On this day...... 6 September

1776: The Turtle, a one-man hand-powered submersible constructed by David Bushnell for the American revolutionary forces, and manned by Sergeant Ezra Lee, attempted to attack the Royal Navy flagship in New York harbour.  Turtle successfully evaded detection, but Sergeant Lee was unable to attach a mine to the hull of HMS Eagle.

1855: Colour-Sergeant Craig of the Scots Guards won the Victoria Cross at Sevastopol, ignoring heavy enemy fire to lead a search for wounded men lying in the open.

1864: A Royal Navy squadron under Sir Augustus Kuper landed an assault party at Shimonoseki in Japan to deal with a local warlord who had opened fire on western shipping.  Three Victoria Crosses were awarded for gallantry during the attack on the fort: Midshipman Boyes, aged 17, who carried the Queen's Colours at the head of the assault; Petty Officer Pride, who acted as Boyes' colour sergeant; and Ordinary Seaman Seeley, an American serving in the Royal Navy, who became the first US citizen to win the VC.

1898: The Customs House at Candia in Crete came under attack from insurgents, and HMS Hazard dispatched a shore party to help the defenders.  During the fighting, the ship's surgeon, Maillard, ran through the firing to attempt to rescue a mortally wounded seaman who was drifting away in a boat.  Maillard was unable to help him, and by the time he got back under cover, his clothes were found to have been peppered with shots, although miraculously he had not suffered actual injury.  Maillard became the only naval surgeon to win the Victoria Cross.

1939: Mr Turner, a Merchant Navy radio officer, won one of the first gallantry awards of the Second World War for staying aboard to rescue two badly injured sailors after their ship was attacked by a U-boat.  He received the Empire Gallantry Medal, the forerunner to the George Cross.

1940: RAF airfields continued to bear the brunt of Luftwaffe attacks, Biggin Hill in particular receiving another pounding .  The day's events are recorded on the RAF's Battle of Britain website.

1944: The Home Guard was partially stood down, and blackout precautions relaxed in Britain, as Allied forces advanced in north west Europe.