aas . Uthman permitted Muawiyah to raid the island of Cyprus in 649 and the success of that campaign set the stage for the undertaking of naval activities by the Government of Egypt . Abdullah ibn Saad built a strong navy and proved to be a skilled naval commander . Under him the Muslim navy won a number of naval victories including repulsing a Byzantine counter - attack on Alexandria in 646 . In 655 , Muawiyah undertook an expedition in Cappadocia while his fleet , under the command of Abdullah ibn Saad , advanced along the southern coast of Anatolia . It seems that Emperor Constans considered the naval part of the invasion the more dangerous , for he embarked against it with a large fleet . The battle . The two forces met off the coast of Mount Phoenix in Lycia , near the harbour of Phoenix ( modern Finike ) . According to the 9th century chronicler Theophanes the Confessor , as the Emperor was preparing for battle , on the previous night he dreamed that he was in Thessalonica ; awaking he related the dream to an interpreter of dreams who said : " Emperor , would that you had not slept nor seen that dream for your presence in Thessalonica " - according to the interpreter , victory inclined to the Emperor ' s foes . As the ships came into battle range Constans raised the Cross and had his men sing psalms . The Arabs responded by raising the Crescent and trying to drown out the psalms by chanting passages from the Koran . Both the Cross and Crescent remained mounted on the masts throughout the battle giving the naval conflict its name . The Arabs were victorious in battle , although losses were heavy for both sides , and Constans barely escaped to Constantinople . According to Theophanes , he managed to make his escape by exchanging uniforms with one of his officers . Aftermath . Although the Arab fleet retreated after its victory , the Battle of the Masts was a significant milestone in the history of the Mediterranean , Islam and the Byzantine Empire , as it established the superiority of the Muslims at sea as well as on land . For the next four centuries , the Mediterranean would be a battleground between Byzantines and Muslims . In the aftermath of this disaster , however , the Byzantines were granted a respite due to the outbreak of a civil war among the Muslims . This gave Constans the time to reorganize the Byzantine defences , especially in the Western Mediterranean and the Exarchate of Africa .
John Henry Carless John Henry Carless VC ( 11 November 1896 – 17 November 1917 ) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War . Carless was born on 11 November 1896 to John Thomas and Elizabeth Carless , of Walsall . He died when he was 21 years old , and an Ordinary Seaman in the Royal Navy during World War I . He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 17 November 1917 aboard HMS Caledon at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight , Germany , which led to his death . Having no known grave , he is listed on Panel 25 of the Royal Naval Memorial at Portsmouth , Hampshire . Walsall Museum . A bust of Carless stands on a plinth outside Walsall Museum ( at ) . The museum has a display on Carless , including a replica of his VC ( it has the original in store , for security reasons ) , the ship ' s name - band from his uniform cap , and an oil portrait , commissioned by the Walsall Services Memorial Club . Memorial plaque . In December 2009 , a memorial plaque to Carless and two other recipients of the Victoria Cross , James Thompson and Charles George Bonner , was unveiled at the Walsall Town Hall .
Ghods Ababil The Ababil ( , " swallow " ) is an Iranian - made UAV . Iran has developed a number of variants , including the tactical Ababil - 5 for medium - range reconnaissance and surveillance , the Ababil - T for short / medium - range attack , and also the Ababil - B and - S . Performance . The Ababil is much smaller than manned airplanes . The length of 2 . 9 m is shorter than a ( true ) Volkswagen Beetle . It is powered by a simple two - bladed pusher propeller with a rear mounted wing and a front canard for good stall , stability and maneuverability characteristics . It can be launched from a rail mounted on the back of a truck which provides power for the pneumatic launcher . A rocket launch system can be used from a ship deck , and can be assembled or broken down for portability . A parachute recovery system provides a descent rate of 4 m / s , while skids can be used for conventional landings on a runway or field . It has a maximum operational radius of and a maximum ceiling of 14 , 000 ft ( 4 , 268 m ) . It has the ability to travel at a maximum speed of 300 km / h and is capable of carrying a 45 kg ( 88 lb . ) payload . It has a surveillance configuration , carrying a camera and digital communications equipment , but also an attack configuration , carrying a high - explosive warhead that would be delivered by the UAV crashing onto a target . Service . Israel has said that Hezbollah received at least 12 Ababils before the 2006 Lebanon War , and launched three into Israel during the conflict , though all three were shot down by Israeli jets before inflicting damage . On March 16 , 2009 it was reported that an American F - 16 operating in Iraq shot down an Iranian Ababil 3 drone on February 25 , 2009 that had been flying through Iraqi airspace for " almost an hour and 10 minutes . " The drone crashed about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad , 12 miles inside Iraqi territory near the town of Balad Ruz in Diyala province . Officials at Iraq ' s Defense and Interior ministries suggested that the drone might have been scouting for routes to smuggle Iranian weapons into the country . The " New York Times " , however , speculated that the drone was monitoring Iranian dissidents in Iraq , such as those at Camp Ashraf , which is located near where the drone crashed . However , Maj . Gen Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim , head of military operations at the Iraqi defense ministry stated the drone , " crossed 10km into Iraq , It ' s most likely that its entrance was a mistake . " The Ababil has also been reported to be in service in Sudan . On March 18 , 2012 Sudanese rebels claimed to have downed a government operated Ababil using ground fire . The Sudanese government admitted that a UAV had been lost , though it claimed the crash was due to mechanical failure and not ground fire .
Battle of Loch Ryan The Battle of Loch Ryan was a battle fought on 9 / 10 February 1307 during the Scottish Wars of Independence near Stranraer on Loch Ryan , Wigtownshire , Galloway , Scotland . King Robert I of Scotland ' s invasion of his ancestral lands in Annandale and Carrick began in 1307 . The Annandale and Galloway invasion force was led by his brothers Alexander de Brus and Thomas de Brus , Malcolm McQuillan , Lord of Kintyre , an Irish sub king and Sir Reginald de Crawford . The force consisted of 1000 men and eighteen galleys . They sailed into Loch Ryan and landed near Stranraer . The invasion force was quickly overwhelmed by local forces , led by Dungal MacDouall , who was a supporter of the Balliols , Comyns and King Edward I of England , and only two galleys escaped . All the leaders were captured . Dungal MacDouall , summarily executed the Irish sub king and Malcolm McQuillan , Lord of Kintyre . Alexander , Thomas and Reginald de Crawford were sent to Carlisle , England , where they were executed . The heads of McQuillan and two Irish chiefs were sent to King Edward I . The Robert the Bruce Trail . See a map of the " The Robert the Bruce Trail "
10th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 10th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . The 10th Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee , Wisconsin and mustered into Federal service October 14 , 1861 . The regiment was mustered out on October 25 , 1864 and the Veterans and later recruits transferred to the 21st Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment Total Enlistements and Casualties . The 10th Wisconsin initially mustered 1 , 029 men and later recruited an additional 601 men , for a total of 1 , 630 men . The regiment lost 5 officers and 91 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds , plus another 1 officer and 147 enlisted men who died of disease , for a total of 244 fatalities .
Middle Ground Coastal Battery The Middle Ground Coastal Battery is a heritage site of an antique coastal gun battery managed by the Indian Navy on an islet off the coast of Mumbai , India . It is situated on " Middle Ground " isle in Mumbai Harbour , a few hundred metres away from the Gateway of India , in Thane Creek . History . The Middle Ground Coastal Battery was once part of a reef , like the nearby Oyster Rock . " Middle Ground " islet is a piece of hard basalt rock , emerging from the creek bed , having an area of a few hundred square metres . The island was fortified in 1682 by the British East India Company to curb the sea piracy in the area . Later a marine police force of Bhandaris was stationed on the islet to keep an eye on the pirates who used to board ships . The Bhandaris were chosen for their honesty and local knowledge . They had a distinctive uniform of yellow turbans and blue trousers . After piracy moved to the South China Sea , about two hundred years ago , the police were disbanded and the rock passed into the control of the Royal Navy ( RN ) , and from thence to the Royal Indian Navy ( RIN ) and eventually to the Indian Navy ( IN ) . The RIN added to the fortifications with the use of cannon s and later on three anti - aircraft gun s to protect the harbour from a perceived Japan ese invasion during World War II . The AA guns were eventually removed , but the deep cylindrical mountings of the old guns still remain . Current use . The island is manned by a staff of eight sailors of the Indian Navy who keep in touch with the mainland through radio communications . Currently the island serves as the saluting base to the Flag Officer Commander - in - Chief ( FOC - in - C ) of the Western Naval Command . The old cannons are ceremonially fired along with a bugle call when a new FOC - in - C takes office or when a naval ship returns to its home port in the harbour after an extended deployment . The edifice stores artefacts of the colonial era such as ceramic bathtubs , etc . A maritime museum occupied a portion of the isle , but it was shut down in 2000 with the exhibits moving to the maritime museum of the decommissioned aircraft carrier when it was opened to the public . Ensign s of old naval ships are still stored on the isle . The islet is difficult to visit owing to the problems faced while berthing during low tide . The Navy has been offered many lucrative deals for the obsidian isle , but selling it would heavily compromise the security of warships berthed at Naval Jetties .
John Millmore John Millmore ( 26 March 1859 – ? ) was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military ' s highest decoration , the Medal of Honor . Born on 26 March 1859 in New York , New York , Millmore joined the Navy from that state in January 1876 . By October 31 , 1877 , he was serving as an ordinary seaman on the , which was at Monrovia , Liberia . On that day , he and another sailor , First Class Fireman Henry Lakin Simpson , rescued their shipmate Ordinary Seaman John W . Powers from drowning . For this action , both Millmore and Simpson were awarded the Medal of Honor seven years later , on October 18 , 1884 . Millmore ' s official Medal of Honor citation reads : Serving on board the U . S . S . " Essex " , Millmore rescued from drowning John W . Powers , ordinary seaman , serving on the same vessel with him , at Monrovia , Liberia , 31 October 1877 . Millmore ' s medal is held by the American Numismatic Society .
Flanders B . 2 The Flanders B . 2 was a 1910s British experimental biplane designed and built by Howard Flanders and later used by the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) Development . Flanders designed and built a two - seat biplane designated the Flanders B . 2 to take part in military trials that were to be held on Salisbury Plain in 1912 . It did not take part in the trials as an engine was not available in time . The aircraft was eventually flown with a variety of engines , with the final engine fit ( a 70 hp ( 52 kW ) Gnome rotary ) the aircraft was bought in 1914 by the Admiralty and operated by the RNAS from Great Yarmouth on non - operational duties .
Gold Medal of Military Valour The Gold Medal of Military Valour ( ) is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia " " . . . per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra " " ( for deeds of outstanding gallantry in war by junior officers and soldiers ) . The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king , and on its reverse was a flag decoration and the words " " al valore " " ( for valour ) . On 14 August 1815 , Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia replaced it with the Military Order of Savoy ( " " l ' Ordine militare di Savoia " " ) , now known as the Military Order of Italy . Charles Albert of Sardinia revived it on March 26 , 1833 , and added to it the Silver and Bronze medals . These had , on their faces , the coat of arms of Savoy with laurel branches , the royal crown , and the words " " al valor militare " " ( for military valor ) . On the reverse were two laurel branches enclosing the name of the decorated soldier , and the place and date of the action . With the proclamation of the Republic on June 2 , 1946 , the coat of arms of Savoy was replaced with the emblem of the Italian Republic . For actions performed by individuals during World War I , the Gold Medal was awarded some 368 times , as well as 37 times to military units , and once to the Unknown Soldier . Only four of the individual awards went to foreigners , one of these being Czar Nicholas II of Russia . The other three were for acts of gallantry in which the recipient was killed in action or died from his injuries ( the Frenchmen John O ' Byrne and Roland Morillot , and the American Coleman deWitt ) . The Gold Medal of Military Valor was one of the most parsimoniously awarded medals of World War I , granted less frequently than even the Victoria Cross which was awarded 628 times . The Gold Medal for Military Valor is still awarded by the Italian state , and it , along with Silver and Bronze medals for Military Valor as well as the " Croce di Guerra al Valor Militare " ( War Cross of Military Valour - which can only be awarded in time of war ) is established by the Royal Decree of 4 November 1932 , in which the purpose of these medals is defined as " To distinguish and publicly honor the authors of heroic military acts , even ones performed in time of peace , provided that the exploit is closely connected with the purposes for which the Armed Forces are constituted , whatever may be the condition or quality of the author . "
Terrance Christopher Terrance Christopher , OMM , LVO , CD is a retired Canadian Naval Officer and former Usher of the Black Rod for the Senate of Canada , the most senior protocol office in Parliament . Born in Cape Breton , Nova Scotia , Christopher graduated from St . Francis Xavier University and the Maritime School of Social Work before joining the Royal Canadian Navy rising to the rank of Lieutenant - Commander . He served on the HMCS Stadacona , HMCS Cornwallis , CFB Borden and at NATO . His naval service is most notable for his work on expanding education and training services in the navy . Retiring in 1994 , he briefly entered the private sector before becoming head of the Canadian government ' s VIP reception services . He became Usher of the Black Rod on December 9 , 2002 , and his term expired on March 8 , 2008 , after having been extended for three months to allow the government to find a new Usher . Christopher had asked to be reappointed for a full term , but his request was denied by the government . He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Military Merit in 1982 . In 1994 , he was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order .
Terrasidius Titus Terrasidius was a Roman Knight of the Equestrian order and an officer of the cavalry in Julius Caesar ' s Legio VII Claudia . He and other officers of the legion were sent out to negotiate provisions for the winter of 56 – 55 BC , they were captured by Breton tribes who were then subjugated as Caesar describes in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico :
Gawron - class corvette The Gawron class ( ) or Projekt 621 was a planned class of multipurpose corvette s ordered by Polish Navy . The Gawron class was a variant of the MEKO A - 100 project developed by the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany . Construction of the first ship of the class started in 2001 . The project was terminated in February 2012 but in October 2013 a contract was signed to complete the existing hull as a patrol ship by 2016 . Construction . There were plans to build 7 Gawron - class corvettes , but as of 2009 , work has only begun on one ship , which is to be named " Ślązak " ( ) . The program suffered delays due to insufficient funding from the government and delays in choosing final weapons and systems configuration . The hull was launched on 16 September 2009 , but the program was suspended due to the ongoing financial crisis . The Work was resumed and the first ship would be commissioned by 2015 . However on 24 February 2012 it as announced by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the project was cancelled . At the time of the cancellation , the hull of the first ship was largely completed at the cost of 402 million PLN ( ~ US $ 130m ) , but equipping it would have cost an additional 1 billion PLN ( ~ US $ 320m ) . A single existing " Gawron " hull will be completed without fire - control system and main armament as heavy patrol vessel at the cost of 100 million PLN .
Villers – Bretonneux Australian National Memorial The Villers – Bretonneux Australian National Memorial is a World War I memorial , located near the commune of Villers - Bretonneux , in the Somme département of France . The memorial lists 10 , 773 names of soldiers of the Australian Imperial Force with no known grave who were killed between 1916 , when Australian forces arrived in France and Belgium , and the end of the war . The location was chosen to commemorate the role played by Australian soldiers in the Second Battle of Villers - Bretonneux . The memorial also serves as the Australian National Memorial to all the Australian dead during the Western Front of World War I . Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens , the memorial consists of a tower within Villers - Bretonneux Military Cemetery , which also includes a Cross of Sacrifice . The tower is surrounded by walls and panels on which the names of the missing dead are listed . The main inscription is in both French and English , on either side of the entrance to the tower . The site for the memorial had been selected by General Sir Talbot Hobbs , commander of the Australian forces that had participated in the battle . A competition was held in 1925 to choose a design for the memorial . The competition was won by the Australian architect William Lucas , but both Hobbs and the head of the Imperial War Graves Commission , Sir Fabian Ware , disliked Lucas ' s design . Lutyens was approached after economic difficulties had led to the original memorial project being halted . Hobbs , who was himself an architect , contributed to the design process , but died of a heart attack at sea while journeying to see it unveiled . The memorial was unveiled on 22 July 1938 by King George VI , whose words were broadcast directly to Australia . Other dignitaries present included the French President Albert Lebrun , who also gave a speech , and the Australian deputy prime minister Earle Page . Accompanying the King was his wife Queen Elizabeth , whose brother was killed at the Battle of Loos . This memorial was the last of the great memorials to the missing of World War I to be built , and the Second World War broke out just over a year after its unveiling . Every year on 25 April , an Anzac Day Dawn Service is conducted at the memorial by the Australian Government Department of Veterans ’ Affairs . The service commences at 5 . 30am and is followed by community services in Villers - Bretonneux and Bullecourt . Those travelling to the Dawn Service can register to receive useful information including tips on what to expect and bring with you , traffic arrangements and other important health and safety information . For more information and to register for updates about the Anzac Day Commemorations visit www . dva . gov . au / france . During the unveiling ceremony , the King closed his speech with the words :